There is an increasing demand for the surface sample section of the EPD. This section has not yet been integrated into the EPD as it is available for downloading from the web. Since the collected data have different amounts of metadata a set of threshold criteria were reiterated which all samples should fulfil before they are made generally available. These are:

Obligatory

• Latitude, longitude and altitude of the sample, with the best precision available
• Type of sample (lake sediment, moss, soil surface etc.)
• Publication

Highly desirable

• Description of the type of site, including size of the opening (basin size).
• Description of the regional vegetation and of the species present in the immediate surroundings
• Year in which the sample was collected.
• Name of the analyst.