CNDDB News Blog

A curious mind never runs short of unanswered questions. While the great mysteries remain unsolved, we can offer to shed some light on the CNDDB.

We have gathered our most frequently asked user questions and created a new FAQ page. Topics include CNDDB lingo, data submission, tools and products, subscriptions, and more.

If you take a look at the page and feel like you still have unanswered questions, write us an email and we will get in touch with you. If we get enough questions, we may address those in future blog posts and/or update the FAQ page.

Old-growth redwood forest at Headwaters Forest Reserve. BLM photo by Bob Wick.

Imagine: Trees all around you as far as the eye can see. The sounds of birds chirping and squirrels scampering about. Patches of sunlight flickering in through the branches. If you haven’t guessed it already, you have found yourself in one of the world’s most important ecosystems: a forest!

Covering about one third of the Earth’s land surface, forests are incredibly crucial environments that provide economic, ecological, health, and recreational benefits for people around the world. After the worldwide successes in conservation and management that came from the International Year of Forests in 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 21st as the International Day of Forests in 2012. The purpose of International Day of Forests is to celebrate and raise awareness on all types of forests and encourage forestry activities that help maintain and conserve them year after year. This year’s theme is Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being, which is particularly meaningful in California after the devastating 2020 wildfire season.

Forests are home to almost 80% of Earth’s terrestrial species, making them the most biodiverse ecosystems on land. Approximately 1.6 billion people rely on forests for vital resources such as food, medicine, employment, and shelter; even more people utilize forests for recreational and social benefits. After all, who doesn’t love a peaceful walk or picnic surrounded by beautiful trees? Unfortunately, about 10 million hectares of forest are lost every year due to deforestation, and about 2 billion hectares face degradation. Deforestation accounts for approximately 12 to 20 percent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and puts species that need forests to survive at risk. By focusing on forest management and restoration, we can begin to combat climate change while also securing the habitats used by endangered species and continuing to provide important goods and services for people around the world.

Here in California, we have approximately 33 million acres of forest to celebrate! Whether it is the awe-inspiring giant sequoia or the unique western Joshua tree, California boasts a variety of incredibly diverse trees and forests. Take some time to observe International Day of Forests by learning about ways you can get involved in forest conservation, visiting a local forest, or simply appreciating the trees in your neighborhood. If you happen to spot some rare California trees, be sure to submit your findings!

Dr. Brent Helm is a wildlife biologist, botanist, and ecologist who specializes in wetland ecology.  He is a leading expert in the ecology of California’s seasonally inundated wetlands, with over 30 years of vernal pool research experience.

Brent’s professional career in biological consulting began straight out of university, conducting rare plant surveys for EIP Associates on the Lincoln-Highway 65 Bypass Project in the spring and summer of 1989. His journey progressed with ground-breaking vernal pool branchiopod research at Jones and Stokes Associates, completion of his master’s and doctorate degrees in ecology at UC Davis, growing a startup consulting firm (May & Associates, Inc.), and teaching at San Joaquin Delta College and Sacramento State University.

In 2001, Dr. Helm founded his own firm, Helm Biological Consulting (HBC). He started a second company, Wetland Development Team (WET), in 2009 to meet the growing need for wetland restoration, enhancement and construction work. He incorporated the two companies under the name Tansley Team, Inc. in honor of Sir Arthur George Tansley, an English botanist and pioneer in the science of ecology who introduced the concept of the ecosystem.

“Though the organisms may claim our prime interest, when we are trying to think fundamentally, we cannot separate them from their special environments, with which they form one physical system.”

­Arthur George Tansley (1871-1955)

Inspired by the legacy of Sir Tansley, Dr. Helm regards ecosystems as the basic units of nature in which communities of living organisms and the nonliving components of their environment interact as a system. His ecosystem-centered approach has produced many successful restoration projects. These include flagship vernal pool restoration projects on SMUD’s Rancho Seco property in Sacramento County, and Stillwater Plains in Shasta County.

CNDDB is grateful for the plethora of branchiopod data Dr. Helm has submitted over the years: over 600 reports and field survey forms! If you feel you’ve got some catching up to do, report your rare species detections on CNDDB’s website today!