The descriptive capacity of ecological plant species groups

Abstract

In this article we question whether ecological species groups are appropriate for describing the plant cover of the Netherlands with the aid of a national database containing distribution data of indigenous plant species on a kilometre square basis. To answer the question, a comparison is made with a national division of species into phytosociological groups. On the basis of a correlation analysis performed on the flora database, we conclude that the ecological groups are of better use for the description of the national plant cover than the phytosociological groups.