EUNIS Habitat Classification: Expert system, characteristic species combinations and distribution maps of European habitats

Milan Chytrý; Lubomír Tichý; Stephan M. Hennekens; Ilona Knollová; John A. M. Janssen; John S. Rodwell; Tomáš Peterka; Corrado Marcenò; Flavia Landucci; Jiří Danihelka; Michal Hájek; Jürgen Dengler; Pavel Novák; Dominik Zukal; Borja Jiménez-Alfaro; Ladislav Mucina; Sylvain Abdulhak; Svetlana Aćić; Emiliano Agrillo; Fabio Attorre; Erwin Bergmeier; Idoia Biurrun; Steffen Boch; János Bölöni; Gianmaria Bonari; Tatiana Braslavskaya; Helge Bruelheide; Juan Antonio Campos; Andraž Čarni; Laura Casella; Mirjana Ćuk; Renata Ćušterevska; Els De Bie; Pauline Delbosc; Olga Demina; Yakiv Didukh; Daniel Dítě; Tetiana Dziuba; Jörg Ewald; Rosario G. Gavilán; Jean-Claude Gégout; Gian Pietro Giusso del Galdo; Valentin Golub; Nadezhda Goncharova; Friedemann Goral; Ulrich Graf; Adrian Indreica; Maike Isermann; Ute Jandt; Florian Jansen; Jan Jansen; Anni Jašková; Martin Jiroušek; Zygmunt Kącki; Veronika Kalníková; Ali Kavgacı; Larisa Khanina; Andrey Yu. Korolyuk; Mariya Kozhevnikova; Anna Kuzemko; Filip Küzmič; Oleg L. Kuznetsov; Māris Laiviņš; Igor Lavrinenko; Olga Lavrinenko; Maria Lebedeva; Zdeňka Lososová; Tatiana Lysenko; Lise Maciejewski; Constantin Mardari; Aleksander Marinšek; Maxim G. Napreenko; Viktor Onyshchenko; Aaron Pérez-Haase; Remigiusz Pielech; Vadim Prokhorov; Valerijus Rašomavičius; Maria Pilar Rodríguez Rojo; Solvita Rūsiņa; Joachim Schrautzer; Jozef Šibík; Urban Šilc; Željko Škvorc; Viktor A. Smagin; Zvjezdana Stančić; Angela Stanisci; Elena Tikhonova; Tiina Tonteri; Domas Uogintas; Milan Valachovič; Kiril Vassilev; Denys Vynokurov; Wolfgang Willner; Sergey Yamalov; Douglas Evans; Mette Palitzsch Lund; Rania Spyropoulou; Eleni Tryfon; Joop H. J. Schaminée

doi:10.1111/avsc.12519

EUNIS Habitat Classification: Expert system, characteristic species combinations and distribution maps of European habitats

Milan Chytrý, Lubomír Tichý, Stephan M. Hennekens, Ilona Knollová, John A. M. Janssen, John S. Rodwell, Tomáš Peterka, Corrado Marcenò, Flavia Landucci, Jiří Danihelka, Michal Hájek, Jürgen Dengler, Pavel Novák, Dominik Zukal, Borja Jiménez-Alfaro, Ladislav Mucina, Sylvain Abdulhak, Svetlana Aćić, Emiliano Agrillo, Fabio AttorreErwin Bergmeier, Idoia Biurrun, Steffen Boch, János Bölöni, Gianmaria Bonari, Tatiana Braslavskaya, Helge Bruelheide, Juan Antonio Campos, Andraž Čarni, Laura Casella, Mirjana Ćuk, Renata Ćušterevska, Els De Bie, Pauline Delbosc, Olga Demina, Yakiv Didukh, Daniel Dítě, Tetiana Dziuba, Jörg Ewald, Rosario G. Gavilán, Jean-Claude Gégout, Gian Pietro Giusso del Galdo, Valentin Golub, Nadezhda Goncharova, Friedemann Goral, Ulrich Graf, Adrian Indreica, Maike Isermann, Ute Jandt, Florian Jansen, Jan Jansen, Anni Jašková, Martin Jiroušek, Zygmunt Kącki, Veronika Kalníková, Ali Kavgacı, Larisa Khanina, Andrey Yu. Korolyuk, Mariya Kozhevnikova, Anna Kuzemko, Filip Küzmič, Oleg L. Kuznetsov, Māris Laiviņš, Igor Lavrinenko, Olga Lavrinenko, Maria Lebedeva, Zdeňka Lososová, Tatiana Lysenko, Lise Maciejewski, Constantin Mardari, Aleksander Marinšek, Maxim G. Napreenko, Viktor Onyshchenko, Aaron Pérez-Haase, Remigiusz Pielech, Vadim Prokhorov, Valerijus Rašomavičius, Maria Pilar Rodríguez Rojo, Solvita Rūsiņa, Joachim Schrautzer, Jozef Šibík, Urban Šilc, Željko Škvorc, Viktor A. Smagin, Zvjezdana Stančić, Angela Stanisci, Elena Tikhonova, Tiina Tonteri, Domas Uogintas, Milan Valachovič, Kiril Vassilev, Denys Vynokurov, Wolfgang Willner, Sergey Yamalov, Douglas Evans, Mette Palitzsch Lund, Rania Spyropoulou, Eleni Tryfon, Joop H. J. Schaminée

