Flora and Vegetation Inventory

What a flora and vegetation inventory is

A flora and vegetation inventory is the field study that characterises the plant communities, flora present and their conservation status within a project's area, forming one of the core pillars of the environmental inventory in any Environmental Impact Study. Its purpose is to identify Habitat Types of Community Interest, protected or special-interest species, and to assess the vegetation sensitivity of the territory before finalising the project design.

What it includes

• Mapping of plant communities present in the study area, following phytosociological criteria and vegetation series.
• Identification of Habitat Types of Community Interest under Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive, with particular attention to priority habitat types.
• Floristic catalogue of the study area, identifying listed species (under national or regional threatened species catalogues) or endemics of particular 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. Preliminary literature and mapping review: existing vegetation maps, biodiversity databases, threatened species catalogues.
2. Seasonal fieldwork, with site visits timed to the optimal phenological period for identifying each taxonomic group (spring for most herbaceous species).
3. Transect and plot sampling 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 mapping for integration 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 enough detail to distinguish plant communities of different conservation value.
• Failing to verify the presence of priority habitat types, which can significantly affect project design or require specific compensatory measures.

Why choose Ideas Medioambientales

We carry out flora and vegetation inventories with our own biologists and botanists, timing fieldwork to the optimal phenological period for each taxon and applying rigorous phytosociological criteria in vegetation mapping.

Tell us about your project's location and characteristics and we'll advise you on the scope of flora inventory needed and the most suitable fieldwork schedule.