DUMIRA – a management related vegetation plot database of Dutch military ranges

I De Ronde ,Tom Van Heusden,Anja Van Der Berg,R Haveman

doi:10.3897/vcs/2020/59869

Abstract

In this paper we describe the historical background and contents of the DUMIRA vegetation plot database (GIVD-code EU-NL-003). It contains 13,046 relevés, collected between 1995 and 2018 at military ranges in the Netherlands, and it is updated regularly with new data. Historical circumstances led to the placement of military ranges at the most nutrient poor, dry, sandy soils, and as a result, the database is built up mainly by plots of Calluno-Ulicetea and Nardetea heathlands, Koelerio-Corynephoretea grasslands, and Quercetea robori-petraeae woodlands. These classes account for more than 50% of the database. Coastal communities (e.g. from the Juncetea maritimae and the Therosalicornietea) and scrubs (e.g. the Lonicero-Rubetea plicati and Salicetea arenariae) are other important sources. Notably, throughout the database, Rubus species are identified to species level. Although the DUMIRA database was initially used for management related vegetation mapping projects, the data gave rise to several more scientific studies and papers. Taxonomic reference: Van der Meijden (2005) for vascular plants; Van de Beek et al. (2014) for Rubus; Kleukers et al. (2004) for Orthoptera. Syntaxonomic reference: Mucina et al. (2016). Abbreviations: DUMIRA = Vegetation plot database of Dutch Military Ranges; GIVD = Global Index of Vegetation-plot Databases; MoD = Ministry of Defence.

Highlights

Vegetation research has a long tradition in the Netherlands, as was described in the long database report of The Dutch National Vegetation Database (Schaminée et al 2012)
Scope: Vegetation plot database of military ranges in the Netherlands, mainly grasslands, heathlands and acidophilous forests
The Molinio-Arrhenatheretea are well represented in the database at class level, over 90% of the relevés assigned to this class can only be classified at the order level or higher, which is a strong indication of the poor and fragmentary development of these grasslands at the Dutch military ranges, which is in correspondence with the initially nutrient poor environment

Summary

Introduction

Vegetation research has a long tradition in the Netherlands, as was described in the long database report of The Dutch National Vegetation Database (Schaminée et al 2012). Database, DUMIRA, grassland, heathland, management, military ranges, Netherlands, relevé, Rubus, scrub, TURBOVEG

Results

Conclusion