Database Report

German Grassland Vegetation Database (GrassVeg.DE) -- die gemeinschaftliche Grasland-Datenbank Deutschlands

Benito Schöpke & Jürgen Dengler

GIVD Database ID: EU-DE-020	Last update: 2026-01-10
German Grassland Vegetation Database (GrassVeg.DE)	Web address: https://edgg.org/databases/Regional-databases
Database manager(s): Benito Schöpke (schoepke@uni-hildesheim.de); Jürgen Dengler (dr.juergen.dengler@gmail.com)
Owner: GrassVeg.DE Consortium, a group of German members of the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG)
Scope: All available vegetation plots (0.25-400 m² in size) of grasslands s.l. from the territory of Germany. We consider as grasslands s.l. all vegetation types that are not tree- or shrub-dominated, nor aquatic or segetal. Specifically, this includes the following vegtation classes: Koelerio-Corynephoretea (incl. Sedo-Scleranthetea), Festuco-Brometea, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, Calluno-Ulicetea (incl. Nardetea strictae), Ammophiletea arenariae (incl. Honckenyo-Elymetea), Juncetea maritimi (incl. Saginetea maritimae), Juncetea trifidi, Elyno-Seslerietea, Carici-Kobresietea, Thlaspietea rotundifolii (incl. Violetea calaminariae), Trifolio-Geranietea (incl. Melampyro-Holcetea), Artemisietea vulgaris (incl. Galio-Urticetea) und Mulgedio-Aconitetea. Relevés of other vegetation types can exceptionally be added as well, in particular if they originate from data sources that mainly contain grasslands s.l.
Abstract: This is a collaborative database of German members of the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG; www.edgg.info), started in autumn 2016. It is aimed at joint analyses and at contribution to the European Vegetation Archive (EVA; http://euroveg.org/eva-database) and the global vegetation-plot database sPlot (https://www.idiv.de/splot), both to the advancement of science and to the benefit of the GrassVeg.DE contributors. Colleagues who contribute relevant vegetation-plot data in electronic format can join the GrassVeg.DE Consortium. Data provision and data use are regulated by Bylaws ("Satzung") and coordinated by a Custodian and Deputy Custodian elected by the Consortium members. Bylaws and further information can be obtained from the Custodian and his Deputy upon request.
Availability: according to a specific agreement	Online upload: no	Online search: no
Database format(s): TURBOVEG	Export format(s): TURBOVEG
Plot type(s): normal plots	Plot-size range (m²): 1 to 100
Non-overlapping plots: 11656	Estimate of existing plots: 500000	Completeness: 2%	Status: emerging
Total no. of plot observations: 11656	Number of sources (biblioreferences, data collectors): 0	Valid taxa: 0
Countries (%): DE: 100.0
Formations: Non Forest: 0%
Guilds: all vascular plants: 100%; bryophytes (terricolous or aquatic): 75%; lichens (terricolous or aquatic): 75%
Plot size categories (%): unknowmn: 0%;
Environmental data (%): altitude: 0; slope aspect: 0; slope inclination: 0; microrelief: 0; surface cover other than plants (open soil, litter, bare rock etc.): 0; other soil attributes: 0; soil pH: 0; land use categories: 0; soil depth: 0
Performance measure(s): cover: 100%
Geographic localisation: GPS coordinates (precision 25 m or less): 50%; point coordinates less precise than GPS, up to 1 km: 30%; small grid (not coarser than 10 km): 20%; political units or only on a coarser scale ( above 10 km): 0%
Sampling periods: before 1920: 5%; 1920-1929: 5%; 1930-1939: 5%; 1940-1949: 5%; 1950-1959: 5%; 1960-1969: 5%; 1970-1979: 10%; 1980-1989: 10%; 1990-1999: 30%; 2000-2009: 10%; 2010-2019: 10%
Information as of 2026-05-19; further details and future updates available from http://www.givd.info/ID/EU-DE-020

Benito Schöpke* (schoepke@uni-hildesheim.de)
University of Hildesheim, GERMANY
Jürgen Dengler (dr.juergen.dengler@gmail.com)
Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), 8820 Wädenswil, SWITZERLAND
* corresponding author