Whirtleberry
Calluna vulgarisCallune
Carex piluliferaPill sedge
Deschampsia flexuosaSmooth Cane
Dicranum scopariumDicrane in brooms
Galium saxatileheath bedstraw
Leucobryum glaucumLeucobryum glauque
Luzula multifloraMultiflora Luzula
Vaccinium myrtillusbilberry
Purple Moor-grass
Blechnum spicantBlechne in spike
Luzula sylvaticaWoodland Luzula
Molinia caeruleaBlue Molinia
Oreopteris limbospermaMarginal sorrels Oreopteris
Trientalis europaeaEuropean Trientale
Sphagnum
Erica tetralixFour-cornered heather
Osmunda regalisroyal fern
Polytrichum communeCommon polytric
Salix auritaWillow with ears
Scutellaria minorSmall skullcap
Sphagnum sp.Sphagnum moss
Vaccinium uliginosumbog bilberry
Viola palustrisMarsh Violet
Wood Sage
Agrostis capillarisbrowntop
Anthoxanthum odoratumFragrant Fluke
Calamagrostis arundinaceaCalamagrostide false reed
Frangula alnusalder buckthorn
Hieracium lachenaliiCommon hawkweed
Hieracium laevigatumSmooth hawkweed
Hieracium sabaudumSavoy hawkweed
Hieracium umbellatumUmbrella hawk
Holcus mollisSoft Coot
Hypericum humifusumSt. John's wort
Hypericum pulchrumSt. John's Wort
Ilex aquifoliumEnglish holly
Lathyrus linifolius var.montanusMountain chickweed
Luzula luzuloïdesWhitish Luzula
Maianthemum bifoliumTwo-leaf Maianthem
Mespilus germanicaMedlar tree
Polytrichum formosumElegant Polytric
Polygonatum verticillatumSolomon's seal with verticals
Pteridium aquilinumbracken
Teucrium scorodoniawood germander
Rosebay Willow-herb
Cytisus scopariusBroom
Digitalis purpureaPurple crabgrass
Epilobium angustifoliumFireweed
Sambucus racemosaElderberry
Senecio nemorensisFuchs' ragwort
Senecio sylvaticuswoodland ragwort
Dryopteris
Betula pubescensPubescent birch
Carex pallescensPale sedge
Dryopteris carthusianaDryopteris of Chartreuse
Dryopteris dilatataDilated polystic
Marsh Thistle
Agrostis caninavelvet bent grass
Carex laevigataSmooth sedge
Cirsium palustreMarsh Cirse
Epilobium palustreFireweed
Equisetum sylvaticumHorsetail
Galium palustreMarsh bedstraw
Galium uliginosumForking bedstraw
Lotus uliginosusbig trefoil
Scirpus sylvaticusWood Bulrush
Valeriana dioicaDioecious Valerian
Common Dog Violet
Luzula pilosaHairy Luzula
Poa chaixiiChaix bluegrass
Potentilla sterilisSterile potentilla
Stellaria holosteaEaster-bell
Viola rivinianawood violet
Wood Anemone
Acer pseudoplatanusSycamore maple
Anemone nemorosaWood Anemone
Atrichum undulatumCorrugated iron
Carpinus betulusCharm
Corylus avellanaEuropean hazelnut
Dryopteris filix-masMale fern
Epilobium montanumMountain Fireweed
Milium effusumDiffuse Millet
Phyteuma nigrumBlack Rapunzel
Poa nemoralisWood Bluegrass
Polygonatum multiflorumMultiflora Solomon's seal
Scrophularia nodosafigwort
Vinca minorcommon periwinkle
Giant Brome-Grass
Festuca altissimaWood Fescue
Lady Fern
Athyrium filix-feminalady fern
Carex remotaSpaced sedge
Deschampsia cespitosaNodding Canary
Glyceria declinataToothed Glycery
Juncus conglomeratusAgglomerated rush
Juncus effususcommon rush
Lysimachia nemorumyellow pimpernel
Oxalis acetosellacuckoo-bread
Polygonum hydropiperWater Pepper Knotweed
Ranunculus flammulaFlamingo Buttercup
Succisa pratensisMeadowlark
Meadow-sweet
Agrostis stoloniferacreeping bent grass
Alnus glutinosaBlack Alder
Angelica sylvestrisWoodland Angelica
Elymus caninusDog weed
Filipendula ulmariaMeadowsweet
Ranunculus repensCreeping Buttercup
Valeriana repensCreeping Valerian
Wildservice tree
Anthericum liliagoPhalangère with lily flower
Campanula persicifoliapeach-bells
Silene nutansLeaning silene
Sorbus ariaWhite Birch
Sorbus torminalisChickweed
Yellow Archangel
Brachypodium sylvaticumWoodland beetle
Carex sylvaticaWood sedge
Dactylis glomeratacocksfoot
Epipactis helleborineBroad-leaved epipactis
Euphorbia amygdaloidesWoodland spurge
Fragaria vescaalpine strawberry
Hyacinthoides non-scriptaEnglish bluebell
Lamiastrum galeobdolonYellow manna
Lapsana communisCommon Lampshade
Prunus aviumgean