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Abstract Aim The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop a tool for assigning vegetation-plot records to the habitats of the EUNIS system, use it to classify a European vegetation-plot database, and compile statistically-derived characteristic species combinations and distribution maps for these habitats. Location Europe. Methods We developed the classification expert system EUNIS-ESy, which contains definitions of individual EUNIS habitats based on their species composition and geographic location. Each habitat was formally defined as a formula in a computer language combining algebraic and set-theoretic concepts with formal logical operators. We applied this expert system to classify 1,261,373 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and other databases. Then we determined diagnostic, constant and dominant species for each habitat by calculating species-to-habitat fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) in the classified data set. Finally, we mapped the plot locations for each habitat. Results Formal definitions were developed for 199 habitats at Level 3 of the EUNIS hierarchy, including 25 coastal, 18 wetland, 55 grassland, 43 shrubland, 46 forest and 12 man-made habitats. The expert system classified 1,125,121 vegetation plots to these habitat groups and 73,188 to other habitats, while 63,064 plots remained unclassified or were classified to more than one habitat. Data on each habitat were summarized in factsheets containing habitat description, distribution map, corresponding syntaxa and characteristic species combination. Conclusions EUNIS habitats were characterized for the first time in terms of their species composition and distribution, based on a classification of a European database of vegetation plots using the newly developed electronic expert system EUNIS-ESy. The data provided and the expert system have considerable potential for future use in European nature conservation planning, monitoring and assessment.

Original language	English
Journal	Applied Vegetation Science
Volume	23
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	648-675
Number of pages	28
ISSN	1402-2001
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12519
Publication status	Published - Oct-2020

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Chytrý, M., Tichý, L., Hennekens, S. M., Knollová, I., Janssen, J. A. M., Rodwell, J. S., Peterka, T., Marcenò, C., Landucci, F., Danihelka, J., Hájek, M., Dengler, J., Novák, P., Zukal, D., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Mucina, L., Abdulhak, S., Aćić, S., Agrillo, E., ... Schaminée, J. H. J. (2020). EUNIS Habitat Classification: Expert system, characteristic species combinations and distribution maps of European habitats. Applied Vegetation Science, 23(4), 648-675. https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12519

@article{4aea78ecdd004d9385cf95609617aeca,

title = "EUNIS Habitat Classification: Expert system, characteristic species combinations and distribution maps of European habitats",

abstract = "Abstract Aim The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop a tool for assigning vegetation-plot records to the habitats of the EUNIS system, use it to classify a European vegetation-plot database, and compile statistically-derived characteristic species combinations and distribution maps for these habitats. Location Europe. Methods We developed the classification expert system EUNIS-ESy, which contains definitions of individual EUNIS habitats based on their species composition and geographic location. Each habitat was formally defined as a formula in a computer language combining algebraic and set-theoretic concepts with formal logical operators. We applied this expert system to classify 1,261,373 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and other databases. Then we determined diagnostic, constant and dominant species for each habitat by calculating species-to-habitat fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) in the classified data set. Finally, we mapped the plot locations for each habitat. Results Formal definitions were developed for 199 habitats at Level 3 of the EUNIS hierarchy, including 25 coastal, 18 wetland, 55 grassland, 43 shrubland, 46 forest and 12 man-made habitats. The expert system classified 1,125,121 vegetation plots to these habitat groups and 73,188 to other habitats, while 63,064 plots remained unclassified or were classified to more than one habitat. Data on each habitat were summarized in factsheets containing habitat description, distribution map, corresponding syntaxa and characteristic species combination. Conclusions EUNIS habitats were characterized for the first time in terms of their species composition and distribution, based on a classification of a European database of vegetation plots using the newly developed electronic expert system EUNIS-ESy. The data provided and the expert system have considerable potential for future use in European nature conservation planning, monitoring and assessment.",

