Heritage Data summaries availible on line

[John Shuey]

Leppers -  This web site will be of interest to anyone curious about the
conservation status of North American butterflies, conspicuous moths and
other insects. It is based on the data that State DNRs and The Nature
Conservancy use to prioritize conservation decisions.  It should include
all butterflies and a subset of better known moths.

Keep in mind that this data has its quirks.  It is by design, focused on
species of conservation concern - so you will find a wealth of
information for declining species such as Hesperia dakota and H. ottoe,
but almost nothing for secure species such as H. metea.  Similarly, it
is strongest for eastern species, a reflection of Dale  Schweitzer's key
role in putting leps on the conservation agenda in the US.  And heritage
data is constantly evolving, so species summary data today may change
tomorrow as new info is published and new populations discovered.

Over the next few years, imperiled species treatments should become more
even, and the site even more interesting.

John Shuey



> New NatureServer Website Launched
>
> NatureServe, a new "online encylopedia of life" developed by the Association
> for Biodiversity Information (ABI), is now available to the public on the
> Internet at www.natureserve.org.  NatureServe provides authoritative
> conservation information in a searchable database for more than 50,000 plants,
> animals, and ecological communities of the United States and Canada.
>
> Science magazine (Sept. 22, 2000) describes NatureServe as "a 25-year trove of
> field data on the plants and animals of the United States and Canada. The
> NatureServe database holds information on over 50,000 species, from humpback
> whale to eastern hemlock, including endangered status, distribution, life
> history, and references."
>
> NatureServe will be a valuable resource for conservationists, students and
> teachers, academic researchers, land managers and environmental planners, and
> anyone interested in learning about the plants and animals of the U.S. and
> Canada.
>
> In-depth information on rare and endangered species
> NatureServe provides the most comprehensive, in-depth information on rare and
> endangered species currently available, and includes extensive information on
> common plants and animals too.
>
> The leading source for ecological communities
> NatureServe is the first searchable Internet database for the ecological
> communities of the U.S. and Canada.
>
> Learn what exists, where it's found, and how rare it is
> NatureServe's colorful distribution maps show where each species and
> ecological community occurs, plus how rare or common it is across its range.
> Which plants and animals are rare or imperiled in your state? What species are
> legally protected? Answering these questions and more, NatureServe details the
> life history and habitat requirements of thousands of species, the threats
> they face, and management strategies for their protection.
>
> A partnership among ABI, the Natural Heritage Network, and The Nature
> Conservancy
> NatureServe makes data from U.S. Natural Heritage programs and Canadian
> conservation data centres easily accessible to the public for the first
> time-representing a quarter-century of field work, ecological inventory, and
> scientific database development by a network of hundreds of botanists,
> zoologists, ecologists, and data managers.
>
> What's Included
> · Vascular plants:  all native North American species, subspecies, and
> varieties (more than 25,000).
> · Vertebrates:  all native North American species and subspecies of mammals,
> birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes (nearly 5,500).
> · Invertebrates:  native North American species and subspecies tracked by the
> Natural Heritage Network, including comprehensive coverage for freshwater
> mussels, crayfishes, butterflies and skippers, underwing moths, tiger beetles,
> stoneflies, dragonflies and damselflies, and freshwater snails (more than
> 13,000 in all).
> · Non-vascular plants:  selected native North American species including
> lichens, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and some fungi.
> · Ecological communities:  all documented communities in the U.S. and Canada
> (more than 4,500).
> · Non-native species:  all established non-native vascular plants and selected
> non-native animals.
>
> Sample Questions that NatureServe Can Answer
> NatureServe's easily searchable database can quickly provide the answers to
> individual data requests, such as:
> · What mammals are found in my state? Which of them live only in my state?
> Which of them are endangered or threatened?
> · How many U.S. orchids are rare or endangered?  What is threatening such rare
> plants as the eastern prairie white-fringed orchid?  Where is it found?  What
> are its habitat requirements and protection needs?
> · What species of birds are found in Nova Scotia?  Which of those are also
> found in Florida?
> · How many native species are extinct or missing in Hawaii?  In the entire
> United States?  How many of them are fishes?  Where did each one previously
> occur?
>
> To learn these things and more, visit NatureServe on the web at
> www.natureserve.org.
>