Botanical Information System of Slovakia

A short information

The Botanical Information System of Slovakia (BIS Slovakia) is a complex of several databases focused on taxonomic research in the area of vascular plants in Slovakia. It will be composed of databases of distribution data from the literature and herbaria; herbarium collections management database, database of accepted names and synonyms; database of chromosome numbers and nomenclatural database. All databases will communicate via the checklist of plant names (includes accepted names, synonyms and abbreviations of author's names).

Database of vascular plants of Slovakia includes a checklist of accepted names, synonyms, basionyms, substituted names, misidentifications, abbreviations of plant names, author's names, Slovak vernacular names and other additional information about taxa, such as status (native, introduced, cultivated, etc.), endangered species (IUCN criteria), endemism, and invasiveness. The database will be connected with the electronic versions of Botanico-Periodico-Huntianum (Bridson ed., 1991) and Authors of Plant Names (Brummit & Powell, 1992), which will allow checking of the correct abbreviatons of journal and author names. A searchable version of this database is available through the internet at http://ibot.sav.sk/checklist/index.php. The database is currently contributing to the IOPI Provisional Global Plant Checklist and will contribute to the Updated Synonymic Catalogue of the Plants of Europe (Euro+Med PlantBase Project).

Central database of distribution of vascular plants in Slovakia will be composed of two independent databases.

The Database of distribution data from literature, which currently contains about 76, 000 records about distribution of vascular plants in Slovakia. The Database of distribution data from herbaria is now under development. The central database of distribution of vascular plants in Slovakia is aimed to be the joint project of several institutions in Slovakia which will be the source of data for the Flora of Slovakia, proposed Distribution Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Slovakia, Atlas Florae Europeae and the Central European Vascular Plant Mapping Project.

Herbarium management database is in its final stage of development. The software will be provided to other institutes in Slovakia having herbarium collections, which will allow electronic data exchange and input to the distribution data database. Herbarium collection database will be connected with the database of botanical and zoological collections in the Slovak republic, which is prepared in cooperation with Slovak National Museum and will provide the data for international Index Herbariorum and the international project BioCASE (A Biological Collection Access Service in Europe).

Database of chromosome numbers of vascular plants of Slovakia is a joint project with the Department of Botany Comenius University, Bratislava. It will contain all chromosome numbers of vascular plants ascertained on the material from the area of Slovakia. It will include data about the place of publication, original plant identification, details of localities and voucher specimens. The data will be revised by specialists of the particular groups of plants. This database will contribute to the List of Verified Chromosome Numbers for the Plants of the Euro+Med Region (Euro+Med PlantBase).

The nomenclatural database is under intensive developement. It will include information about the places and dates of valid publication of the plant (or taxon) names and synonyms and their nomenclatural types.

Related publications:

Jurkovičová V., 2000: Botanický informačný systém pre Slovensko. Botanical information system for Slovakia. Študentská vedecká konferencia 2000, Bratislava: 21.

Jurkovičová V., 1999: Databáza rozšírenia vyšších rastlín. Database of distribution of vascular plants. Zborník referátov zo 7 zjazdu SBS, Hrabušice-Podlesok 21.-25. júna 1999, Spišská Nová Ves: 78-80.