BIOLFLOR – a database on biological and ecological traits of vascular plants in Germany: Applications with vegetation and distribution data
KÜHN I., DURKA W. & KLOTZ S.
UFZ – Centre for Environmental
Research, Department for Community Ecology Leipzig-Halle, Theodor-Lieser-Str.
4, 06120 HalleGermany
Email: kuehn@halle.ufz.de
Recently, a new database on biological and ecological traits for the vascular flora of Germany (BIOLFLOR) was published (Klotz et al. 2002). Thus, the presentation will focus on two parts: Firstly, we will introduce BiolFlor as a tool for botanists, from population biology to community ecology and macroecology, Secondly, we will present some application by merging data from BiolFlor with plant distribution data from databases and phytosociological databases.
Though there is a long history of botanical research in Germany, a database containing biological and ecological traits for the majority of species for entire Germanywas missing except for some internet offers. Since early 2003 the database BiolFlor is available. This database handles more than 3650 native as well as established and common casual alien species. More than 1200 references where evaluated by ten collaborators to provide character states for more than 60 characters of more than ten categories. The thematic coverage incorporates taxonomy and Synonymy, floristic status and alien species (e. g. endemism, mode of introduction, time of introduction, degree of naturalization), chromosome numbers, ploidy levels, and DNA contents, a phylogenetic supertree covering all BIOLFLOR-species, morphology of vegetative organs (life form, life span and number of generative reproduction cycles, vegetative propagation and dispersal, storage organs, shoot metamorphoses, root metamorphoses, rosette types, climbing behaviour, nutritional adaptations, leaf form, leaf anatomy, leaf persistence), flowering phenology, floral and reproductive biology (types of reproduction, types of seed production, types of apomixis, types of spatial separation of generative organs [dicliny], temporal separation of generative organs [dichogamy], types of heterostyly, self-incompatibility [SI], SI mechanisms, pollen vectors, mating systems, types of reward for visiting pollinators, colors of flowers, Classes and respective percentages of UV-reflection, Flower classes according to Müller and main pollinators after Knuth Blossom types [after Kugler]), traits of seeds, fruits, generative germinules, and generative diasporas, ecological strategy types after Grime, Grassland utilization indicator values for vascular plant species (indicator values for: mowing tolerance, grazing tolerance, trampling tolerance, forage values for cattle, and forage values for deer), chorology (floristic zones, altitudinal levels, oceanity and the corresponding amplitude, floristic regions), indicators of human impact onto vegetation (urbanity, hemeroby), habitats of the plants after Haeupler & Muer, and phytosociological affiliation of plant species after Schubert et al. The database user interface will be completely bilingual (German and English).
Many of the ecological traits of BIOLFLOR could be surrogates for functional types of plants and many theories link plant functional types, to environmental characteristics. This is often viewed as a key to understand plant distribution and community structure. Furthermore, species diversity patterns are often decoupled from plant trait diversity patterns and species distribution patterns are often different from trait distribution patterns. Up to now distribution maps of species traits and their interpretation are rare. Thus, we present emergent patterns by coupling BIOLFLOR with phytosociological and plant distribution database.
Kühn I. & Durka W. (eds.) 2002: BIOLFLOR – Eine Datenbank zu biologisch-ökologischen Merkmalen der Gefäßpflanzen in Deutschland. - Schriftenreihe fürVegetationskunde 38. Bonn.