Surface Samples in the EPD

(Sheila Hicks)

Progress with the EPD surface sample dataset has been delayed while the obligatory meta data is being checked and assembled. This is now being managed from the Thule Institute, University of Oulu, Finland. The 800 surface samples which have been submitted to the EPD so far cover only very restricted areas of Europe (mostly the extreme south western and eastern fringes) so there is a real need to collect well documented samples from a whole range of vegetation situations throughout Europe. Moss polsters, lake surface sediments and core tops (where it is certain that the top represents the present day) can all be included but it should be very clearly stated which medium has been collected and how. Other aspects of the minimum metadata required are listed in Newsletter 9.