Benchmarking plant diversity of Palaearctic grasslands and other open habitats
Authors: Biurrun Idoia , Pielech Remigiusz , Dembicz Iwona , Gillet François , Kozub Łukasz , Marcenò Corrado , Reitalu Triin , Van Meerbeek Koenraad , Guarino Riccardo , Chytrý Milan , Pakeman Robin J. , Preislerová Zdenka , Axmanová Irena , Burrascano Sabina , Bartha Sándor , Boch Steffen , Bruun Hans Henrik , Conradi Timo , De Frenne Pieter , Essl Franz , Filibeck Goffredo , Hájek Michal , Jiménez‐Alfaro Borja , Kuzemko Anna , Molnár Zsolt , Pärtel Meelis , Pätsch Ricarda , Prentice Honor C. , Roleček Jan , Sutcliffe Laura M. E. , Terzi Massimo , Winkler Manuela , Wu Jianshuang , Aćić Svetlana , Acosta Alicia T. R. , Afif Elias , Akasaka Munemitsu , Alatalo Juha M. , Aleffi Michele , Aleksanyan Alla , Ali Arshad , Apostolova Iva , Ashouri Parvaneh , Bátori Zoltán , Baumann Esther , Becker Thomas , Belonovskaya Elena , Benito Alonso José Luis , Berastegi Asun , Bergamini Ariel , Bhatta Kuber Prasad , Bonini Ilaria , Büchler Marc‐Olivier , Budzhak Vasyl , Bueno Álvaro , Buldrini Fabrizio , Campos Juan Antonio , Cancellieri Laura , Carboni Marta , Ceulemans Tobias , Chiarucci Alessandro , Chocarro Cristina , Conti Luisa , Csergő Anna Mária , Cykowska‐Marzencka Beata , Czarniecka‐Wiera Marta , Czarnocka‐Cieciura Marta , Czortek Patryk , Danihelka Jiří , de Bello Francesco , Deák Balázs , Demeter László , Deng Lei , Diekmann Martin , Dolezal Jiri , Dolnik Christian , Dřevojan Pavel , Dupré Cecilia , Ecker Klaus , Ejtehadi Hamid , Erschbamer Brigitta , Etayo Javier , Etzold Jonathan , Farkas Tünde , Farzam Mohammad , Fayvush George , Fernández Calzado María Rosa , Finckh Manfred , Fjellstad Wendy , Fotiadis Georgios , García‐Magro Daniel , García‐Mijangos Itziar , Gavilán Rosario G. , Germany Markus , Ghafari Sahar , Giusso del Galdo Gian Pietro , Grytnes John‐Arvid , Güler Behlül , Gutiérrez‐Girón Alba , Helm Aveliina , Herrera Mercedes , Hüllbusch Elisabeth M. , Ingerpuu Nele , Jägerbrand Annika K. , Jandt Ute , Janišová Monika , Jeanneret Philippe , Jeltsch Florian , Jensen Kai , Jentsch Anke , Kącki Zygmunt , Kakinuma Kaoru , Kapfer Jutta , Kargar Mansoureh , Kelemen András , Kiehl Kathrin , Kirschner Philipp , Koyama Asuka , Langer Nancy , Lazzaro Lorenzo , Lepš Jan , Li Ching‐Feng , Li Frank Yonghong , Liendo Diego , Lindborg Regina , Löbel Swantje , Lomba Angela , Lososová Zdeňka , Lustyk Pavel , Luzuriaga Arantzazu L. , Ma Wenhong , Maccherini Simona , Magnes Martin , Malicki Marek , Manthey Michael , Mardari Constantin , May Felix , Mayrhofer Helmut , Meier Eliane Seraina , Memariani Farshid , Merunková Kristina , Michelsen Ottar , Molero Mesa Joaquín , Moradi Halime , Moysiyenko Ivan , Mugnai Michele , Naqinezhad Alireza , Natcheva Rayna , Ninot Josep M. , Nobis Marcin , Noroozi Jalil , Nowak Arkadiusz , Onipchenko Vladimir , Palpurina Salza , Pauli Harald , Pedashenko Hristo , Pedersen Christian , Peet Robert K. , Pérez‐Haase Aaron , Peters Jan , Pipenbaher Nataša , Pirini Chrisoula , Pladevall‐Izard Eulàlia , Plesková Zuzana , Potenza Giovanna , Rahmanian Soroor , Rodríguez‐Rojo Maria Pilar , Ronkin Vladimir , Rosati Leonardo , Ruprecht Eszter , Rusina Solvita , Sabovljević Marko , Sanaei Anvar , Sánchez Ana M. , Santi Francesco , Savchenko Galina , Sebastià Maria Teresa , Shyriaieva Dariia , Silva Vasco , Škornik Sonja , Šmerdová Eva , Sonkoly Judit , Sperandii Marta Gaia , Staniaszek‐Kik Monika , Stevens Carly , Stifter Simon , Suchrow Sigrid , Swacha Grzegorz , Świerszcz Sebastian , Talebi Amir , Teleki Balázs , Tichý Lubomír , Tölgyesi Csaba , Torca Marta , Török Péter , Tsarevskaya Nadezda , Tsiripidis Ioannis , Turisová Ingrid , Ushimaru Atushi , Valkó Orsolya , Van Mechelen Carmen , Vanneste Thomas , Vasheniak Iuliia , Vassilev Kiril , Viciani Daniele , Villar Luis , Virtanen Risto , Vitasović‐Kosić Ivana , Vojtkó András , Vynokurov Denys , Waldén Emelie , Wang Yun , Weiser Frank , Wen Lu , Wesche Karsten , White Hannah , Widmer Stefan , Wolfrum Sebastian , Wróbel Anna , Yuan Zuoqiang , Zelený David , Zhao Liqing , Dengler Jürgen 
Published: June 2021

Aims

Understanding fine‐grain diversity patterns across large spatial extents is fundamental for macroecological research and biodiversity conservation. Using the GrassPlot database, we provide benchmarks of fine‐grain richness values of Palaearctic open habitats for vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens and complete vegetation (i.e., the sum of the former three groups).

Location

Palaearctic biogeographic realm.

Methods

We used 126,524 plots of eight standard grain sizes from the GrassPlot database: 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 and 1,000 m2 and calculated the mean richness and standard deviations, as well as maximum, minimum, median, and first and third quartiles for each combination of grain size, taxonomic group, biome, region, vegetation type and phytosociological class.

Results

Patterns of plant diversity in vegetation types and biomes differ across grain sizes and taxonomic groups. Overall, secondary (mostly semi‐natural) grasslands and natural grasslands are the richest vegetation type. The open‐access file ”GrassPlot Diversity Benchmarks” and the web tool “GrassPlot Diversity Explorer” are now available online (https://edgg.org/databases/GrasslandDiversityExplorer) and provide more insights into species richness patterns in the Palaearctic open habitats.

Conclusions

The GrassPlot Diversity Benchmarks provide high‐quality data on species richness in open habitat types across the Palaearctic. These benchmark data can be used in vegetation ecology, macroecology, biodiversity conservation and data quality checking. While the amount of data in the underlying GrassPlot database and their spatial coverage are smaller than in other extensive vegetation‐plot databases, species recordings in GrassPlot are on average more complete, making it a valuable complementary data source in macroecology.