Historical distribution maps of vascular plants in Northern Europe
https://doi.org/10.58141/y1x5-cx68
This dataset contains 1909 georeferenced and digitized distribution maps of vascular plants originally published in the 'Atlas of the distribution of vascular plants in northwestern Europe' (Hultén 1971). The digitized maps are provided as spatial polygon features (GeoJSON).
The original distribution maps are based on an extensive data collection including obtaining spatial information from regional floras and herbarium records, as well as expert opinions. Data was collected by Eric Hultén from around 1935 to 1970 and contain all known records of the species. The collection dates of the herbarium specimens and the dates of the published records will have ranged from the 18th century to 1970. A detailed description of how the original atlas was compiled as well as the method used to georeference and digitize the distribution maps can be found in Arnell et al. (2025a). R scripts and functions to perform the different pats of the digitalization process can be found in the R package 'HultenRangeMaps' (https://github.com/ArnellM/HultenRangeMaps.git). To aid spatial analyses, the package also provides a function to match the digitized distribution maps to the Swedish 10×10 km National grid (or any other grid stored as a polygon spatial feature).
Citation:
When using the digitized distribution maps , please cite both this dataset (Arnell et al. 2025b) and the accompanying data paper (Arnell et al. 2025a).
Resolution and extent:
The original maps have an effective resolution of 16×16 km and cover Scandinavia and Finland as well as parts of the Baltic countries, Germany and Russia.
Data format:
1909 digitized distribution maps, GeoJSON files
Data files:
1909 digitized distribution maps
NOTE: The file names of the distribution map files are a combination of the the current accepted scientific name of the species and the original atlas map number (e.g. Lycopodium alpinum_0001.geojson). The current scientific names of the species in the dataset are retrieved from the Swedish Taxonomic Database, Dyntaxa (SLU Artdatabanken 2022). In Dyntaxa, hybrid species are denoted by the symbol ×. To facilitate file handling the symbol × has been replaced by the letter x in the database file names. Included in the database is an R script that allows users to change the letter x in the file names back to the symbol ×.
Documentation files:
README.txt
HultenMetadata.csv - table containing details on the updated scientific nomenclature and manual edits of the digitized distribution maps
fixFileNames.R - change the letter x in file names back to the symbol ×
References:
Arnell, M., Auffret, A. G., & Hylander, K. (2025a) Historical distribution maps of vascular plants in Northern Europe. [Data paper].
Arnell, M., Auffret, A. G., & Hylander, K. (2025b). Historical distribution maps of vascular plants in Northern Europe (Version 1) [Data set]. Stockholm University. DOI: Available after publication.
Hultén, E. 1971. Atlas of the distribution of vascular plants in northwestern Europe. Second edition. Generalstabens Litografiska Anstalts Förlag, Stockholm.
SLU Artdatabanken. 2022. Dyntaxa - svensk taxonomisk databas [Dataset]. https://artfakta.se/metadata/dyntaxa. Accessed 2022-09-09.
