EDaSS - Evropská databáze sukcessních sérií

The study of succession, the sequential replacement of species following a disturbance, have much to offer to solve contemporary problems concerning biodiversity loss, climate change, invasive species, and ecological restoration. Results of a single particular study can be exploited immediately for local restoration projects, but the systematic comparison of studies across habitats and larger space-temporal scales can enable extrapolation of the results, formulation of new theoretical principles, and inform restoration efforts.

You are kindly invited to contribute your succesional data to the European Database of Successional Series (EDaSS). We aim to compile existing successional data of changes in vegetation following disturbance (mining, abandonment from agriculture, forest clearing, fire, landslides, dunes, emerged bottoms, glacial retreat, etc.). Synthesis at multiple scales and meta-analysis can allow us to identify overall trends in succession and assess restoration success.

The Restoration Ecology Group has already put together a unique dataset from multiple human-disturbed sites across the Czech Republic (40 successional seres, about 4000 phytosociological relevés, more than 1000 species recorded and 31 authors) yielding several publications (for more information see Prach et al. 2014, Appl. Veget. Sci. 17:193-200). Our aim is to enlarge this successional database to the European scale and you are more than welcome to contribute with your data and share our effort.

Requirements to include the data:

Vegetation cover data (species) composing successional series of at least 10 years, recording development not later than 5 years after the disturbance.

Only spontaneous succession is considered, without obvious alterations or additional management (e.g. no grazing, no sowing, planting, topsoiling, etc.).

Data from permanent plots or transects (multiple time-points of monitoring) or chronosequences (covering a more or less continuous period), obtained from plots of preferably 5x5 m2 (other sizes could also be included, e.g. 2x2 - 20x20 m2). If plots are smaller but they could be meaningfully combined to represent the cover of the different successional stages they would also be valid.

    Contributors:

    Will be co-authors of at least the first paper that uses their data

    Authorship in following papers will be earned through substantial contribution

    Will always be cited as data contributors in following publications

      Please, do not hesitate to contact us for further information about the project.

      Contact details:

      Principal investigators

      Karel Prach, leader of the group: prach@prf.jcu.cz

      Klára Řehounková: klara.rehounkova@gmail.com

      Správce databáze

      Miguel Ballesteros: miguelballesterosjimenez@gmail.com