Balkan Vegetation Database: historical background, current status and future perspectives

The Balkan Vegetation Database (BVD; GIVD ID: EU-00-019; http://www.givd.info/ID/EU-00- 019) is a regional database that consists of phytosociological relevés from different vegetation types from six countries on the Balkan Peninsula (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia). Currently, it contains 9,580 relevés, and most of them (78%) are geo-referenced. The database includes digitized relevés from the literature (79%) and unpublished data (21%). Herein we present descriptive statistics about attributive relevé information. We developed rules that regulate governance of the database, data provision, types of data availability regimes, data requests and terms of use, authorships and relationships with other databases. The database offers an extensive overview about studies on the local, regional and SE European levels including information about flora, vegetation and habitats.

Heat flow and heat conductivity coefficient measured in bottom sediments collected in Cruise 13 of R/V Akademik Sergey Vavilov in the Pechora Sea

In Cruise 13 of R/V Akademik Sergey Vavilov in the Pechora Sea, six heat flow varied from 50 to 75 mW/m**2. Deep heat flow in the Pechora Sea was calculated equal to 45 mW/m**2, which is confirmed by results of geological and geophysical studies and corresponds to Middle Baikal age of the basement. A model of structure of the lithosphere in the Pechora Sea is suggested. Total thickness of the lithosphere in the basin (190 km) determined from geothermal data agrees well with that in transition zones from the continent to the ocean. According to estimates of deep heat flow in the region obtained, thickness of the mantle (160 km), of the basaltic (15 km), and of the granitic (15 km) layers of the lithosphere were also evaluated. Temperature values at boundaries of the sedimentary layers were calculated over a geological and geophysical profile crossing the Pechora Sea basin. Temperatures obtained agree with the temperature interval of hydrocarbon generation and correspond to Permian-Triassic sedimentary sequences, which are the most productive ones in the Pechora Sea region from the point of view of oil and gas potential.