author = "Milan Chytr{\'y} and Lubom{\'i}r Tich{\'y} and Hennekens, {Stephan M.} and Ilona Knollov{\'a} and Janssen, {John A. M.} and Rodwell, {John S.} and Tom{\'a}{\v s} Peterka and Corrado Marcen{\`o} and Flavia Landucci and Ji{\v r}{\'i} Danihelka and Michal H{\'a}jek and J{\"u}rgen Dengler and Pavel Nov{\'a}k and Dominik Zukal and Borja Jim{\'e}nez-Alfaro and Ladislav Mucina and Sylvain Abdulhak and Svetlana A{\'c}i{\'c} and Emiliano Agrillo and Fabio Attorre and Erwin Bergmeier and Idoia Biurrun and Steffen Boch and J{\'a}nos B{\"o}l{\"o}ni and Gianmaria Bonari and Tatiana Braslavskaya and Helge Bruelheide and Campos, {Juan Antonio} and Andra{\v z} {\v C}arni and Laura Casella and Mirjana {\'C}uk and Renata {\'C}u{\v s}terevska and {De Bie}, Els and Pauline Delbosc and Olga Demina and Yakiv Didukh and Daniel D{\'i}t{\v e} and Tetiana Dziuba and J{\"o}rg Ewald and Gavil{\'a}n, {Rosario G.} and Jean-Claude G{\'e}gout and {Giusso del Galdo}, {Gian Pietro} and Valentin Golub and Nadezhda Goncharova and Friedemann Goral and Ulrich Graf and Adrian Indreica and Maike Isermann and Ute Jandt and Florian Jansen and Jan Jansen and Anni Ja{\v s}kov{\'a} and Martin Jirou{\v s}ek and Zygmunt K{\c a}cki and Veronika Kaln{\'i}kov{\'a} and Ali Kavgacı and Larisa Khanina and {Yu. Korolyuk}, Andrey and Mariya Kozhevnikova and Anna Kuzemko and Filip K{\"u}zmi{\v c} and Kuznetsov, {Oleg L.} and Māris Laiviņ{\v s} and Igor Lavrinenko and Olga Lavrinenko and Maria Lebedeva and Zde{\v n}ka Lososov{\'a} and Tatiana Lysenko and Lise Maciejewski and Constantin Mardari and Aleksander Marin{\v s}ek and Napreenko, {Maxim G.} and Viktor Onyshchenko and Aaron P{\'e}rez-Haase and Remigiusz Pielech and Vadim Prokhorov and Valerijus Ra{\v s}omavi{\v c}ius and {Rodr{\'i}guez Rojo}, {Maria Pilar} and Solvita Rūsiņa and Joachim Schrautzer and Jozef {\v S}ib{\'i}k and Urban {\v S}ilc and {\v Z}eljko {\v S}kvorc and Smagin, {Viktor A.} and Zvjezdana Stan{\v c}i{\'c} and Angela Stanisci and Elena Tikhonova and Tiina Tonteri and Domas Uogintas and Milan Valachovi{\v c} and Kiril Vassilev and Denys Vynokurov and Wolfgang Willner and Sergey Yamalov and Douglas Evans and {Palitzsch Lund}, Mette and Rania Spyropoulou and Eleni Tryfon and Schamin{\'e}e, {Joop H. J.}",

year = "2020",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1111/avsc.12519",

