Description: In October 2014, the CNDDB program began accepting data through our Online Field Survey Form, an application allowing users to submit mapped detections directly to CNDDB to be captured in a digital format. In an effort to encourage increased submission of records through the Online Field Survey Form, we are providing increased access to “unprocessed” submissions for CNDDB subscribers. These are records that have received minimal review by CNDDB staff and have not been evaluated for accuracy and incorporation into the full version of the CNDDB. The data set also includes submissions which have been transcribed by CNDDB staff into the Online Field Survey Form to allow for digital management of these observations. Mapping of biodiversity data for conservation and resource management, especially for widespread but declining species, presents unique data challenges and can lead to a lag time before data submitted to our program is reviewed and made available through RareFind and our GIS layer. Some rare species may be locally conspicuous and readily observed, leading to numerous observations. In other cases, it may be necessary to distinguish rare observations such as breeding sites from more common observations. The CNDDB program is currently exploring ways that data from the Online Field Survey Form can help us more efficiently map observations, especially for animal data, as well as provide increased access to data submitted to our program while it is undergoing review.
Copyright Text: California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)
Description: The California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) is a product of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Biogeographic Data Branch (BDB). The CNDDB is both a manual and computerized library of the status and locations of California's rare species and natural community types. The CNDDB includes in its data all federally and state listed plants and animals, all species that are candidates for listing, all species of special concern, and those species that are considered "sensitive" by government agencies and the conservation community. The computerized information is available for a fee in hardcopy and digital forms. The CNDDB is a dynamic system with information continually being added and upgraded. The CNDDB contains over 98,000 locational records for over 2,500 elements (plant taxa, animal taxa, and natural communities). A location record is referred to as an Element Occurrence (EO), and is a site that contains an individual, population, nest site, den, or stand of a special status element. Populations, individuals, or colonies located within 1/4 mile of each other generally constitute a single occurrence, sometimes with multiple parts.
Copyright Text: California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Natural Diversity Database