Species Information

Plant Observation Library

Plant Name Library

• integrate plant observation data from disparate sources so users can create composite summaries for taxonomic groups or geographic areas of interest
• provide centralized access to plant occurrence data in a form that can be readily imported for use in analytical and modeling applications
• provide limited visualization tools for web access to databased information.

We have assembled and continue to build a collection that includes various types of data--herbarium specimen records, species lists compiled by professional botanists for known locations, rare plant occurrences documented by the Natural Diversity Database, checklists for nature preserves, parks and other geographic areas, and plot species lists from sampling projects carried out by land management agencies.

Each type of data has strengths and weaknesses.  Specimen data have high reliability on plant identification, but generally have imprecise or inaccessible location and habitat data.  Plot species lists have lower reliability of plant identification, but generally have high location precision and tend to be a rich source of readily usable habitat and co-occurrence data.  Checklist data, used in conjunction with specimen and plot data, provide a basis for analyzing of patterns of abundance and rarity within the range of a species.

By providing ready access to all these types of occurrence data, we seek to facilitate research on questions related to biodiversity, ecology, and conservation, and help researchers use the full power of their geographic analysis and modeling tools.

Special Features

Name data--We explicitly indicate the relationship of current names to the taxon indicated by the original observer.  The user can see the original name, our interpretation of the original name in terms of current usage, and an indication of whether or not changes in taxonomic delineation or name usage since the date of the observation affect certainty of assignment of given observations to particular current names.

Documentation--We indicate the type of plant ID documentation provided for individual occurrence observations.  We also assess precision of original date and location data, and label individual observations accordingly.  We recognize that 'high quality' to one user may mean 'precise location' , while to another it may mean 'specimen exists'.  Rather than filtering information before it reaches the user, we label information in a way that allows users to apply filters they consider appropriate.

How We Process Data

Our intent is to provide a core set of data about each occurrence  observation and enough information for the user to select only those records that are suitable for a given type of analysis, directing the user to the data source for additional information that may be available.  We examine source data sets and extract:

• a plant name and a location
• basic information about the site if available
• the source of the observation
• the id used by the source to identify this observation

• name, location, and observation event characteristics in common formats
• precision and level of documentation of the observation

Our Broader Goals

By providing ready access to plant occurrence data, we seek to facilitate:

• Access to range and distribution information for California plants,
• Analysis of patterns in plant distributions and species diversity,
• Protection of plant diversity at local scales,
• Protection of geographic range and genetic diversity of native species, both rare and common.

A description of the structure of the data is available here.
Comments and questions are welcome: CONTACT