Global Vascular Plant Taxonomy and Distribution Records

The World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) maintains a plant taxonomy database covering 82,500 species, subspecies, and varieties of vascular plants worldwide. This taxon-based information is linked to 145,000 distribution records and 17,000 data source records. The data is managed using the BG-BASE database application, which has been in use since 1985.

Use Cases

• Classify conservation status based on species name and distribution records.
• Model geographic distribution patterns using the 145,000 linked location records.
• Analyze taxonomic relationships and nomenclature across 82,500 plant taxa.
• Link species data to original data sources via the 17,000 source records.

Strengths

• Covers 82,500 plant taxa, representing over one-quarter of described higher plants.
• Integrates 145,000 species distribution records for spatial analysis.
• Links to 17,000 original data source records for provenance tracking.

Limitations

• Specific row counts for core data tables are not provided.
• The underlying BG-BASE system uses a complex schema with nearly 150 files and approximately 3,000 data fields, which may complicate direct analysis.
• The temporal coverage and update frequency for the species records are not specified.

Provenance

Source

World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), aggregated from a global network of 53 institutions including botanic gardens and arboreta.

Collection Method

Compiled and maintained in the BG-BASE variable-length field relational database application.

Time Range

Database application in use since 1985; specific temporal coverage of records is unknown.

Geography

Global coverage of vascular plant species.