CNDDB News Blog

On April 22nd we celebrate Earth Day, and the natural wonders of California and beyond. The Department of Fish and Wildlife would like to proudly announce on this special day that the second edition of the Atlas of the Biodiversity of California has been published!

The Atlas is filled with beautiful maps, stunning photographs, and captivating illustrations. It features dozens of articles that cover an array of topics, such as the state's remarkable geography, how we measure biodiversity, and examples of the complexity and uniqueness of many of California's treasured wildlife habitats. The Atlas explores why we should care about biodiversity, what some of the current threats are to biodiversity, and what preservation and restoration strategies are underway for the protection of the state’s uniquely diverse species and ecosystems.

Visit our Atlas web page to view the full Atlas of the Biodiversity of California, 2nd Edition or selected sections. Physical copies are being distributed to all public libraries of California, as well as many academic libraries in the state. Check out your local library in the coming months to see a hard copy of this magnificent book.

The CNDDB program is embarking on a robust process to assess functionality of the CNDDB system, tools and products, with the end goal of making our system more relevant and current. As the entity that houses data on California’s rare plants and animals, the CNDDB program is one of the largest of its kind in the nation. CNDDB staff use rigorous methodology to provide users with accurate data. However, we realize there is always room for improvement. The CNDDB Program would like to invite our external partners and subscribers to participate in this assessment effort. A short survey will be sent out tomorrow, July 21, to external partners and subscribers. The survey results will help us assess processes and functionality. If you receive this email, we would very much appreciate you providing us your thoughts. If you don't receive the email and would like to provide input, please email us. The deadline for the survey is August 12, 2022. We are looking forward to seeing your input!

The following Vegetation Classification and Mapping Program (VegCAMP) documents have been updated:

• Natural Communities List Arranged Alphabetically by Life Form (PDF)
• Natural Communities List Arranged Alphabetically by Life Form (Excel)
• Sensitive Natural Communities Only by Life Form (PDF)
• Sensitive Natural Communities Only by Life Form (Excel)
• Recent changes in Natural Communities (PDF)
• Recent changes in Natural Communities Rarity (PDF)

These documents are updated twice a year and reflect VegCAMP's current lists of vegetation Alliances, Associations, and Special Stands, as well as their global and state rarity ranks. Sensitive communities are marked with a "Y" under the "Sensitive" column in the lists. Links to the Natural Communities lists can be found on the VegCAMP Natural Communities web page. If you have any questions about these lists, please email us at VegCAMP@wildlife.ca.gov.