Nicola Arndt und Matthias Pohl - Neobiota

At the same time, ongoing work on the explanatory text and the data sheets for the
individual map units.
2000 Printing of the vegetation maps and the legend volume. Work on explanatory text,
preparation of a standard list of botanical names used.
2001(to 2003) Completion and finalisation of the explanatory text. Planning and holding of the
International Workshop on the Application and Analysis of the Map of the Natural
Vegetation of Europe.
Aims and substance of the international mapping project
The goal of the international project was the development of a map of the natural vegetation of Europe
based on a uniform concept and the most current state of knowledge by means of close
international cooperation of geobotanists from nearly all European countries.
The vegetation map shows the potential distribution of dominant natural plant communities and
community complexes that develop in harmony with the current climatic and edaphic
conditions.
The working baseline is a collaboratively developed, hierarchical classification system that
integrates the basic premises of the main “schools” of vegetation classification in Europe and can be
used by all collaborators.
Final results of the mapping project and what was achieved
• Map of the natural vegetation of Europe at the scale of 1 : 2.5 million (9 map sheets, 1
legend sheet as well as digital data)
• Overall legend with ca. 700 mapping units in German and English (hierarchical classification
into 19 main formations and formation complexes as well as further subclassification at various
levels)
• Overview map at the scale of 1 : 10 million (reduced and generalised version of the 1 : 2.5
million scale map)
• Explanations for every mapping unit in the form of a standardised data sheet (with
information on distribution, syntaxonomy, structure and floristic composition of the natural
vegetation, site conditions, conservation status and representative localities, current substitute
vegetation, and most important references)
• Explanatory text, with information on
Project history,
Basic material of the European vegetation map (vegetation maps and baseline data of the
participating countries),
Concept of the vegetation map (map content and mapping principles),
Physiographical, climatic and phytogeographical classification of Europe,
Late- and post-glacial vegetation history of Europe,
Characterisation and description of the natural vegetation formations (14 zonal and five
azonal formations and their further subdivision down to the level of the map units).
Items 1-3 have since been accomplished (see BOHN et al. 2000). Work is still underway on items 4 and
5, the explanatory text (Part 1) and CD-ROM for the explanation of the mapping units, the plant
species list and the overall bibliography (pending the contributions of a few external collaborators).
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