Database Report

National Phytosociological Database of Namibia

Ben Strohbach & Salomé Kr4ger

GIVD Database ID: AF-NA-001	Last update: 2019-02-11
National Phytosociological Database of Namibia	Web address: www.nbri.org.na
Database manager(s): Ben Strohbach (bens@nbri.org.na); Salomé Kr4ger (salomek@nbri.org.na)
Owner: National Botanical Research Institute P/Bag 13184 Windhoek
Scope: The data is collected for an on-going project to describe the vegetation of Namibia. Data included in the set are from older studies (1940`s and 50`s), as well as several more recent studies during the 1970`s, 80`s, 90`s till present.
Abstract: The National Phytosociological Database of Namibia is a collection of true relevé data, excluding typical rangeland surveys or forestry inventories concentrating on either the graminoid and/or phanerophyte strata. At present consisting of 10 683 relevés collected by various researchers since 1956, the database is continuously being expanded with more relevés being sampled each year. Relevés have been collected for various purposes, including vegetation description and mapping, conservation planning, land use planning and environmental impact assessments. An important criterion for inclusion in this database is the collection of data according to the guidelines used for the Vegetation Survey of Namibia project. Ecoregions covered include the hyper-arid Namib, arid Nama-Karoo, the Kalahari basin (including the southernmost Miombo transitional woodlands), as well as the central and north-western Namibian highlands.
Availability: according to a specific agreement	Online upload: no	Online search: no
Database format(s): TURBOVEG	Export format(s): TURBOVEG, Excel, CSV file, plain text file
Plot type(s): normal plots	Plot-size range (m²): 100 to 1000
Non-overlapping plots: 11103	Estimate of existing plots: 11103	Completeness: 100%	Status: completed and continuing
Total no. of plot observations: 11103	Number of sources (biblioreferences, data collectors): 20	Valid taxa: 4426
Countries (%): NA: 100
Formations: Non Forest: 99% = Semi-aquatic: 2% (Fresh water: 2%); Terrestrial: 98% (Non arctic-alpin: 98% [Natural: 96%; Anthropogenic: 1%])
Guilds: all vascular plants: 100%; lichens (terricolous or aquatic): 1%
Plot size categories (%): < 1 m2: 0%; 1-10 m2: 0%; 10-100 m2: 5%; 100-1000 m2: 0%; 1000-10000 m2: 95%; >= 10000 m2: 0%; unknowmn: 0%;
Environmental data (%): altitude: 70; slope aspect: 90; slope inclination: 90; surface cover other than plants (open soil, litter, bare rock etc.): 80
Performance measure(s): presence/absence only: 5%; cover: 95%
Geographic localisation: GPS coordinates (precision 25 m or less): 97%; small grid (not coarser than 10 km): 3%; political units or only on a coarser scale ( above 10 km): 0%
Sampling periods: 1950-1959: 2%; 1960-1969: 1%; 1970-1979: 2%; 1980-1989: 6%; 1990-1999: 22%; 2000-2009: 65%; 2010-2019: 2%
Information as of 2026-04-30; further details and future updates available from http://www.givd.info/ID/AF-NA-001

Ben Strohbach* (bens@nbri.org.na)
National Botanical Research Institute, 8 Orban street, NAMIBIA
Salomé Kr4ger (salomek@nbri.org.na)
Vegetation Ecology, National Botanical Research Institute, 8 Orban street, NAMIBIA
* corresponding author