Over 3,500 single-species plant distribution maps, with some records dating back over 100 years, have been compiled for sub-Saharan Africa. The dataset, created by CELP, aims to document 10-15% of the estimated 40,000 plant species in the region. It includes cumulative maps for major plant groups like Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons, and Monocotyledons, constructed using the WORLDMAP software.
Use Cases
- Modeling species richness and biodiversity hotspots based on cumulative plant group distribution maps.
- Analyzing historical changes in plant distributions over the last century based on the documented time span.
- Supporting conservation area planning by understanding total species composition for specific regions in sub-Saharan Africa.
Strengths
- Contains over 3,500 single-species distribution maps.
- Documents plant distributions over a time span of more than 100 years.
- Aims to cover 10-15% of the estimated 40,000 sub-Saharan African plant species.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
Provenance
- Source
- CELP (Centre for Ecology and Law & Policy), via NASA Earthdata.
- Collection Method
- Compiled from available single-species distribution maps using the WORLDMAP software application.
- Time Range
- Records span over 100 years, with specific start and end dates unknown.
- Geography
- Sub-Saharan Africa.