1- Scientific context and project objectives

Through its approval as a French National Botanical Conservatory, the CBN Massif Central’s responsiblities include:

• i) finding out about, assessing and following up flora and natural habitats;
• ii) providing technical and scientific support to governmental departments and local authorities;
• iii) raising the public’s awareness of plant diversity and its preservation.

In 2001, it developed an information system called CHLORIS®, with which it can now manage over 3,500,000 pieces of information on flowers, more than 500,000 ha of mapped habitats and almost 25,000 documentary references. The aim of the project presented is to improve the management of centralised information and make it accessible to as many people as possible.

2- Project description

The project entails two distinct but complementary tasks:

• i) shift from the current information system CHLORIS® to a new software platform that is more performing and secure (Oracle 10.g , MapInfo MaxXtrème 2004, Windows Server 2003);
• ii) creation of a website giving access to the information in CHLORIS® (location of species and habitats, statuses of indigenity, rarity, threats and protection, etc.) and to various pieces of summary information: maps showing the location of species and habitats at different scales (France, Massif Central, regions, counties), list of species or vegetation present in a particular town or group of towns, presentation (text and photos) of the main species and vegetation in the Massif Central.

3- Public or controlled use

The very aim of the project, particularly as regards its website, is to give the public access to information managed in accordance with the Aarhus Convention and European Directive Inspire.

4- Expected results

We expect this project to result in safer use and management of the data in CHLORIS®, as well as the implementation of a website devoted to raising awareness of plant diversity and its preservation in the Massif Central.

LifeGrid, the regional information system