EVA-FAIR - Implementing FAIR principles in the European Vegetation Archive data
Science cluster
Summary
The EVA-FAIR project aims to implement FAIR principles in European databases of vegetation plots. These databases store plant occurrence and abundance records sampled across the continent for over a century. Such plots are the primary source of information on plant diversity in natural and anthropogenic habitats and their changes over time. EVA, the European Vegetation Archive currently contains more than 2 million vegetation plots with approx. 50 million plant occurrence records.
The goal of the project is to move EVA data towards open access, publishing them in trusted and FAIR-compliant repositories, such as Zenodo.
By advancing open science practices, the project supports researchers, conservationists, and citizen scientists across Europe, enabling comprehensive analyses of biodiversity changes over time.
Challenge
Open Science project
The European Vegetation Archive (EVA) has historically faced data ownership restrictions that hindered full data openness. While the archive has contributions from 108 data providers and contains extensive records essential for biodiversity research, its varying access levels - Open Access, Semi-restricted Access, and Restricted Access - have limited the potential utility of this wealth of information. As more data providers recognise the advantages of adopting FAIR principles, there is a pressing need to facilitate a transition toward more open access, which can greatly enhance collaboration and data sharing across the continent.
Solution
The EVA-FAIR project will implement a two-phase approach to facilitate this transition. Firstly, it plans to use and develop the Czech National Phytosociological Database (CNPD) as a model for best practices in data sharing. This pilot will produce open datasets and develop R codes for taxonomic harmonisation and data export to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), which is a global open-access online database of data on plant occurrences used for numerous projects of basic and applied research and for citizen science. An open version of the database (CNPD-Open), and a taxonomically harmonised and geographically and environmentally stratified subset of this database (CNPD-Open-Strat) will be released. All the data and scripts will be published on Zenodo, GitHub linked with Zenodo, and the EOSC-compliant Czech National Repository Platform.
The second phase will engage EVA data providers through workshops and training sessions, showcasing the benefits of open data, and equipping them with the necessary skills to contribute to the initiative.
Scientific Impact
By advancing the public availability of European vegetation-plot data, EVA-FAIR will significantly enhance the resources accessible to researchers and conservation practitioners alike. This project aims to break down barriers that have restricted access to valuable biodiversity data. It will also foster interdisciplinary research and applied studies in nature conservation and ecosystem restoration. The project not only aligns with the goals of the Environmental Research Infrastructures (ENVRI) Community and the International Association for Vegetation Science but also aims to improve citizen science initiatives in regions where high-quality biodiversity data remain scarce, ultimately enriching our understanding of Europe's plant diversity.
Principal investigator
Milan Chytry is Professor of Botany at Masaryk University, Czech Republic. He is the Custodian of the European Vegetation Archive, a central database of European vegetation plots. His research focuses on vegetation and habitat classification and patterns of vegetation diversity over space and time.
