VegBank - A Vegetation Field Plot Archive

VegBank: A Vegetation Field Plot Archive is the vegetation plot database of the Ecological Society of America's Panel on Vegetation Classification. VegBank consists of three linked databases:

(1) Vegetation Plots Database. Vegetation scientists observe and record vegetation in the field. The fundamental unit of vegetation observation is the plot. At a minimum, a plot contains information on location, spatial extent, and the species present with cover values as a measure of importance. The Vegetation Plots Database is needed to store, preserve and distribute plot data that meet recognized minimum standards.

(2) Vegetation Classification Database. This database contains vegetation types recognized in the U.S. National Vegetation Classification and other vegetation types submitted by users. Plots are used to classify vegetation. Eventually, each vegetation type will be documented in the Vegetation Classification Database, which will refer to the plots used to develop the types. Proposals to change the classification will be required to be based on plots. All of these plots will be referenced in the Vegetation Classification Database and will be available from the Vegetation Plots Database. The resultant Vegetation Classification Database will be viewable over the Internet, will be continuously updated, and will be constructed so that the content on any given date will be viewable so as to allow citation in literature and legal contracts.

(3) Vegetation Taxon Database. This database will contain all plant taxa recognized by the USDA Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) [http://www.itis.usda.gov/] as well as all other plant taxa recorded in plot records. All stages in the information flow in vegetation classification contain references to plant names, but use of different standards for different plots weakens the ability to compare and synthesize plot data. A concept-based Vegetation Taxon Database is needed to avoid these problems.

Vegetation records, community types and plant taxa may be submitted to VegBank and may be subsequently searched, viewed, annotated, revised, interpreted, downloaded, and cited. VegBank registration [http://vegbank.org/vegbank/forms/RegisterNewUser.jsp] is needed to access these databases.

An ACCESS-based PC version of VegBank, called VegBranch, is available [http://vegbank.org/vegdocs/vegbranch/vegbranch.html] and Version 4 of the ESA Standards for Associations and Alliances of the U.S. National Vegetation Classification has been completed [http://vegbank.org/vegdocs/panel/standards.html].

VegBank is operated by the Panel on Vegetation Classification of the Ecological Society of America in cooperation with the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, UCSB.