Download data and documentation (1912 files / 1.4 GiB)
Data files
Data files
- Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. septentrionale_00787.geojson783.24 KiB
- Alchemilla filicaulis var. vestita_01060.geojson308.47 KiB
- Allium schoenoprasum subsp. sibiricum_00486.geojson119.52 KiB
- Allium senescens subsp. montanum_00488.geojson9.31 KiB
- Ammophila arenaria x Calamagrostis epigejos_0169a.geojson22.13 KiB
- Anemone apennina var. pallida_0789b.geojson1010 Bytes
- Angelica archangelica subsp. littoralis_01345.geojson271.33 KiB
- Antennaria alpina subsp. porsildii_01688.geojson12.94 KiB
- Arabis sagittata var. borealis_00917.geojson5.6 KiB
- Arctanthemum arcticum subsp. polare_01710.geojson9.94 KiB
- Argentina anserina subsp. groenlandica_01016.geojson71.65 KiB
- Artemisia campestris subsp. bottnica_01721.geojson8.93 KiB
- Atriplex longipes subsp. praecox_00661.geojson80.09 KiB
- Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima_00644.geojson30.03 KiB
- Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii_00596.geojson1.26 MiB
- Botrychium matricariifolium_00025.geojson157.2 KiB
- Brassica rapa subsp. campestris_00859.geojson1.85 MiB
- Bromus hordeaceus subsp. hordeaceus_00257.geojson1.29 MiB
- Bromus hordeaceus subsp. thominei_00254.geojson46.69 KiB
- Calamagrostis deschampsioides_00162.geojson8.59 KiB
- Calamagrostis phragmitoides_00167.geojson3.43 MiB
- Callitriche hermaphroditica_01204.geojson414.21 KiB
- Carex buxbaumii subsp. mutica_00391.geojson670.98 KiB
- Carex divulsa subsp. leersii_00333.geojson80.38 KiB
- Carex fuliginosa subsp. misandra_00397.geojson39.45 KiB
- Carex magellanica subsp. irrigua_00385.geojson3.69 MiB
- Carex nigra subsp. juncella_00362.geojson3.46 MiB
- Carex oederi var. Bergrothii_0400b.geojson14.96 KiB
- Carlina vulgaris subsp. longifolia_01749.geojson544.31 KiB
- Castilleja pallida var. lapponica_01562.geojson8.44 KiB
- Centaurea phrygia subsp. pseudophrygia_01770.geojson30.53 KiB
- Centaurium erythraea var. capitatum_01412.geojson2.51 KiB
- Centaurium littorale var. glomeratum_01413.geojson5.87 KiB
- Cerastium alpinum subsp. glabratum_0691a.geojson68.93 KiB
- Cerastium fontanum var. vulgare_00691.geojson4.17 MiB
- Chrysosplenium alternifolium_00972.geojson849.75 KiB
- Chrysosplenium oppositifolium_00973.geojson54.68 KiB
- Clematis alpina subsp. sibirica_00798.geojson7.15 KiB
- Crataegus rhipidophylla var. lindmanii_01089.geojson140.16 KiB
- Cuscuta epithymum var. trifolii_01440.geojson165.79 KiB
- Cuscuta europaea subsp. halophyta_01442.geojson20.36 KiB
- Dactylorhiza incarnata var. cruenta_00515.geojson60.26 KiB
- Dactylorhiza incarnata var. ochroleuca_0516a.geojson17.65 KiB
- Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. fuchsii_0517b.geojson457.13 KiB
- Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. maculata_00517.geojson3 MiB
- Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. lapponica_00527.geojson169.71 KiB
- Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. majalis_00518.geojson143.28 KiB
- Dactylorhiza majalis subsp. purpurella_00524.geojson9.11 KiB
- Dryas octopetala subsp. punctata_01096.geojson5 KiB
- Eleocharis palustris subsp. waltersii_0299a.geojson205.58 KiB
- Elymus caninus var. muticus_00266.geojson5.81 KiB
- Empetrum nigrum subsp. hermaphroditum_1385a.geojson3.4 MiB
- Empetrum nigrum subsp. nigrum_01385.geojson2.55 MiB
- Epilobium anagallidifolium_01276.geojson656.99 KiB
- Epipactis phyllanthes subsp. pendula_00545.geojson1.92 KiB
- Erigeron acris subsp. politus_01676.geojson583.25 KiB
