Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS) in the second quarter of 2021

Posted on by

By Jürgen Dengler (on behalf of all VCS Chief Editors)

Vegetation in four different biomes. Photo credit: Jürgen Dengler.

Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS) has published six contributions in the second quarter of 2021.

Our Editors’ Choice Paper is by Hunter et al. (2021). This “Review and Synthesis” paper is the outcome of a workshop of the IAVS Working Group on Vegetation Classification (WGVC) held at the IAVS Symposium in Bozeman, Montana. The authors compiled and compared the numerous different definitions and implementations of the “biome” concept, one of the most used and, at the same time, most ambiguous terms in vegetation ecology. While the paper does not and cannot provide a definitive solution for the biome concept, it proposes at least ways forward based on the review of the existing concepts.

Our runner-up is by Fleri et al. (2021). Their Report presents the Global Vegetation Project, a laudable attempt to compile an open-access online tool with georeferenced photos of vegetation worldwide. We believe that this toll, when further fed by scientists with their photos, can become a highly valuable tool in teaching and research. Kozhevnikova & Prokhorov (2021) provide a phytosociological classification system for the mesoxeric forests of Tatarstan, Russia. In the Permanent Collection “Phytosociological Nomenclature”, two short contributions by Fernández-González et al. (2021) and Silva & Molina (2021) present proposals to the Committee on Nomina Conservanda of the IAVS Group on Phytosociological Nomenclature, aimed at stabilizing the use of certain syntaxon names. Last but not least, in the Permanent Collection “Ecoinformatics”, Alvarez et al. (2021) present a “Long Database Report” on SWEA-Dataveg, a vegetation database for sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to a better data coverage of this continent with a very diverse but hitherto not very well-documented vegetation.

If you find the topics interesting, we would like to encourage you to submit your own papers to VCS. Please note that first authors who are IAVS members are exempt from article processing charges (APCs) for articles submitted to VCS until 31 December 2022. Please, take advantage of this opportunity!

References:

  • Alvarez, M., Curran, M. & Alombe, I. (2021): SWEA-Dataveg: A vegetation database for sub-Saharan Africa. Vegetation Classification and Survey 2: 59–63. https://doi.org/10.3897/VCS/2021/64911
  • Fernández-González, F., Silva, V. & Theurillat, J.-P. (2021): Proposals (26–27): to conserve the names Nanocyperetalia Klika 1935 and Isoetalia Braun-Blanquet 1936. Vegetation Classification and Survey 2: 65–69. https://doi.org/10.3897/VCS/2021/66398
  • Fleri, J.R., Wessel, S.A., Atkins, D.H., Case, N.W., Albeke, S.E. & Laughlin, D.C. (2021): Global Vegetation Project: An interactive online map of open-access vegetation photos. Vegetation Classification and Survey 2: 41–45. https://doi.org/10.3897/VCS/2021/60575
  • Hunter, J., Franklin, S., Luxton, S. & Loidi, J. (2021): Terrestrial biomes: a conceptual review. Vegetation Classification and Survey 2: 73–85. https://doi.org/10.3897/VCS/2021/61463
  • Kozhevnikova, M. & Prokhorov, V. (2021): Syntaxonomy of the xero-mesophytic oak forests in the Republic of Tatarstan (Eastern Europe). Vegetation Classification and Survey 2: 47–58. https://doi.org/10.3897/VCS/2021/39583
  • Silva, V. & Molina, J.A. (2021): Requests (1–2) for a binding decision on the name-giving taxa in the names Isoeto-Cicendietum Br.-Bl. 1967 and Verbeno-Gnaphalietum Rivas Goday 1970. Vegetation Classification and Survey 2: 71–72. https://doi.org/10.3897/VCS/2021/68430