A GIS-based Vegetation Database of the Austrian Alps – an application of JODI.

PETERSEIL J., MOSER D., WILLNER W. & GRABHERR G.

Department of Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology; Institute of Ecology and Conservation Biology; University of Vienna; A-1090 Vienna; Althanstraße 14.
Email: peter@pflaphy.pph.univie.ac.at

There is an urgent need for the development and scientific use of large phytosociological databases. Vegetation relevés – each being the description of a certain phytocoenosis – contain spatial (locality), temporal (sampling date), floristic information, as well as data on the specific site conditions of these phytocoenose (e.g. altitude, aspect, slope, geology, soil type etc.). The implementation of vegetation data into a geographical information system (GIS) and the combination with existing spatial data is the basis for further spatial analysis on the community and the landscape level, as well as for case studies on ecological theories.

The number of relevés sampled so far in the Alps can be estimated to be more than 100.000. Most of them are not stored in databases and even those which are digitally available are hardly useable for comprehensive studies. Different scientific approaches, the use of different taxonomic lists (species lists) and site data lists (e.g. geology, soil types, etc.), or the lack of standardized data formats are some of the major difficulties when dealing with published and unpublished data material.

To deal with these problems a GIS-based vegetation database of the Austrian Alps is developed - (a) to design a consistent database structure to cope with the difficulties of integrating existing vegetation as well as site data from different approaches; (b) to review the existing literature and feed the relevés into the database; (c) to determine location and distribution of the relevés and link them with other spatial information.

The vegetation database JODI was developed to manage floristic information as well as data on the site conditions and is now adapted to the wider user needs. JODI includes input, export as well as analysis modules. A modular design of the data tables using the concept of data fields and attributes is applied to assure the needed flexibility of the database. Original data values by the authors are stored unchanged in the database. The respective values, floristic as well as information on the specific site condition, are referenced to a value in the respective central definition list (e.g. species list). With this assignment the steps of data interpretation are therefore transparent. Implementation and management of the cited literature is also an important feature of the database. To guarantee international compatibility the TURBOVEG species list for Central Europe is used as standard for the floristic information.

The GIS-based vegetation databank of the Alps is a contribution to the European Vegetation Survey. It will provide an important application and data set for vegetation science, nature conservation and landscape management – e.g. the description of habitat conditions and spatial distribution of alpine plant communities, as well as the assessment of current and future changes of alpine landscapes.