- Euphrasia arctica subsp. borealis_01568.geojson35.67 KiB
- Euphrasia officinalis subsp. officinalis_01573.geojson234.51 KiB
- Euphrasia salisburgensis subsp. salisburgensis_01576.geojson54.23 KiB
- Euphrasia stricta var. brevipila_01570.geojson2.79 MiB
- Galium spurium subsp. vaillantii_01633.geojson2.14 MiB
- Gentianella campestris subsp. baltica_01419.geojson65.88 KiB
- Hedysarum alpinum subsp. alpinum_01149.geojson4.38 KiB
- Hedysarum hedysaroides subsp. arcticum_01150.geojson14.04 KiB
- Helianthemum nummularium subsp. obscurum_1242a.geojson45.5 KiB
- Helianthemum oelandicum var. canescens_01240.geojson1010 Bytes
- Heracleum sphondylium subsp. sibiricum_01354.geojson1.54 MiB
- Heracleum sphondylium subsp. sphondylium_01353.geojson215.59 KiB
- Hieracium sect. Cerinthoidea_1840a.geojson16.94 KiB
- Hieracium sect. Prenanthoidea_01840.geojson658.07 KiB
- Hylotelephium telephium subsp. telephium_00951.geojson388.87 KiB
- Juncus alpinoarticulatus subsp. alpestris_00432.geojson67.59 KiB
- Juncus alpinoarticulatus subsp. alpinoarticulatus_00433.geojson100.86 KiB
- Juncus alpinoarticulatus subsp. rariflorus_00435.geojson3.4 MiB
- Juncus bulbosus subsp. kochii_00452.geojson64.28 KiB
- Lamiastrum galeobdolon subsp. galeobdolon_01497.geojson379.46 KiB
- Lathyrus japonicus subsp. maritimus_01166.geojson229.26 KiB
- Lathyrus latifolius subsp. heterophyllus_01165.geojson62.4 KiB
- Lotus pedunculatus var. villosus_1134a.geojson5.47 KiB
- Luzula multiflora subsp. frigida_00465.geojson1.31 MiB
- Medicago sativa subsp. falcata_01110.geojson289.22 KiB
- Montia fontana subsp. fontana_00670.geojson2.04 MiB
- Myosotis laxa subsp. baltica_01462.geojson58.2 KiB
- Myosotis laxa subsp. caespitosa_01463.geojson1.63 MiB
- Myriophyllum verticillatum_01298.geojson706.19 KiB
- Nymphaea alba subsp. occidentalis_00767.geojson31.79 KiB
- Ononis spinosa subsp. hircina_01107.geojson237.57 KiB
- Ononis spinosa subsp. procurrens_01108.geojson184.05 KiB
- Orobanche alsatica subsp. libanotidis_01597.geojson3.41 KiB
- Oxybasis glauca subsp. glauca_00648.geojson554.49 KiB
- Papaver lapponicum subsp. lapponicum_0840a.geojson6.41 KiB
- Papaver radicatum subsp. laestadianum_00843.geojson2.19 KiB
- Papaver radicatum subsp. radicatum_00845.geojson28.6 KiB
- Pedicularis sceptrum-carolinum_01591.geojson661.86 KiB
- Pedicularis sudetica subsp. arctoeuropaea_01593.geojson6.84 KiB
- Phleum pratense subsp. nodosum_00145.geojson90.62 KiB
- Pilosella aurantiaca subsp. decolorans_01830.geojson257.03 KiB
- Pilosella aurantiaca subsp. dimorpha_01831.geojson612.2 KiB
- Pilosella cymosa subsp. cymosa_01834.geojson2.64 MiB
- Pilosella cymosa subsp. praealta_01833.geojson750.06 KiB
- Pilosella officinarum subsp. peleteriana_01824.geojson553.96 KiB
- Platanthera obtusata subsp. oligantha_00538.geojson3.61 KiB
- Poa pratensis subsp. alpigena_00206.geojson1.88 MiB
- Poa pratensis subsp. angustifolia_00208.geojson1.37 MiB
- Poa pratensis subsp. irrigata_00216.geojson1.74 MiB
- Polygonum raii subsp. norvegicum_00642.geojson49.08 KiB
- Potamogeton polygonifolius_00099.geojson327.13 KiB
- Poterium sanguisorba subsp. balearicum_01076.geojson38.74 KiB
- Pseudognaphalium luteoalbum_01689.geojson19.46 KiB
- Pyrola rotundifolia subsp. maritima_1363a.geojson12.78 KiB
- Pyrola rotundifolia subsp. norvegica_01360.geojson654.12 KiB
- Ranunculus hyperboreus subsp. arnellii_0811a.geojson1.54 KiB
- Ranunculus ophioglossifolius_00819.geojson1.51 KiB
- Ranunculus polyanthemos subsp. nemorosus_00816.geojson19.44 KiB
- Rubus plicatus_00999.geojson213.18 KiB