National vegetation database of Montenegro Abstract

The Vegetation Database of Montenegro (GIVD ID EU-ME-001) is national database established in 2019 at of vegetation releves comprises different vegetation types which have been sampled on the territory of the Montenegro. So far, 3293 published (50.9%) and unpublished (49.1%) vegetation plots are stored in Vegetation Database of Montenegro. In total, it contains 2733 taxa (vascular plants, mosses, lichens, algae), while 2612 taxa is referred to vascular plants. The largest amount of vegetation data in the field was collected during two periods: from 1960 to 1969 and after the year 2010. The oldest releve dates from 1933 (Horvat, the vegetation of Durmitor mountain). The majority of vegetation plots (63.4%) have precise date of sampling. All plots are georeferenced; for most of the releves coordinates were determined a posteriori, because only 35% releves have originally published coordinates. Range of the plots size is from 0.12 m(2) to 7000 m(2), while most of the releves have plot size from 26 to 100 m(2). For 8.74% of releves the data on plot size is missing. More than half of vegetation plots were sampled in sub-montane and montane areas. Highest number of releves was originally classified to the forest vegetation types (classes Quercetea pubescentis and Carpino-Fagetea sylvaticae) and grasslands (Molinio-Arrhenatheretea and Festuco-Brometea). The database is part of the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and has a semi-restricted access mode.