Vegetation

Biome:

Maps:

	Potential Land Cover
	Aggregated Vegetation Distribution

China: Vegetation Data

This dataset contains a vector-based digital map (Arc/Info polygon coverage) of vegetation in China. It reflects the distribution of both natural and human-cultivated vegetation types in the late 1970's. The coverage was digitized from a paper map at scale 1:4 million. Some 50 vegetation types are identified in the attribute table of the coverage. Total coverage: 5,580 polygons.

The original paper map, the Vegetation Map of China, was edited by the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and published in 1979 by the Cartographic Publishing House, Beijing, China. The legend of the map uses a hierarchical system. At the first level, natural vegetation, cultivated vegetation, land without vegetation, and water bodies are distinguished. Major vegetation groups and farming systems are differentiated at the second level. Various vegetation-type classes and sub-classes are identified at the third and fourth levels. All these four classes of information are reflected in the four digits of the attribute code in the Arc/Info coverage.

The original vegetation classes were regrouped into 42 biome types, using physiognomic principles (see IIASA WP-96-026). The reclassification established the possibility of linking the Chinese vegetation information with the data from the other countries studied in the LUC project and to create a model for the simulation of natural vegetation distribution in the entire LUC study region. The aggregation to biome types is also included in the polygon attribute table of the vegetation coverage.

Mongolia: Vegetation Data

The vegetation map for Mongolia, as part of the IIASA-LUC project was digitized by the University of Colorado in close cooperation with scientists in Mongolia. The information has been made available to the LUC project in an Arc/Info grid format (1x1 km), resulting in more than 2.5 million grids. The digital data was compiled from a polygon coverage, which contained 29 vegetation classes, which were aggregated into 12 categories, showing the actual land cover in the country.

The Mongolian vegetation categories were regrouped into the 42 BIOME classes, used in the LUC project according to the widely accepted physiognomic principles (see IIASA WP-96-026). These BIOME types are the basis of a land-cover classification for natural vegetation for the entire area of the LUC project, based on data for China, Mongolia and Russia.

Russia: Vegetation Data

Introduction

This digital georeferenced database on vegetation of the Former U.S.S.R. (FSU) will have broad application the scientific community in a variety of practical research. Additionally, this database will also be valuable for educational and other purposes.

Currently, the extensive information on the present vegetation of the FSU accumulated inside the country, is not available abroad. This can partly be explained by language constraints, the lack of international agreement on vegetation classifications, differences in definitions, and that data is only available on paper, etc.

The georeferenced digital database on vegetation of the FSU is intended to bridge these discrepancies. It has been designed in a user-friendly format and is accompanied by a description of the sources used; the methodology for database elaboration, standardized attribute definitions and technical specifications on database use. It also contains a general overview of the types and density of vegetation in inhabited areas.

The database was derived from several sources. Vegetation classification files were created from the legend of the Map of Vegetation of the FSU (edited by T. I. Isachenko and published in 1990) and explanatory text by converting descriptive characteristics into quantitative ones. An additional set of attributes was distinguished from various scientific and reference literature.

There are 132 vegetation classes. These classes are characterized by 13 items with 22 values. The geometric portion of the database has 4466 polygons.

Vegetation Data

This LUC digital georeferenced database contains a large amount of information about the natural vegetation of the Former Soviet Union (FSU). Until now, much of this information was not available outside the FSU, due to various constraining factors such language, lack of international agreement on vegetation classifications, differences in definitions, availability of data on paper, etc. 132 different classes are distinguished as a base for describing natural vegetation, geographically distributed over 4466 polygons. Potential vegetation (based on historical observations) is used in areas where vegetation was clearly modified by anthropogenic activities. The vegetation classes are characterized by a comprehensive amount of information, aggregated into 13 attributes (Table 1). For example, the data set includes information about the vegetation composition of the different polygons, divided into dominant, sub-dominant and associated categories.

The vegetation database for the FSU was derived from several sources. The classification was derived from the legend of the Map of Vegetation of the FSU, scale 1:4 Million (edited by T. I. Isachenko and published in 1990), and from explanatory text, by converting descriptive characteristics into quantitative ones. The additional set of vegetation attributes was compiled from various scientific and reference literature, collected in the entire FSU. The database includes a clear description of the sources and uses standardized attribute definitions and technical specifications thus providing an important contribution to the scientific community.

The original vegetation classes were regrouped into 42 biome types, using physiognomic principles (see IIASA WP-96-026). The reclassification established the possibility of linking all vegetation information of the FSU with vegetation data from the other countries studied in the LUC project and to create a model for the simulation of natural vegetation distribution in the entire LUC region.

Table 1. The list of attributes in the LUC vegetation database for the FSU

No.	Item	Description and categories
1	Community types	Description of the type of community/vegetation class, observed in a polygon. Classified in dominant, associated and anthropogenic (significantly affected by human activities).
2	Community description	Description of the different communities in a polygon (based on the 132 classes)
3	Extent of the community in a polygon	(%)
4	Edaphic variants of communities	Which special soil characteristics are observed and what is their effect on composition.
5	Origin, and age of communities	Primary versus secondary communities.
6	Vegetation architecture*	Mosses, low shrubs, shrubs, grasses, closed forest and sparse forest.
7	Stratification of the community	Description of the clearly distinguishable layers within the community (at minimum this is below and above ground).
8	Community
9	Species composition in community	Species or group of species in the vegetation community.
10	Distribution pattern in community	The species or group of species which are dominants or co-dominants in the community.
11	Type of leaves*	Dark coniferous, light coniferous, small-leaved, broad-leaved.
12	Phenology*	Deciduous versus evergreen.
13	Albedo*