CNDDB News Blog

Happy New Year, folks! 2019 whizzed by, but we stayed busy throughout. Here are some of our proud achievements from 2019, as well as what we’re striving toward in 2020.

2019 By the Numbers:

• 97,000 total occurrences in CNDDB
  • 2,900 new occurrences mapped
  • 2,100 occurrences updated
• 240,000 total source records in CNDDB
  • 12,700 sources added (7,800 records added through the Online Field Survey Form)
  • 9,300 sources processed
• 182,000 total spotted owl records
  • 9,000 spotted owl records (5,000+ CSO and 4,000+ NSO) added
  • 1,200 spotted owl sites updated
  • 200 activity centers updated
• 1,300 barred owl records added to the Barred Owl Observations Database
• S-ranks for 2,400+ CNDDB-tracked non-vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens have now been updated within the past 5 years
• Provided 8 training classes for 96 students across the state
• Continued expanding our CNDDB iNaturalist Project (Join us!)
  • 12,800 observations
  • 1,600 species
  • 1,500 people

Other Accomplishments:

• Released the Spotted Owl Observations Management Framework (PDF)
• Modified the QuickView Tool to incorporate spotted owl data
• Posted updated peregrine falcon, bald eagle, and golden eagle datasets to BIOS, in conjunction with the Wildlife Branch; the datasets are now available to Government CNDDB Subscribers
• Launched a new user management system
  • Allows subscriber organizations to have control over their own accounts
  • Provides CNDDB an avenue to engage directly with our users
• Collaborated with Calflora to update their Observer Pro plant observation app to include a new rare species observation form where you can fill out the detailed fields that CNDDB needs to make high quality occurrences
• Reviewed habitat models for 600 at-risk plant species for inclusion in NatureServe’s Map of Biodiversity Importance project
• Celebrated CNDDB’s 40th birthday
• Developed an internal Strategic Action Planning Framework to work on improvements to our program, processes, and products. Focus areas include:
  • Data processing/methodology
    • Developed and transitioned into a paperless workflow
    • Exploring options for developing an observation-based data management system
  • Technology/tools
    • Made available a CNDDB data template with field names and definitions
  • External communication/coordination
    • Maintained a steady output of blog posts (68 posts for 2019)
      • Let us know: which posts were your favorite?
      • What kinds of posts would you like to see in the future?
    • Presented posters at the AFS & TWS Joint Conference in Reno, Nevada
      • Databases of the California Natural Diversity Database Program
      • The California Natural Diversity Database and iNaturalist
    • Gave a talk for CDFW’s Conservation Lecture Series
      • CNDDB Looks at 40: The Past, Present, and Future of the California Natural Diversity Database Program
  • Internal development
    • Staff training and continued education (lunch & learn)

Goals for 2020:

• Continue and expand CNDDB News blog as an outreach tool
• Utilize new user management system to improve outreach and provide additional feedback opportunities
• Update our documentation and training materials
• Continue planning and development of an observations data management system
• Identify and evaluate mobile data submission options
• Focus on updating S-ranks for CNDDB-tracked animals

And, of course, we will continue producing high-quality data for environmental planners and researchers to use in protecting California’s rarest natural resources. We can’t do it without your help, though, so please remember to submit your 2019 data. As always, you can contact us at any time with suggestions. Wishing everyone a wonderful 2020!

Red diamond rattlesnake. Courtesy of LA Dawson (CC BY-SA 2.5) via Wikimedia Commons

January 28 marks Rattlesnake Appreciation Day. This is a good time to appraise our instinctual fears and celebrate our rattlesnakes.

For many years rattlesnakes were considered dangerous vermin and killed indiscriminately. Today a more nuanced view is taking hold. Rattlesnakes have been part of the ecosystem for 10 million years and should be respected for being another of nature’s predators.

While over 3000 people die in auto accidents in California each year, the state averages less than one snakebite death annually. We should be more afraid of our cars than our snakes!

California is home to ten rattlesnake taxa. CNDDB tracks one of those, the red-diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) which is a state Species of Special Concern. The primary threats to this species are urbanization and fragmentation of habitat.