Veronica chamaedrysgermander speedwell
Vicia sepiumbush vetch
Viola reichenbachianaViolette de Reichenbach
Polystic
Cardamine impatiensnarrowleaf bittercress
Cystopteris fragilisFragile Cystopteride
Gymnocarpium dryopterisOak beetle
Polystichum aculeatumPolysticus with spines
Ranunculus platanifoliusPlane-leaved Buttercup
Ulmus glabraMountain elm
Wood Avens
Galeopsis tetrahitGaléopsis tetrahit
Geranium robertianumRobert's grass cranesbill
Geum urbanumCommon Benoite
Moehringia trinervia3-ribbed moehringia
Myosotis sylvaticawood forget-me-not
Sambucus nigraBlack Elder
Silene dioïcaDioic silene
Enchanter's Nightshade
Ajuga reptansCreeping Bugle
Cardamine pratensiscuckoo flower
Circaea lutetianaCircée de Paris
Colchicum autumnaleautumn-crocus
Poa trivialisCommon Bluegrass
Ribes rubrumnorthern red currant
Stachys sylvaticaWoodland thistle
Veronica montanaMountain Speedwell
Wood Stitchwort
Aconitum lycoctonum subsp.vulpariaWolfsbane
Chrysosplenium alternifoliumAlternate-leaf pondweed
Festuca giganteaGiant fescue
Impatiens noli-tangereImpatient don't touch it
Petasites hybridusHybrid Petasite
Polygonum bistortaBistort Knotweed
Salix albawhite willow
Stellaria nemorumwood stitchwort
Marsh Marigold
Caltha palustrisMarsh marigold
Carex elongataElongated sedge
Crepis paludosaMarsh crepid
Iris pseudacorusIris false acore
Lycopus europaeusEuropean Lycopus
Lysimachia vulgariswillowweed
Phalaris arundinaceaBaldingère
Scutellaria galericulatamarsh skullcap
Stachys palustrisMarsh Marigold
Golden Saxifrage
Cardamine amaraBitter Cardamine
Cardamine flexuosaCardamine flexueuse
Chrysosplenium oppositifoliumOpposite-leaf sea buckthorn
Glyceria fluitanswater mannagrass
Myosotis scorpioidesforget-me-not
Stellaria alsineStellaire of the fanges
Sweet Woodruff
Acer campestrefield maple
Acer platanoidesFlat maple
Campanula tracheliumnettle-leaf bellflower
Cornus sanguineaBlood dogwood
Crataegus laevigataHawthorn
Daphne mezereummezereon
Euonymus europaeusEuropean charcoal
Galium odoratumSweet woodruff
Galium sylvaticumScotch-mist
Hypericum hirsutumSt. John's wort
Melica unifloraUniflora mellifluous
Mycelis muralisWall Mycelis
Neottia nidus-avisBird's nest neottie
Phyteuma spicatumRapunzel in a cob
Ribes uva-crispaEnglish gooseberry
Rosa arvensisField rose
Rosa caninadog briar
Sanicula europaeaEuropean Sanicle
Scilla bifoliaTwo-leafed Scilla
Ulmus minorField elm
Valeriana officinaliscommon valerian
Lords-and-Ladies
Arum maculatumcuckoo-pint
Listera ovataListère oval
Ornithogalum pyrenaicumPyrenean Ornithogale
Paris quadrifoliaParisette
Ranunculus auricomusGoldilocks
Stinging Nettle
Aegopodium podagrariabishop's weed
Alliaria petiolatagarlic mustard
Anthriscus sylvestrisWild Chervil
Arctium nemorosumWood Burdock
Chaerophyllum temulumrough chervil
Galium aparineStrawberry bedstraw
Glechoma hederaceagill-over-the-ground
Heracleum sphondyliumcow-parsnip
Symphytum officinaleboneset
Urtica dioicastinging nettle
Veronica hederifoliaivyleaf speedwell
Lesser Celandine
Adoxa moschatellinamoschatel
Fraxinus excelsiorCommon Ash
Primula elatioroxlip
Pulmonaria obscuraDark Flowered Lungwort
Ranunculus ficariaFalse buttercup
Lesser Pond Sedge
Calystegia sepiumHedge bindweed
Carex acutaAcute sedge
Carex acutiformisMarsh sedge
Carex paniculataPanicle sedge
Carex ripariaShoreline sedge
Lythrum salicariaLythrum salicaria
Ribes nigrumEuropean black currant
Solanum dulcamaraclimbing nightshade
Stinking Hellebore
Buxus sempervirensBoxwood
Carex humilisHumble sedge
Cornus mascornelian cherry
Daphne laureolaspurge-laurel
Helleborus foetidusstinking hellebore
Ligustrum vulgareprim
Polygonatum odoratumyu zhu
Quercus pubescensPubescent oak
Rhamnus catharticacommon buckthorn
Rosa pimpinellifoliaBurnet Rose
Sesleria albicansWhitetail grasshopper
Viburnum lantanamealytree
Vincetoxicum hirundinariaDompte-venin officinal
Viola hirtaSpiky Violet
Fingered Sedge
Aquilegia vulgarisCommon Columbine