language = "English",

volume = "23",

pages = "648--675",

journal = "Applied Vegetation Science",

issn = "1402-2001",

number = "4",

}

Chytrý, M, Tichý, L, Hennekens, SM, Knollová, I, Janssen, JAM, Rodwell, JS, Peterka, T, Marcenò, C, Landucci, F, Danihelka, J, Hájek, M, Dengler, J, Novák, P, Zukal, D, Jiménez-Alfaro, B, Mucina, L, Abdulhak, S, Aćić, S, Agrillo, E, Attorre, F, Bergmeier, E, Biurrun, I, Boch, S, Bölöni, J, Bonari, G, Braslavskaya, T, Bruelheide, H, Campos, JA, Čarni, A, Casella, L, Ćuk, M, Ćušterevska, R, De Bie, E, Delbosc, P, Demina, O, Didukh, Y, Dítě, D, Dziuba, T, Ewald, J, Gavilán, RG, Gégout, J-C, Giusso del Galdo, GP, Golub, V, Goncharova, N, Goral, F, Graf, U, Indreica, A, Isermann, M, Jandt, U, Jansen, F, Jansen, J, Jašková, A, Jiroušek, M, Kącki, Z, Kalníková, V, Kavgacı, A, Khanina, L, Yu. Korolyuk, A, Kozhevnikova, M, Kuzemko, A, Küzmič, F, Kuznetsov, OL, Laiviņš, M, Lavrinenko, I, Lavrinenko, O, Lebedeva, M, Lososová, Z, Lysenko, T, Maciejewski, L, Mardari, C, Marinšek, A, Napreenko, MG, Onyshchenko, V, Pérez-Haase, A, Pielech, R, Prokhorov, V, Rašomavičius, V, Rodríguez Rojo, MP, Rūsiņa, S, Schrautzer, J, Šibík, J, Šilc, U, Škvorc, Ž, Smagin, VA, Stančić, Z, Stanisci, A, Tikhonova, E, Tonteri, T, Uogintas, D, Valachovič, M, Vassilev, K, Vynokurov, D, Willner, W, Yamalov, S, Evans, D, Palitzsch Lund, M, Spyropoulou, R, Tryfon, E & Schaminée, JHJ 2020, 'EUNIS Habitat Classification: Expert system, characteristic species combinations and distribution maps of European habitats', Applied Vegetation Science, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 648-675. https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12519

TY - JOUR

T1 - EUNIS Habitat Classification: Expert system, characteristic species combinations and distribution maps of European habitats

AU - Chytrý, Milan

AU - Tichý, Lubomír

AU - Hennekens, Stephan M.

AU - Knollová, Ilona

AU - Janssen, John A. M.

AU - Rodwell, John S.

AU - Peterka, Tomáš

AU - Marcenò, Corrado

AU - Landucci, Flavia

AU - Danihelka, Jiří

AU - Hájek, Michal

AU - Dengler, Jürgen

AU - Novák, Pavel

AU - Zukal, Dominik

AU - Jiménez-Alfaro, Borja

AU - Mucina, Ladislav

AU - Abdulhak, Sylvain

AU - Aćić, Svetlana

AU - Agrillo, Emiliano

AU - Attorre, Fabio

AU - Bergmeier, Erwin

AU - Biurrun, Idoia

AU - Boch, Steffen

AU - Bölöni, János

AU - Bonari, Gianmaria

AU - Braslavskaya, Tatiana

AU - Bruelheide, Helge

AU - Campos, Juan Antonio

AU - Čarni, Andraž

AU - Casella, Laura

AU - Ćuk, Mirjana

AU - Ćušterevska, Renata

AU - De Bie, Els

AU - Delbosc, Pauline

AU - Demina, Olga

AU - Didukh, Yakiv

AU - Dítě, Daniel

AU - Dziuba, Tetiana

AU - Ewald, Jörg

AU - Gavilán, Rosario G.

AU - Gégout, Jean-Claude

AU - Giusso del Galdo, Gian Pietro

AU - Golub, Valentin

AU - Goncharova, Nadezhda

AU - Goral, Friedemann

AU - Graf, Ulrich

AU - Indreica, Adrian

AU - Isermann, Maike

AU - Jandt, Ute

AU - Jansen, Florian

AU - Jansen, Jan

AU - Jašková, Anni

AU - Jiroušek, Martin

AU - Kącki, Zygmunt

AU - Kalníková, Veronika

AU - Kavgacı, Ali

AU - Khanina, Larisa

AU - Yu. Korolyuk, Andrey

AU - Kozhevnikova, Mariya

AU - Kuzemko, Anna

AU - Küzmič, Filip

AU - Kuznetsov, Oleg L.

AU - Laiviņš, Māris

AU - Lavrinenko, Igor

AU - Lavrinenko, Olga

AU - Lebedeva, Maria

AU - Lososová, Zdeňka

AU - Lysenko, Tatiana

AU - Maciejewski, Lise

AU - Mardari, Constantin

AU - Marinšek, Aleksander

AU - Napreenko, Maxim G.

