Comparing the Flora of Yesterday and Today: Reichling’s Botanical Surveys Revisited

Section(s): Plant Population Biology, Botany

Responsible staff: Tania Walisch, Laura Daco, Guy Colling

Research strategy: Understanding and Preserving Nature

The Luxembourgish botanist Léopold Reichling carried out monumental work: mapping the flora of Luxembourg for the Atlas of Vascular Plants for the Belgian‑Luxembourg Floristic Institute. To do this, he divided the country into 1 km² grid cells and collected more than 130,000 botanical observations between 1949 and 1990. These historically valuable data are today preserved in the database of the Musée National de l’Histoire Naturelle Luxembourg (MNHNL).

The project “Comparing the Flora of Yesterday and Today: Reichling’s Botanical Surveys Revisited” aims to compare the current flora with that of several decades ago, in order to better understand the changes that have occurred over time and to assess the impact of climate and human activities on our natural environment. The study forms part of the “…een Insekteräich” [an insect kingdom] initiative, carried out by the Nature Parks of the Our, the Upper Sûre and the Mullerthal, in collaboration with scientists from the MNHNL.

Thus, between 2022 and 2024, experienced botanists are revisiting the same 1 km² grid cells that were surveyed by Reichling. Their task is to record the plant species present today, with particular attention paid to rare and threatened species.

A complete analysis of the evolution of Luxembourg’s flora since Reichling’s time will be carried out at the end of the project. The results will help to better protect the biodiversity of our landscapes and to guide future conservation actions.

Collaborations : Nature Park of the Our, Nature Park of the Upper Sûre, Mullerthal Nature Park

Co-funding: Environmental Fund