Atropa bella-donnaBelladonna
Berberis vulgariscommon barberry
Carex digitataSedge
Carex montanaMountain Sedge
Cephalanthera sp.Cephalanthera
Clematis vitalbaClematis white vine
Digitalis luteastraw foxglove
Lonicera xylosteumBroom Chestnut Tree
Melica nutansLeaning Melique
Mercurialis perennisPerennial Marketplace
Orchis masculaMale Orchis
Origanum vulgareOregano
Primula veriscowslip
Pulmonaria montanaMountain Lungwort
Ribes alpinumalpine currant
Rubus saxatilisRock Bramble
Tilia platyphyllosbroad-leaved lime
Hart's Tongue Fern
Actaea spicataSpikenard
Asplenium scolopendriumScolopendre
Cardamine bulbiferacoralroot bittercress
Lunaria redivivaPerennial Lunar
Bear's Garlic
Allium ursinumwild garlic
Anemone ranunculoidesFalse buttercup anemone
Corydalis solidabird-in-a-bush
Gagea luteaYellow mistletoe
Helleborus viridisgreen hellebore
Lathraea squamariaScaly Lathrea
Small Teasel
Dipsacus pilosusHairy carder
Humulus lupuluscommon hop
Rubus caesiusBluish Bramble
Ulmus laevisEuropean white elm
Cabage Thistle
Cirsium oleraceumCirse maraîcher
Epilobium hirsutumSpiky willowherb
Eupatorium cannabinumhemp agrimony
Scrophularia umbrosaWinged Scrofula
Great Horsetail
Equisetum telmateiaGiant horsetail
catalog of ecological groups
  • all groups
    • hyper-acidiphilous
      • Whirtleberry
        • Purple Moor-grass
          • Sphagnum
          • acidiphilous
            • Wood Sage
              • Rosebay Willow-herb
                • Dryopteris
                  • Marsh Thistle
                  • neutro-acidiphilic
                    • Common Dog Violet
                      • Wood Anemone
                        • Giant Brome-Grass
                          • Lady Fern
                            • Meadow-sweet
                            • neutroclins
                              • Wildservice tree
                                • Yellow Archangel
                                  • Polystic
                                    • Wood Avens
                                      • Enchanter's Nightshade
                                        • Wood Stitchwort
                                          • Marsh Marigold
                                            • Golden Saxifrage
                                            • neutrophils
                                              • Sweet Woodruff
                                                • Lords-and-Ladies
                                                  • Stinging Nettle
                                                    • Lesser Celandine
                                                      • Lesser Pond Sedge
                                                      • calcaricolous
                                                        • Stinking Hellebore
                                                          • Fingered Sedge
                                                            • Hart's Tongue Fern
                                                              • Bear's Garlic
                                                                • Small Teasel
                                                                  • Cabage Thistle
                                                                    • Great Horsetail
                                                                  PhytoSpy is a diagnostic tool for forest sites that allows the prediction of nutrient and moisture regimes, as defined in the Forest Trees Autecology Guide, from a floristic relevé. The approach is based on ecological groups. The forest understory indicator species of Belgium is grouped into 32 ecological groups that are indicator of environmental conditions. These site conditions are summarized in the form of a ecogram, shown on the left. The set of indicator plants in the relevé makes it possible to determine, more or less satisfactorily, the nutrient and moisture regimes of the forest site.

