Catalogue de la végétation de France métropolitaine (CatVeg). Harmonisation jusqu’au rang de la sous-alliance et répartition départementale

the vegetation check-list of metropolitan France is a project of the NationalBotanical Conservatories (CBN) network. It aims to develop and disseminate a completereference system of the syntaxa present in the country, down to the level of plant associat ion.The results of the first phase of this project are presented here : a shared and harmonisedsynsystematic scheme, from the class to the sub-alliance level, including a provisional andindicative list of the associations. The regional phytosociological check-lists of the CBNsconstituted the raw material for this work along with the Prodrome of French vegetations. Alarge number of notes explain the choices made in this collective effort and express doubtsabout certain syntaxa. This commented synsystematic scheme is completed by a distributionatlas of the alliances and sub-alliances in metropolitan France at departmental level.This check-list will progressively be improved with regular updates to fix existing identifiedproblems featured in the notes. It will integrate the most recent phytosociological knowledgeand will extend to the the association rank. It will also describe the syntaxa from a floristic andecological point of view. This first version of the check-list marks a fundamental milestone instructuring and updating the French phytosociological knowledge.