The digital database of aquatic and semiaquatic vegetation in Serbia

Abstract

Despite the absence of a centralized national phytocoenological database of Serbia, over 16,000 relevés of all vegetation types have been gathered and stored in the database “Phytocoenosis of Serbia” as a result of the Project “Habitats of Serbia”. However, as the data on aquatic and semiaquatic vegetation comprise only 5% of the collected relevés, the aim of this paper is to expand on this, complete the database and present the data on these vegetation types in Serbia. The work included the expansion of the existing database with the addition of relevant sources, their digitalization, using Flora and Turboveg programs, and their subsequent georeferencing, using OziExplorer and DIVAGIS softwares. Consequently, the phytocoenological database on aquatic and semiaquatic vegetation in Serbia now stores 1,720 relevés from 243 phytocoenological tables, collected and published by 24 authors during the period of 70 years (1940–2010), with the majority of the relevés collected over the last decade (56.40%). Phragmito-Magno-Caricetea Klika in Klika et Novák 1941 (Syn: Phragmitetea communis R. Tx. et Prsg. 1942), Potametea Klika in Klika et Novák 1941 (Syn: Potametea R. Tx. et Preising 1942) and Lemnetea de Bolós et Masclans 1955 (Syn: Lemnetea minoris W. Koch et R. Tx. 1955) have proven to be the most represented classes, while Scirpo-Phragmitetum W. Koch 1926 (nomen ambiguum) and Salvinio natantis-Spirodeletum polyrrhizae Slavnić 1956 are associations with the highest number of relevés in the database. Accordingly, the most common species (>500 relevés) are Ceratophyllum demersum L. subsp. demersum, Lemna minor L. and Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleiden.