Biodiversity & Ecology

English

Abstract: The Database Polygono-Poetea annuae of Germany (GIVD ID EU-DE-004) aims to compile the available published and unpublished vegetation-plot data of this vegetation class in Germany. The class Polygono-Poetea comprises communities of eu-hemerobic habitats where trampling or driving is largely preventing the survival of perennial vascular plants. As a consequence, the vegetation is dominated by low-growing annual vascular plants and/or acrocarpous mosses. The core of our database are standardised relevés of 4-m² plots covering the full variety of Polygono-Poetea in the northern German municipalities of Hamburg and Lüneburg (n = 143). Unlike most of the literature data, we used a uniform plot size (4 m²), sampled non-vascular plants comprehensively, and measured various soil and other relevant environmental parameters. These core data are complemented by digitised relevés from published and unpublished sources (presently n = 441). While the available data from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are already largely included, the coverage of other federal states is only partial. The dataset is available to the scientific public based upon individual agreements.