The vegetation database software BIOTABase has been developed to cope with the structured storage of vegetation monitoring data and related environmental data. The database architecture facilitates specific environmental monitoring requirements like the handling of time series, nested plots, and individual-based monitoring plots.

Many routines provide a quick input and consistency check of empirical data - digitalisation, as well as the import of already existing data sources. A variety of functions helps the user to search through the records, to find answers and to understand the findings. The user can compile lists and cross tables, calculate indices and also export data to statistical software for enhanced analyses, or to geographical information systems for displaying items on a map, or to spreadsheet software for special calculations.

BIOTABase facilitates direct linkages between observation data, collection data and bibliographical reference data. The process of taxonomic identification of specimens and nomenclatural changes can be easily applied and documented by controlled update routines. Finally, the BIOTABase package comprises splitting and merging tools and multiple export procedures, which allow easy data exchange and thus satisfy the requirements of single users, large database projects and decentralised research projects.

BIOTABase has been developed by the BioMonitoring Data Facility of BIOTA AFRICA. Many participants of the BIOTA AFRICA initiative contributed to the development of BIOTABase, especially the working group Vegetation Ecology and Systematics at the Biocentre Klein Flottbek and Botanical Garden, University of Hamburg. Andrzej Suwald and Dr Gerhard Muche conducted the programming. The development of BIOTABase was funded by BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research).

BIOTABase and its components are freeware. If you use it for scientific purposes, please cite as follows: Muche, G.; Jürgens, N.; Finckh, M.; Schmiedel, U.: BIOTABase - Software for monitoring of biodiversity and environmental data, Version as noted in the information of the software menu item "Help / About".

For an update of BIOTABase from version 20180108 to the next version 20180329 it is necessary to run the new BIOTABase setup application.
In the case of problems or if you have any questions please send a message to:  biotabase_support@biota-africa.org

For updates of BIOTABase from version 20210327 to the next versions please visit www.bioobservation.org.

For newer versions it is not necessary to run the installation again. Only the executable files have to be exchanged. For this purpose please download the relevant modules onto your computer. Decompress the zip-files and copy the executable files into your program folder (it is in most cases 'C:\Program files\ BIOTABase'). For installation you need administration rights.
You can read the version of BIOTABase, BIOTACheck, BIOTAMerge or BIOTAUpdate in the software menu item "Help / About".

Latest version of BIOTABase (Version 20210327) BIOTABase is the main application. The download package contains the latest version of the executable file 'BIOTABase.exe' and the latest version of the help-file 'BIOTABase.chm'. You will need this package if the component installed on your computer is of an older version than the version declared above. Download (Filesize 23 MB)

Latest version of BIOTAUpdate (Version 20210327) BIOTAUpdate is an additional tool for updating BIOTABase's database structure. During the advancement of BIOTABase sometimes changes to the database structure have to be implemented. In such cases, the database should be updated by the 'BIOTAUpdate' - tool. The current version number of the database structure is shown below this section. BIOTAUpdate is able to update databases of BIOTABase since 2005. This is important if one wants to use an archive of vegetation databases. The download package contains the latest version of the executable file 'BIOTAUpdate.exe'. You need this package if the component installed on your computer is of an older version than the version declared above. Download (Filesize 572 kByte)		Latest version of BIOTAMerge (Version 20210327) BIOTAMerge is an additional tool for merging two BIOTABase databases. The program copies the data from a source database to a target database, under consideration of referential integrity of the target database. Before merging, the target database will be saved under a different name. The download package contains the latest version of the executable file 'BIOTAMerge.exe'. You need this package if the component installed on your computer is of an older version than the version declared above. Download (Filesize 717 kByte)		Latest version of BIOTACheck (Version 20210327) BIOTACheck is an additional tool to test the structural conformity of BIOTABase databases. The program analyses the structure of a BIOTABase database, writes a diagnostic report and is very useful for technical support cases. The download package contains the latest version of the executable file 'BIOTACheck.exe'. You need this package if the component installed on your computer is of an older version than the version declared above. Download (Filesize 674 kByte)

Current version number of the database structure: 20200811