                                                                  Ecological groups

                                                                  In 1969, Thange laid the foundations of the ecological groups for southern Belgium. These are defined as a set of forest plants that share the same ecological niche. These ecological groups are since then commonly used in southern Belgium for the description of forest sites.
                                                                  The ecological groups are defined by Duvigneaud (1974) as a set of species having a more or less great sociological affinity between them, marked by a tendency to gather in a determined biotope, i.e. in determined environmental conditions.

                                                                  The ecological groups of Belgium were revised in 2020 before the publication of an illustrated guide. It is this very recent version of the ecological groups that is presented in this web application. For more information, we recommend the new catalog of ecological groups;
                                                                  flore indicatrice
                                                                  Claessens, H., Prévot, C. and Lisein J., (2021). Guide d’interprétation de la flore indicatrice en forêt (Guide to the interpretation of indicator species in forests). 376 pages. Éditions Forêt.Nature.

                                                                  The "Ecological Group" tab

                                                                  This tab presents the list of groups and the species that constitute them. The catalog of ecological groups, located on the right, groups the different groups according to their indicator character of the trophic level. This catalog allows you to filter the groups in order to display only some of them.
                                                                  The species present in the survey are displayed with a grey background.
                                                                  In this tab, a click on the Latin name of a species willadd this species to the floristic survey.
                                                                  To obtain a description of the ecological group, a double-click on the name of the group will open a window with additional information. Moreover, the ecological niche of the group is displayed in the ecogram after clicking on the group name.

                                                                  The ecogramme matrix

                                                                  The ecogram is the cornerstone concept at the heart of the Forest Trees Autecology Guide method. Sometimes used to define the aptitudes of forest species, sometimes to illustrate the distribution of indicator species, this hydro-trophic matrix deserves to be described. Especially since there are many different ecograms, mainly used in botany and ecology. But the key word is always the following; to represent graphically the different environmental conditions that prevail on a forest site. These environmental conditions are articulated around three major gradients; the climat, the moisture gradient and the nutrient gradient. Making the assumption that the climatic information available in Belgium allows a complete description of the entire Walloon territory, for which ten bioclimatic zones are defined, the two gradients likely to change locally are the availability of water (and oxygen to some extent) and the availability of mineral elements.
                                                                  ecogram legend
                                                                  Understanding the hydro-trophic ecogram, the graphical representation of the two major environmental gradient.
                                                                  The ecogram that is shown on the left of Phytospy application does not include a legend. But, hovering the mouse cursor over a disk representing a hydro-trophic regime, a tooltip informs the appropriate label.
                                                                  ecogram tooltip
                                                                  A lot of information is displayed when the mouse cursor points to the ecogram.

