CNDDB News Blog

Some of our keen-eyed users may have noticed a drastic uptick in the number of records in the BIOS layer named Unprocessed data from the Online Field Survey Form [ds1002]. This is because CNDDB was able to hire new temporary staff who have been busy reviewing older records which were locked away in our files and inputting the relevant information into the Online Field Survey Form.

All CNDDB subscribers have access to ds1002. Since these records represent unprocessed data, they have not been incorporated into Element Occurrences yet, and will not appear in RareFind. That said, if you zoom to a project site in BIOS you can see Online Field Survey Form records alongside CNDDB element occurrences.

Our new staff added 10,000 records from our older records to ds1002 in 2023. These maps show where those points are located. We plan to add thousands more such records in 2024.

BIOS layer ds1002 contains an additional 29,000 records which were submitted directly by our users over the past 9 years. Using the Online Field Survey Form remains the fastest way to share your data with other CNDDB users, as such submissions become visible in BIOS the following month. It takes time and effort to do surveys for imperiled species. Use our platform to share the results of your hard work!

On April 22nd we celebrate Earth Day, and the natural wonders of California and beyond. The Department of Fish and Wildlife would like to proudly announce on this special day that the second edition of the Atlas of the Biodiversity of California has been published!

The Atlas is filled with beautiful maps, stunning photographs, and captivating illustrations. It features dozens of articles that cover an array of topics, such as the state's remarkable geography, how we measure biodiversity, and examples of the complexity and uniqueness of many of California's treasured wildlife habitats. The Atlas explores why we should care about biodiversity, what some of the current threats are to biodiversity, and what preservation and restoration strategies are underway for the protection of the state’s uniquely diverse species and ecosystems.

Visit our Atlas web page to view the full Atlas of the Biodiversity of California, 2nd Edition or selected sections. Physical copies are being distributed to all public libraries of California, as well as many academic libraries in the state. Check out your local library in the coming months to see a hard copy of this magnificent book.

The CNDDB program is embarking on a robust process to assess functionality of the CNDDB system, tools and products, with the end goal of making our system more relevant and current. As the entity that houses data on California’s rare plants and animals, the CNDDB program is one of the largest of its kind in the nation. CNDDB staff use rigorous methodology to provide users with accurate data. However, we realize there is always room for improvement. The CNDDB Program would like to invite our external partners and subscribers to participate in this assessment effort. A short survey will be sent out tomorrow, July 21, to external partners and subscribers. The survey results will help us assess processes and functionality. If you receive this email, we would very much appreciate you providing us your thoughts. If you don't receive the email and would like to provide input, please email us. The deadline for the survey is August 12, 2022. We are looking forward to seeing your input!