sPlot – A new tool for global vegetation analyses
Authors: Bruelheide Helge , Dengler Jürgen , Jiménez‐Alfaro Borja , Purschke Oliver , Hennekens Stephan M. , Chytrý Milan , Pillar Valério D. , Jansen Florian , Kattge Jens , Sandel Brody , Aubin Isabelle , Biurrun Idoia , Field Richard , Haider Sylvia , Jandt Ute , Lenoir Jonathan , Peet Robert K. , Peyre Gwendolyn , Sabatini Francesco Maria , Schmidt Marco , Schrodt Franziska , Winter Marten , Aćić Svetlana , Agrillo Emiliano , Alvarez Miguel , Ambarlı Didem , Angelini Pierangela , Apostolova Iva , Arfin Khan Mohammed A. S. , Arnst Elise , Attorre Fabio , Baraloto Christopher , Beckmann Michael , Berg Christian , Bergeron Yves , Bergmeier Erwin , Bjorkman Anne D. , Bondareva Viktoria , Borchardt Peter , Botta‐Dukát Zoltán , Boyle Brad , Breen Amy , Brisse Henry , Byun Chaeho , Cabido Marcelo R. , Casella Laura , Cayuela Luis , Černý Tomáš , Chepinoga Victor , Csiky János , Curran Michael , Ćušterevska Renata , Dajić Stevanović Zora , De Bie Els , de Ruffray Patrice , De Sanctis Michele , Dimopoulos Panayotis , Dressler Stefan , Ejrnæs Rasmus , El‐Sheikh Mohamed Abd El‐Rouf Mousa , Enquist Brian , Ewald Jörg , Fagúndez Jaime , Finckh Manfred , Font Xavier , Forey Estelle , Fotiadis Georgios , García‐Mijangos Itziar , de Gasper André Luis , Golub Valentin , Gutierrez Alvaro G. , Hatim Mohamed Z. , He Tianhua , Higuchi Pedro , Holubová Dana , Hölzel Norbert , Homeier Jürgen , Indreica Adrian , Işık Gürsoy Deniz , Jansen Steven , Janssen John , Jedrzejek Birgit , Jiroušek Martin , Jürgens Norbert , Kącki Zygmunt , Kavgacı Ali , Kearsley Elizabeth , Kessler Michael , Knollová Ilona , Kolomiychuk Vitaliy , Korolyuk Andrey , Kozhevnikova Maria , Kozub Łukasz , Krstonošić Daniel , Kühl Hjalmar , Kühn Ingolf , Kuzemko Anna , Küzmič Filip , Landucci Flavia , Lee Michael T. , Levesley Aurora , Li Ching‐Feng , Liu Hongyan , Lopez‐Gonzalez Gabriela , Lysenko Tatiana , Macanović Armin , Mahdavi Parastoo , Manning Peter , Marcenò Corrado , Martynenko Vassiliy , Mencuccini Maurizio , Minden Vanessa , Moeslund Jesper Erenskjold , Moretti Marco , Müller Jonas V. , Munzinger Jérôme , Niinemets Ülo , Nobis Marcin , Noroozi Jalil , Nowak Arkadiusz , Onyshchenko Viktor , Overbeck Gerhard E. , Ozinga Wim A. , Pauchard Anibal , Pedashenko Hristo , Peñuelas Josep , Pérez‐Haase Aaron , Peterka Tomáš , Petřík Petr , Phillips Oliver L. , Prokhorov Vadim , Rašomavičius Valerijus , Revermann Rasmus , Rodwell John , Ruprecht Eszter , Rūsiņa Solvita , Samimi Cyrus , Schaminée Joop H.J. , Schmiedel Ute , Šibík Jozef , Šilc Urban , Škvorc Željko , Smyth Anita , Sop Tenekwetche , Sopotlieva Desislava , Sparrow Ben , Stančić Zvjezdana , Svenning Jens‐Christian , Swacha Grzegorz , Tang Zhiyao , Tsiripidis Ioannis , Turtureanu Pavel Dan , Uğurlu Emin , Uogintas Domas , Valachovič Milan , Vanselow Kim André , Vashenyak Yulia , Vassilev Kiril , Vélez‐Martin Eduardo , Venanzoni Roberto , Vibrans Alexander Christian , Violle Cyrille , Virtanen Risto , von Wehrden Henrik , Wagner Viktoria , Walker Donald A. , Wana Desalegn , Weiher Evan , Wesche Karsten , Whitfeld Timothy , Willner Wolfgang , Wiser Susan , Wohlgemuth Thomas , Yamalov Sergey , Zizka Georg , Zverev Andrei 
Published: February 2019

Aims

Vegetation‐plot records provide information on the presence and cover or abundance of plants co‐occurring in the same community. Vegetation‐plot data are spread across research groups, environmental agencies and biodiversity research centers and, thus, are rarely accessible at continental or global scales. Here we present the sPlot database, which collates vegetation plots worldwide to allow for the exploration of global patterns in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity at the plant community level.

Results

sPlot version 2.1 contains records from 1,121,244 vegetation plots, which comprise 23,586,216 records of plant species and their relative cover or abundance in plots collected worldwide between 1885 and 2015. We complemented the information for each plot by retrieving climate and soil conditions and the biogeographic context (e.g., biomes) from external sources, and by calculating community‐weighted means and variances of traits using gap‐filled data from the global plant trait database TRY. Moreover, we created a phylogenetic tree for 50,167 out of the 54,519 species identified in the plots. We present the first maps of global patterns of community richness and community‐weighted means of key traits.

Conclusions

The availability of vegetation plot data in sPlot offers new avenues for vegetation analysis at the global scale.