AdriaVeg: an integrated vegetation database for ecological monitoring and conservation along the central Adriatic coast (Italy)

Long-term vegetation plot datasets, including historical data and repeated surveys, are essential tools for detecting and understanding spatial and temporal changes in community diversity, structure, and functioning. Here, we present the central ADRIAtic coastal VEGetation database (AdriaVeg), a georeferenced database comprising 1,000 vegetation plots, both published and unpublished, including re-surveyed and single-survey records, collected between 1985 and 2025 along the sandy coasts of Abruzzo, Molise, and northern Apulia (Italy). The database encompasses the main coastal dune habitats, with shifting dunes representing 42.3% of plots, followed by fixed dunes (29.2%), transitional dunes (20.9%), and salt marshes (7.6%). In total, AdriaVeg includes 301 vascular plant taxa (species and subspecies), of which 286 are native or archaeophytes and 15 are neophytes (86.7% invasive and 13.3% naturalized). In AdriaVeg, each taxon is linked with 21 standardized attributes, including taxonomic classification, vernacular names (Italian and English), alien status and residence time in Italy, chorology for native species and area of origin for alien species, growth habit, life form, growth form, lifespan, European ecological indicator values, and disturbance indicator values. The dataset structure enhances data interoperability and can support comparative ecological research. AdriaVeg provides an open and scalable framework for monitoring coastal dune habitats across protected, unprotected, and restored areas. It offers sound support for the analysis of long-term vegetation dynamics, restoration effectiveness, and changes in species composition and community structure under anthropogenic and climatic pressures.