                                                                  Reading the floristic diagnosis on the ecogram

                                                                  As long as the floristic relevé contains indicator plants, an automatic prediction of nutrient and moisture regimes is performed. The nutrient and moisture regimes are predicted individually, because PhytoSpy uses two different models. The prediction results are drawn on the top for the nutrient gradient and on the right for the moisture gradient, and this is done in the form of sticks/bar whose size and color vary proportionally with the value of the prediction percentage. Indeed, the classification algorithm used is a Random Forest: this algorithm assigns to each regime a probability as a percentage. The regime that is assigned the highest percentage is the regime that is chosen by the classification algorithm. The stick for this regime is surrounded by the color yellow.
                                                                  A minimum number of indicator species is required to obtain a valid prediction of nutrient and moisture regimes.

                                                                  The predictive power of the nutrient regime by indicator species is high: the floristic determination of the availability of mineral elements is relatively precise. On the other hand, the indicator character of the water regime is less marked. This is why the floristic diagnosis is limited to the prediction of a group of moisture regime. Thus, a grouping of dry soils (regimes +3, +4 and +5), mesic soils (regimes +1 and +2), slightly wet soils (regimes 0 and -1) and wet or marshy soils (regimes -2, -3 and -4) is made. Soils with a fluctuating moisture regime, characteristic of a winter waterlogging period and a dry period during the vegetation period, are not subject to automated floristic determination. In these cases, the expert must make his own determination on the basis of the phytosociological relevé and taking into account the topographical and soils characteristics of the station.
                                                                  regroupement de niveaux hydriques
                                                                  The hydric diagnosis by flora is not precise enough to distinguish the moistre regime individually: this is why a grouping of moisture regimes is performed.

                                                                  Automatic prediction of nutrient and moisture regimes are displayed on the ecogram
                                                                  Illustration of the prediction models for two floristic relevés. The ecogram matrix is represented with the barplot of the prediction for nutrient regime on the top and of the moisture regime on the right. The two barplots provide the result from Random Forest models, which attribute a likelihood for each regimes. Intersection of the most likely nutrient and moisture regimes is highlighted in yellow.
                                                                  This website is developed by Jonathan Lisein, Adeline Fayolle, Andyne Legrain and Hugues Claessens from Liège University (Belgium) - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech - lab of forest management. Contact : liseinjon@hotmail.com

                                                                  Some open source libraries were utilized for the website and the nutrient and moisture models developpment. Among them, Wt in c++ for the web framework and the software Ranger as Random Forest trainer..

                                                                  Reference Documentation

                                                                  Lisein, Jonathan, Adeline Fayolle, Andyne Legrain, Céline Prévot, et Hugues Claessens. « Prediction of forest nutrient and moisture regimes from understory vegetation with random forest classification models ». Ecological Indicators 144 (2022): 109446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109446.

                                                                  We refer to the website of the Forest trees autecology guide for additional information about the methodology of this Belgian toolbox. The website is available in French and in German.

                                                                  Claessens, H., Prévot, C. et Lisein J., 2021. Guide d’interprétation de la flore indicatrice en forêt. 376 pages. Éditions Forêt.Nature.

                                                                  Claessens, H., 2003. Observer la végétation pour choisir une essence adaptée au milieu. Note Technique Forestière de Gembloux, n 9, 16 pages.

                                                                  Petit, S., Claessens, H., Vincke, C., Ponette, Q., Marchal, D., 2017. Le Fichier Écologique des Essences, version 2.0. Forêt.Nature (143), 12–19.

                                                                  Tanghe, M., 1969. Groupes écologiques, associations stationnelles et associations régionales des forêt du sud-est de la Belgique. PhD thesis, ULB, Bruxelles.

                                                                  Dulière, J., Tanghe, M., Malaisse, F., 1995. Répertoire des groupes écologiques du Fichier Écologique des Essences. Tech. rep., Ministère de la Région Wallonne, Namur.
                                                                  Duvigneaud, P., 1974. La synthèse écologique : populations, communautés, écosystèmes, biosphère, noosphere, Doin Édition. Paris.