A vegetation map of The Netherlands,based on the relationship between ecotopes and types of potential natural vegetation

Summary The method of mapping the vegetation on scale 1: 200,000 and the starting points in relation to the potential natural vegetation and ecotopes, are discussed.In view of the planological background of this study, some restrictions have been added to the concept of potential natural vegetation, concerning the period of development and the human influence.The relationship between soil, ground water and vegetation was studied, which resulted in the map of the potential natural vegetation.Each type of potential natural vegetation stands for a series of vegetation types on the same site. Seven main series, with a number of sub-series are distinguished. Within each vegetation series the plant communities have been spread over five groups, according to their structure and naturalness.Ecotopes and ecotope complexes are considered as landscape ecological units. A list of ecotopes was obtained by interpreting topographical maps and by inventory data.The actual vegetation was mapped by estimating the size of the ecotopes within the separate areas. It was expressed in a five figure code for the five groups from the vegetation and ecotopes is combined into the vegetation map of The Netherlands.Interpretation problems, some of them specific for The Netherlands, are discussed and some remarks are made on the necessity of further research.Contribution to the Symposium on Plant Species and Plant Communities, held at Nijmegen, 11–12 November 1976, on the occasion of the 60th birthday of Professor Victor Westhoff.Nomenclature follows Heukels-van Ooststroom, Flora van Nederland, 18e druk, 1975, Wolters-Noordhoff, Groningen; nomenclature of syntaxa follows Westhoff & den Held (1969)