European Vegetation Archive (EVA): An integrated database of European vegetation plots

© 2016 International Association for Vegetation Science. The European Vegetation Archive (EVA) is a centralized database of European vegetation plots developed by the IAVS Working Group European Vegetation Survey. It has been in development since 2012 and first made available for use in research projects in 2014. It stores copies of national and regional vegetation- plot databases on a single software platform. Data storage in EVA does not affect on-going independent development of the contributing databases, which remain the property of the data contributors. EVA uses a prototype of the database management software TURBOVEG 3 developed for joint management of multiple databases that use different species lists. This is facilitated by the SynBioSys Taxon Database, a system of taxon names and concepts used in the individual European databases and their corresponding names on a unified list of European flora. TURBOVEG 3 also includes procedures for handling data requests, selections and provisions according to the approved EVA Data Property and Governance Rules. By 30 June 2015, 61 databases from all European regions have joined EVA, contributing in total 1 027 376 vegetation plots, 82% of them with geographic coordinates, from 57 countries. EVA provides a unique data source for large-scale analyses of European vegetation diversity both for fundamental research and nature conservation applications. Updated information on EVA is available online at http://euroveg.org/eva-database

Preparation of Iron Nanoparticles by Selective Leaching Method

Iron nanoparticles were prepared by selective leaching method. Initially the rapidly solidified AlFe11 alloy was prepared and consequently the aluminium matrix was dissolved from this alloy in 20% NaOH solution. This process was carried out at 0 and 80°C. At lower temperature, the iron nanoparticles covered by thin layer of Fe(OH)₃ were successfully obtained. The size of formed nanoparticles was about 8 nm and the particles exhibited massive agglomeration. It is not limitation of the process, because the application of nanoparticles is as a precursor for production of bulk nanocrystalline materials (metals, alloys and metal matrix composites). At higher temperature, the selective leaching process failed and iron was oxidized to different hydroxides. Aluminium containing waste liquid from selective leaching was used for production of powder Al₂O₃. Initial alloys and products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy

European Vegetation Archive: now EVA really starts!

European Vegetation Archive (EVA) was announced as a new initiative of the European Vegetation Survey at the EVS Meeting in Vienna in 2012. The aim of EVA is to create a centralized database of European vegetation plots by storing copies of national and regional databases on a single software platform using a unified taxonomic reference database. EVA does not affect the ongoing independent developments of source data­ bases and it guarantees that data property rights of the original contributors are re­ spected. EVA Data Property and Governance Rules were approved and the EVA website (www.euroveg.org/eva­database) was established in 2012. Since then several European vegetation­plot databases joined EVA. In the framework of the parallel Braun­Blanquet project, we obtained experience with handling multiple databases based on different taxonomies, and a prototype of Turboveg 3 was developed as a software tool for joint management of multiple databases. This prototype has recently been accepted as the platform for technical management of EVA according to the approved Rules. A spe­ cific challenge for EVA is joining multiple species lists with different taxonomies used in national and regional databases. To solve this issue, EVA took over the SynBioSys Taxon Database, developed earlier for the SynBioSys Europe project, which is a system of taxon names and concepts used in the individual databases and their matches to a unified list of European flora. This taxon database is currently being extended to ac­ count for new vegetation­plot databases and revised by taxonomic experts working in a newly established EVA Taxonomic Advisory Board. These technical developments made it possible that after two years since its formal establishment, first data sets could be uploaded to EVA, forming a basis for large­scale analyses of European vegeta­ tion diversity for both scientific purposes and applications

European Vegetation Archive: now EVA really starts!

European Vegetation Archive (EVA) was announced as a new initiative of the European Vegetation Survey at the EVS Meeting in Vienna in 2012. The aim of EVA is to create a centralized database of European vegetation plots by storing copies of national and regional databases on a single software platform using a unified taxonomic reference database. EVA does not affect the ongoing independent developments of source data­ bases and it guarantees that data property rights of the original contributors are re­ spected. EVA Data Property and Governance Rules were approved and the EVA website (www.euroveg.org/eva­database) was established in 2012. Since then several European vegetation­plot databases joined EVA. In the framework of the parallel Braun­Blanquet project, we obtained experience with handling multiple databases based on different taxonomies, and a prototype of Turboveg 3 was developed as a software tool for joint management of multiple databases. This prototype has recently been accepted as the platform for technical management of EVA according to the approved Rules. A spe­ cific challenge for EVA is joining multiple species lists with different taxonomies used in national and regional databases. To solve this issue, EVA took over the SynBioSys Taxon Database, developed earlier for the SynBioSys Europe project, which is a system of taxon names and concepts used in the individual databases and their matches to a unified list of European flora. This taxon database is currently being extended to ac­ count for new vegetation­plot databases and revised by taxonomic experts working in a newly established EVA Taxonomic Advisory Board. These technical developments made it possible that after two years since its formal establishment, first data sets could be uploaded to EVA, forming a basis for large­scale analyses of European vegeta­ tion diversity for both scientific purposes and applications

The Braun-Blanquet project: evaluating and characterizing European vegetation alliances

European tradition on vegetation classification provides an extraordinary legacy for understanding biodiversity. However, this classification lacks explicit data on vegetation attributes, especially if we extend national or regional concepts to a continental perspective. An additional effort for evaluating and characterizing European vegetation types is therefore needed, and the data contained in vegeta­ tion databases are probably the main tool for these purposes. The Braun­Blanquet project is an initiative of the European Vegetation Survey for characterizing veg­ etation alliances across Europe. By analyzing more than 500,000 vegetation plots from 22 European countries, we developed a framework consisting of: (1) evaluat­ ing the consistency and robustness of alliances using the information provided by vegetation plot databases, (2) calibrating assignment rules for classifying, at least partially, the plots not assigned to alliances and (3) characterizing vegeta­ tion types by providing lists of diagnostic species and major distributional pat­ terns. The Braun­Blanquet project represents the first attempt for extrapolating European vegetation information into a comprehensive definition of vegetation types. Furthermore, the outputs of the project are expected to improve biodiver­sity assessment and the conservation management of natural habitats. As a study case, we illustrate how our framework can be used to characterize different forest types across Europe

The Braun-Blanquet project: evaluating and characterizing European vegetation alliances

European tradition on vegetation classification provides an extraordinary legacy for understanding biodiversity. However, this classification lacks explicit data on vegetation attributes, especially if we extend national or regional concepts to a continental perspective. An additional effort for evaluating and characterizing European vegetation types is therefore needed, and the data contained in vegeta­ tion databases are probably the main tool for these purposes. The Braun­Blanquet project is an initiative of the European Vegetation Survey for characterizing veg­ etation alliances across Europe. By analyzing more than 500,000 vegetation plots from 22 European countries, we developed a framework consisting of: (1) evaluat­ ing the consistency and robustness of alliances using the information provided by vegetation plot databases, (2) calibrating assignment rules for classifying, at least partially, the plots not assigned to alliances and (3) characterizing vegeta­ tion types by providing lists of diagnostic species and major distributional pat­ terns. The Braun­Blanquet project represents the first attempt for extrapolating European vegetation information into a comprehensive definition of vegetation types. Furthermore, the outputs of the project are expected to improve biodiver­sity assessment and the conservation management of natural habitats. As a study case, we illustrate how our framework can be used to characterize different forest types across Europe