floristiques

Floristics is the branch of botany that studies the distribution and composition of plant species in a defined geographic area. It aims to document which species occur where, how abundant they are, and how community composition changes across habitats and over time. In francophone literature, the field is described with the adjectives floristique or floristiques. The primary products of floristics are regional floras, checklists, and distribution maps.

Methods include field surveys, specimen collection, herbarium curation, and taxonomic identification using current nomenclature. Floristics relies on standardized data and is often augmented by geographic information systems (GIS) to visualize species ranges and habitat associations. It also integrates ecological and biogeographical perspectives to interpret patterns of plant diversity.

Historically, floristics emerged from the broader practice of cataloging plant life in the 18th and 19th centuries, contributing to biogeography and taxonomy. Modern floristics covers native and introduced species, endemism, and the dynamics of plant communities under environmental change.

Applications include biodiversity assessments, conservation planning, habitat restoration, and natural resource management. Floristic knowledge supports policy, education, and the maintenance of floras and floristic databases at national or regional levels. It remains a foundational field for understanding regional biodiversity and plant evolution.