Crotalus ruber can be found in the far southwestern portion of California, with a range extending from Los Angeles County south throughout most of the Baja California Peninsula. While rodents make up most of its diet, the species is also known to take rabbits, skunks, lizards, and birds. Typical habitat includes rocky areas within chaparral or woodland below 3000 feet in elevation.

Fun fact: You may already know that rattlers can sense both the light and heat coming off their prey, but did you know their olfactory system provides them with a directional sense of smell?

Use today as an opportunity to spread a little rattlesnake appreciation. Maybe show a child an online video demonstrating the hunting prowess of a Crotalus. You’ll be sure to get that kid’s attention. Point out that rattlers fill a predatory niche similar to hawks and bobcats. Remember that people don’t work to protect what they don’t understand. Today’s children will become tomorrow’s leaders.

Of course, we would be remiss if we failed to mention that a rattlesnake bite may result in serious injury and should always be considered a medical emergency. Keep some distance, appreciate our rattlesnakes through your telephoto lens, and submit any detections of red-diamond rattlers through our Online Field Survey Form.

For more information on sharing the land with our rattlesnake neighbors visit the CDFW Keep Me Wild page.

CNDDB and CDFW are implementing a new system for managing subscriber access to CNDDB-related data and tools, including RareFind 5, the CNDDB and Spotted Owl Data Viewer, CNDDB-related datasets in BIOS, and downloadable GIS files for both the CNDDB and Spotted Owl Observations Database. We will no longer be distributing the monthly cnddb_gov and cnddb_com login and password information to our subscribers. Instead, starting February 4, 2020, any user wishing to access CNDDB data and tools will be required to register for an individual CDFW account and be listed as an authorized user under a current CNDDB subscription.

We have developed a custom web application to allow subscription account-holders to independently maintain their authorized user lists. The process is straightforward: subscription administrators create a list of authorized users for their organization, and those users create individual login accounts. Once an individual account has been verified as an authorized user, that individual will be able to log in using their personal credentials as long as the subscription remains active.

This new system has many benefits for subscribers and CNDDB alike:

• Provides a mechanism for subscribers to easily control who has access through their subscription
• Allows subscribers to add, edit, or remove authorized users at any time
• No monthly password updates to keep track of
• Addresses IT security concerns associated with multiple users accessing secure data via the same login account
• Facilitates a better understanding of our CNDDB subscription client base
• Improves customer service by enabling CNDDB staff to communicate more effectively and directly with our users

More information can be found in the Subscription User Management Instructions and FAQs (PDF), and please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Calflora has developed a new rare plant data collection form that enables users to more easily fill out the detailed fields CNDDB staff need to generate high quality occurrence records. Supported with funding from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and designed in collaboration with Parks Conservancy staff, CNDDB experts, and rare plant botanists from throughout California, this new form allows users to collect rare plant observation information in the field via the Calflora Observer Pro mobile application, available for iOS and Android devices.

To use the new Calflora form, you must have a registered Calflora account and join the Specialty Group when logged in to the Calflora webpage. You will see the new form when you refresh Observer Pro and when you enter data using the Specialty Group in Plant Observation Entry.

Calflora also has an option to obscure your rare plant observations. If you choose to obscure your observations, we recommend that you allow CNDDB to have access to your unobscured location information by indicating your preference in My Calflora / Preferences under Observation Sharing.

Keep in mind that observations entered into the Calflora database are not automatically submitted to the CNDDB. To ensure we receive your data, you can notify us of your Calflora upload or submit your data directly to CNDDB.

Today we celebrate rodents of the Sciuridae family which includes squirrels and chipmunks. With their bushy tail, small ears, and large eyes, it’s easy to see how these creatures with such cute features has captured the hearts of many humans throughout history.

The CNDDB tracks 10 members of the Sciuridae family:

Nelson's antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus nelsoni)
San Bernardino golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis bernardinus)
San Bernardino flying squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis californicus)
Alpine chipmunk (Neotamias alpinus)
Kingston Mountain chipmunk (Neotamias panamintinus acrus)
Mount Pinos chipmunk (Neotamias speciosus callipeplus)
Lodgepole chipmunk (Neotamias speciosus speciosus)
Piute ground squirrel (Urocitellus mollis)
Mohave ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis)
Palm Springs round-tailed ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus chlorus)

If you happen to see any of them please let us know via our Online Field Survey Form.