BDB Programs
CNDDB Links
Biogeographic Data Branch
1807 13th Street, Suite 202
Sacramento, CA 95811
(916) 322-2493
California Natural Diversity Database Info
CNDDB vs. BIOS - View the relationship between CNDDB and BIOS.
Background
The CNDDB is a "natural heritage program" and is part of a nationwide network of similar programs overseen by NatureServe (formerly part of The Nature Conservancy). All natural heritage programs provide location and natural history information on special status plants, animals, and natural communities to the public, other agencies, and conservation organizations. The data help drive conservation decisions, aid in the environmental review of projects and land use changes, and provide baseline data helpful in recovering endangered species and for research projects.
The goal of the CNDDB is to provide the most current information available on the state's most imperiled elements of natural diversity and to provide tools to analyze these data. For more detailed information on the CNDDB, read this article from Fremontia, a publication of the California Native Plant Society. The CNDDB concentrates its work on areas with active NCCP/HCPs, and high priority areas identified by DFG and other biologists. For example, this map shows which counties received the most attention from CNDDB staff in 2006.
Products
CNDDB data are available in a variety of ways. Take a look at our Maps and Data page for additional information.
Our primary method of data dissemination is via the computer application RareFind, which allows for complex querying and reporting by the user. Other products include hard copy overlays which fit over standard USGS 7.5' maps and depict the graphical information with a legend, and printed text reports which complement the overlays. For GIS users, a shapefile of the entire CNDDB dataset is available with a subscription. We also provide the free, web-based CNDDB Quick Viewer which provides information only to the 7.5' quadrangle or county level. The Quick Viewer will generate a list of taxa for a given area, but no details. Access to the detailed information is by subscription only.
Recent enhancements to CNDDB include the ability to view CNDDB data using the online BIOS Data Viewer and making the Spotted Owl Database available to CNDDB subscribers. The Data Viewer quickly and easily displays element occurrence information on a map background over the Internet. The BIOS Data Viewer has some limited reporting and querying capabilities. Spotted Owl location and status information are also available utilizing the BIOS Data Viewer. The Spotted Owl Database is not integrated into CNDDB (since the locations are not mapped as occurrences) due to the need to handle observation data differently in a regulatory environment.
CNDDB Subscription
A CNDDB subscription, now at $300 (and $200 to resubscribe annually) for all clients, includes the RareFind application, all of the digital GIS data, and password-protected access to the BIOS Data Viewer. Clients can either use RareFind alone, or link it with GIS software such as ArcGIS, ArcView, etc., for greater flexibility. All uses of data from the CNDDB are subject to the terms and conditions contained in the License Agreement.
Disclaimer
We work very hard to keep the CNDDB and the Spotted Owl Database as current and up-to-date as possible given our capabilities and resources. However, we cannot and do not portray the CNDDB as an exhaustive and comprehensive inventory of all rare species and natural communities statewide. Field verification for the presence or absence of sensitive species will always be an important obligation of our customers. Likewise, your contribution of data to the CNDDB is equally important to the maintenance of the CNDDB. Whenever possible, we request that data be submitted using our online field survey form along with a map with the rare populations or stands indicated.