Biodiversity & Ecology

Journal of the Division Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants , Institute for Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg.

Short Database Report Open Access

Vegetation Database East Africa

Andreas Hemp*

Article first published online: 24 September 2012

DOI: 10.7809/b-e.00090

*Corresponding author contact: andreas.hemp@uni-bayreuth.de

<< Volume 4

Biodiversity & Ecology (Biodivers. Ecol.)

Special Volume: Vegetation databases for the 21st century,
edited by Jürgen Dengler, Jens Oldeland, Florian Jansen, Milan Chytrý, Jörg Ewald, Manfred Finckh, Falko Glöckler, Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez, Robert K. Peet & Joop H.J. Schaminée

Volume 4, pages 292–292, Sep 12

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Keywords: altitudinal gradient; Kilimanjaro; tropical montane forest; vegetation history East Africa.

English

Abstract: Since 1991, nearly 1800 plots in all vegetation formations of East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania with focus on the Kilimanjaro) were established using the method of Braun-Blanquet (1964). Inside the highly complex und structered montane forests the study included for the first time in tropical regions all vegetation layers (herbs, shrubs, trees, lianas and epiphytes). On the mountains of Tanzania these plots are equipped with data loggers recording climatic parameters. Aim of the database: classification and vegetation map of East Africa (a detailed map of Kilimanjaro is already prepared); reconstruction of vegetation and climate history of East Africa (in collaboration with studies of flightless Saltatoria and palaeobotany); analysis of diversity patterns along altitudinal gradients; providing baseline data for the DFG research unit KiLi (FOR 1246). This report describes the available content in the vegetation-plot database of the Vegetation Database East Africa (GIVD ID AF-00-004).

Suggested citation:
Hemp, A. (2012): Vegetation Database East Africa. – In: Dengler, J., Oldeland, J., Jansen, F., Chytrý, M., Ewald, J., Finckh, M., Glöckler, F., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Peet, R.K., Schaminée, J.H.J. [Eds.]: Vegetation databases for the 21st century. – Biodiversity & Ecology 4: 292–292. DOI: 10.7809/b-e.00090.