AU - Onyshchenko, Viktor

AU - Pérez-Haase, Aaron

AU - Pielech, Remigiusz

AU - Prokhorov, Vadim

AU - Rašomavičius, Valerijus

AU - Rodríguez Rojo, Maria Pilar

AU - Rūsiņa, Solvita

AU - Schrautzer, Joachim

AU - Šibík, Jozef

AU - Šilc, Urban

AU - Škvorc, Željko

AU - Smagin, Viktor A.

AU - Stančić, Zvjezdana

AU - Stanisci, Angela

AU - Tikhonova, Elena

AU - Tonteri, Tiina

AU - Uogintas, Domas

AU - Valachovič, Milan

AU - Vassilev, Kiril

AU - Vynokurov, Denys

AU - Willner, Wolfgang

AU - Yamalov, Sergey

AU - Evans, Douglas

AU - Palitzsch Lund, Mette

AU - Spyropoulou, Rania

AU - Tryfon, Eleni

AU - Schaminée, Joop H. J.

PY - 2020/10

Y1 - 2020/10

N2 - Abstract Aim The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop a tool for assigning vegetation-plot records to the habitats of the EUNIS system, use it to classify a European vegetation-plot database, and compile statistically-derived characteristic species combinations and distribution maps for these habitats. Location Europe. Methods We developed the classification expert system EUNIS-ESy, which contains definitions of individual EUNIS habitats based on their species composition and geographic location. Each habitat was formally defined as a formula in a computer language combining algebraic and set-theoretic concepts with formal logical operators. We applied this expert system to classify 1,261,373 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and other databases. Then we determined diagnostic, constant and dominant species for each habitat by calculating species-to-habitat fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) in the classified data set. Finally, we mapped the plot locations for each habitat. Results Formal definitions were developed for 199 habitats at Level 3 of the EUNIS hierarchy, including 25 coastal, 18 wetland, 55 grassland, 43 shrubland, 46 forest and 12 man-made habitats. The expert system classified 1,125,121 vegetation plots to these habitat groups and 73,188 to other habitats, while 63,064 plots remained unclassified or were classified to more than one habitat. Data on each habitat were summarized in factsheets containing habitat description, distribution map, corresponding syntaxa and characteristic species combination. Conclusions EUNIS habitats were characterized for the first time in terms of their species composition and distribution, based on a classification of a European database of vegetation plots using the newly developed electronic expert system EUNIS-ESy. The data provided and the expert system have considerable potential for future use in European nature conservation planning, monitoring and assessment.

AB - Abstract Aim The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop a tool for assigning vegetation-plot records to the habitats of the EUNIS system, use it to classify a European vegetation-plot database, and compile statistically-derived characteristic species combinations and distribution maps for these habitats. Location Europe. Methods We developed the classification expert system EUNIS-ESy, which contains definitions of individual EUNIS habitats based on their species composition and geographic location. Each habitat was formally defined as a formula in a computer language combining algebraic and set-theoretic concepts with formal logical operators. We applied this expert system to classify 1,261,373 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and other databases. Then we determined diagnostic, constant and dominant species for each habitat by calculating species-to-habitat fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) in the classified data set. Finally, we mapped the plot locations for each habitat. Results Formal definitions were developed for 199 habitats at Level 3 of the EUNIS hierarchy, including 25 coastal, 18 wetland, 55 grassland, 43 shrubland, 46 forest and 12 man-made habitats. The expert system classified 1,125,121 vegetation plots to these habitat groups and 73,188 to other habitats, while 63,064 plots remained unclassified or were classified to more than one habitat. Data on each habitat were summarized in factsheets containing habitat description, distribution map, corresponding syntaxa and characteristic species combination. Conclusions EUNIS habitats were characterized for the first time in terms of their species composition and distribution, based on a classification of a European database of vegetation plots using the newly developed electronic expert system EUNIS-ESy. The data provided and the expert system have considerable potential for future use in European nature conservation planning, monitoring and assessment.

U2 - 10.1111/avsc.12519

DO - 10.1111/avsc.12519

M3 - A1: Web of Science-article

SN - 1402-2001

VL - 23

SP - 648

EP - 675

JO - Applied Vegetation Science

JF - Applied Vegetation Science

IS - 4

ER -

EUNIS Habitat Classification: Expert system, characteristic species combinations and distribution maps of European habitats

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