28/02/2026
We compared plant diversity estimates for Mediterranean islands plant data according to three large scale databases (GBIF, EVA, GIFT). We found consistent data gaps in terms of geographic coverage and striking differences among databases for plant species reported. Data from collections (GBIF) and vegetation plots (EVA) capture a limited proportion of islands' species diversity, but are useful for abundance estimates and monitoring temporal dynamics of plant communities. Our results highlight the need of including already existing plant inventories into databases, to better account for the exceptional plant diversity of Mediterranean islands.
Large-scale biodiversity databases encompass three main types of data for plants, namely single species point occurrences, co-occurrences in vegetation plots, and checklists for specific areas. Evide...
