3
Assessmen s o plan indica o and in asi e
species in We lands by Ci izen Scien is s
Guideline and P o ocols
Ve sion 1.1
24.11.2025
Ci a ion: Weigelho e , G., Rosenbe ge , C., Feldbache , E. (2025) Assessmen o plan indica o and
in asi e species in We lands by Ci izen Scien is s. Guideline and P o ocols. Ho izon Eu ope P ojec
Res o e4Li e (101112736). 10.5281/zenodo.17703928
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Con en
CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
CHAPTER 2: HERBACEOUS PLANTS IN WETLANDS .............................................................................................................. 6
CHAPTER 3: IDENTIFYING PLANTS ............................................................................................................................................ 10
3.1. Ou doo p o ocol................................................................................................................................................................ 10
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Chap e 1: Backg ound
Moni o ing Ecosys em Se ices (ES) p o ided by we lands is c ucial o assessing
he s a e o he we lands, hei changes o e ime, and he impac s o conse a ion
and es o a ion measu es. The engagemen o non-expe s as Ci izen Scien is s can
suppo his ES moni o ing by deli e ing la ge amoun s o da a o he wise no
(easily) a ailable. Addi ionally, Ci izen Science helps aise awa eness among local
people abou he signi icance o we lands o human well-being, he eby
enhancing ci izens’ s ewa dship.
In he Ho izon Eu ope P ojec RESTORE4LIFE, 101112736 (h ps:// es o e4li e.eu/ ),
we ha e c ea ed a oolbox o moni o ing ES o we lands (Deli e able D3.5),
co e ing bo h geospa ial and on- he-g ound me hods (publicly a ailable om Dec
2025on ou webpage and Zenodo). One ocus was on de eloping Ci izen Science
p o ocols o on- he-g ound measu emen s ha p o ide eliable and aluable da a
o we land assessmen s. Va ious Ci izen Scien is s helped us es he de eloped
p o ocols ega ding hei in elligibili y, use - iendliness, and applicabili y be o e
elease. To assess he quali y and explana o y powe o he da a collec ed by
Ci izen Scien is s, we compa ed hem wi h da a collec ed by scien is s using mo e
ad anced me hods. The esul s o hese quali y checks can be ound in ou oolbox
D3.5.
The ollowing opics we e co e ed and published sepa a ely: (1) wa e body
quali y, (2) o ganic ca bon s o age in ee biomass and we land soils, (3) plan
di e si y, and (4) ec ea ional and educa ional se ices. Each published documen
consis s o se e al pa s: Ci izen Scien is s' p o ocol(s) o assessing da a in he
ield; Ci izen Scien is s' p o ocol(s) o indoo analyses (i applicable); Ci izen
Scien is s' p o ocol(s) o calcula ions (i applicable); and a guideline o scien is s
on u he da a p ocessing.
The cu en documen add esses he iden i ica ion o plan indica o and in asi e
species o de e mine plan di e si y and s a us in we lands.
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Chap e 2: He baceous plan s in we lands
Su eying he baceous plan species p o ides aluable insigh s in o he ecological condi ions and
heal h o habi a s such as meadows, loodplains o pea lands. Di e en species ha e speci ic
en i onmen al p e e ences, so hei p esence and abundance e lec ac o s like soil nu ien s,
mois u e, acidi y, and ligh a ailabili y – all o which also a ec ca bon s o age and ecosys em
unc ion.
Ci izen Science helps documen he mos common species along a ansec by es ima ing hei
abundance using he Fishe scale. Iden i ying plan s wi h he Flo a Incogni a app and
pho og aphing key ea u es (whole plan , lea , lowe ) ensu es eliable species eco ds and helps
dis inguish na i e om non-na i e plan s. Equally, Ci izen Scien is s can eco d he occu ence o
in asi e plan species.
Adding indica o alues (based on La in species names) o e s u he ecological in e p e a ion.
These alues desc ibe each plan ’s ypical en i onmen al equi emen s, such as mois u e, ni ogen
o pH, and suppo a deepe unde s anding o habi a quali y and possible changes due o clima e
change o land use. Flo a incogni a o e s hese alues o each species unde “ ai s”.
You could also use he Ellenbe g indica o alues. Add he plan 's La in name o
h ps://s a ed .boku.ac.a /zeige we e/. Un o una ely, his pla o m is only a ailable in Ge man.
Thus, we ha e added an English ansla ion on he ollowing pages.
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ELLENBERG’S INDICATOR VALUES
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REFERENCES
ELLENBERG, H., WEBER, H.E., DÜLL, R., WIRTH, V., WERNER, W., PAULIßEN, D.: "Zeige we e on
P lanzen in Mi eleu opa", Sc ip a Geobo anica 18 (2.Au lage 1992).
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Chap e 3: Iden i ying plan s
3.1. OUTDOOR PROTOCOL
MATERIALS:
10-20 m measu ing ape o ope
TASKS:
1. A each si e, selec a sec ion 10-20 me e s along he pa h and ma k he ends
wi h a ibbon. Take a pho o o he si e.
3. Walk along he pa h and de e mine he i e o se en mos common non-
woody species on bo h sides up o 2 m om he pa h. Es ima e he abundances o
hese i e species using he Fische scale (shown below).
Abundances acco ding o he Fische scale (1986):
Symbol
Abundance
A eal co e age
1
Ra e , 1-2 plan s pe species
< 5 %
2
2- 10 plan s pe species
< 10 %
3
Common, >10 plan s pe species
<20 %
4
Ve y common
20-50%
5
Dom ina ing
50-10 0 %
4. Iden i y each species using he "Flo a Incogni a" App. Take a pic u e o he
en i e plan , he lea , and he lowe (i p esen ). Check he iden i ica ion by
compa ing i o he plan desc ip ion in he app.
5. Then, look unde “ ai s”. He e you ind in o ma ion on he species'
dis ibu ion, p o ec ion s a us, and habi a p e e ences.
No e whe he he species is na i e o no (neophy e).
No e he numbe s o he indica o alues Nu ien s, Mois u e, Ligh , Tempe a u e,
and Soil Reac ion (pH). These indica o s desc ibe he plan ’s habi a p e e ences. The
highe he numbe , he mo e ligh , soil mois u e, nu ien s, empe a u e, and pH he
plan p e e s o ole a es.
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We app ecia e you suppo !
You da a p o ide in o ma ion on he we land ege a ion, plan di e si y, and he
heal h o he ecosys em.
This helps o de elop managemen s a egies o es o e and p o ec he we land.
