Flora & Vegetation Inventory

What a flora and vegetation inventory is

A flora and vegetation inventory is the field study that characterises the plant communities, the flora present and its conservation status within a project's area, and it is one of the pillars of the environmental inventory of any Environmental Impact Study. Its aim is to identify habitats of Community interest, protected species or species of special interest, and to assess the botanical sensitivity of the territory before finalising the project design.

What it includes

• Mapping of plant communities present in the study area, following phytosociological and vegetation-series criteria.
• Identification of habitats of Community interest listed in Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), with particular attention to priority habitats.
• Floristic catalogue of the study area, identifying listed species (Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species, regional catalogues) or endemic species of special relevance.
• Georeferenced location of specimens or populations of protected species, where applicable.
• Assessment of the conservation status of the vegetation present and its degree of naturalness.

Methodology

1. Prior bibliographic and cartographic review: existing vegetation maps, biodiversity databases, catalogues of threatened species.
2. Seasonal fieldwork, with visits matched to the optimal phenological period for identifying each taxonomic group (spring for most herbaceous species).
3. Sampling with transects and plots representative of the different vegetation units identified.
4. Taxonomic identification of the species present, with particular attention to critical taxa requiring laboratory confirmation.
5. Preparation of final cartography, ready to integrate into the Environmental Impact Study and the project's alternatives analysis.

Common mistakes

• Fieldwork carried out outside the appropriate phenological period, which prevents correct identification of short-flowering herbaceous species.
• Generic vegetation mapping, without sufficient detail to distinguish plant communities of differing conservation value.
• Failure to verify the presence of priority habitats that can significantly condition the project design or require specific compensatory measures.

Regulatory framework

Under Spanish and EU law, the identification of habitats of Community interest derives from the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the Natura 2000 network, while the protection of listed flora is governed by Spanish Law 42/2007 on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity, the Spanish List of Wild Species under Special Protection and the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species, complemented by the regional catalogues of each autonomous community.

Why choose Ideas Medioambientales

We carry out flora and vegetation inventories with our own biologists and botanists, matching the field schedule to each taxon's optimal phenological period and applying rigorous phytosociological criteria in vegetation mapping, with more than 25 years of experience across Spain.

Tell us the location and characteristics of your project and we will advise on the scope of flora inventory required and the most suitable field schedule.