Historic and Current Climate Data

Weather station environmental data collected from NRS weather stations can be downloaded from each reserve.

Resources you will find here include DENDRA and the Desert Research Institute web portals.

Biblographic Database

Books, papers, and other publications about the NRS or based on research conducted at reserves. All UCNRS reserves use the Zotero tool to store and provide bibliographic research publications about research done on NRS reserves. Some listings provide the pdf of the published document. Please include the DOI number of your proposed entry when available. 

Reserve Digital Object Identifiers

We encourage you to add the DOI number of the appropriate reserve(s) to any publications resulting from your work within the reserve system.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Geographic and other mapping information about NRS reserves, including vegetation, soil, and other data layers. Reserve boundary layers exist as ArcInfo shape files and Google Earth KMZ files.

The Reserve Mapper will assist with identifying research locations associated with specific species.

Latitude and Longitudes – locations for each of the NRS reserves

Nearby public lands

Additional GIS layers showing public lands adjacent to each reserve (adjacent, 1 kilometers, 5 kilometers, and 10 kilometers away). Researchers may be able to expand their studies into these areas.
Select LAYERS and choose from the list (NRS Point, NRS Boundaries, NRS Parcels, CPAD Adjusted, CPAD 1 km, CPAD 5 km, CPAD 10 km) 

Reserve Mapper

The reservemapper application helps users discover natural history observations and specimens associated with each of the Berkeley-based field stations.  The reservemapper draws on data from the Berkeley EcoEngine and species occurrence data hosted by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 

Reserve Species Lists

The NRS and individual reserves maintain lists of plant, vertebrate, and arthropod species that have been collected or observed within reserve boundaries or have ranges that overlap the boundaries of the reserves.

INATURALIST

Document the organisms you encounter at NRS reserves with photos and more, and add those observations to the list of reserve species kept on iNaturalist. The iNaturalist NRS list is organized by reserve to make it easier to associate species with locations.

NRS Historical Archive Project

The University of California Natural Reserve System History & Archive Project seeks to inventory, preserve, and promote the use of documents and other materials that relate to the history of the NRS and the sites it encompasses throughout California.

Reserve Research

Find descriptions of current and former research projects by searching the NRS’s Reserve Application Management System (RAMS), which tracks reserve use.

Data Management Tools

Open access policies are being adopted by a growing number of funders, including the National Science Foundation. Such policies require grant recipients to develop data management and dissemination plans, and provide access to metadata, datasets, and publications. These data management tools can help ensure that your data, research plans, specimen collections, and publications comply with this policy.

Cabinet of Curiosity

Exploring the data of natural history.  Aims to explore, collect, and visualize the vast amount of data describing our natural world.

Flora and Fauna Classification Resources

IDIGBIO – Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections Program
GBIF – Global Biodiversity Information Facility

ITIS – Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Viceroy – Biota – the Biodiversity Database Manager and other software
Lucidcentral – Identification keys and diagnostic tools

Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity 

KNB is an international repository intended to facilitate ecological and environmental research. Housing metadata gathered from studies conducted at field stations, laboratories, research sites, and individual researchers, KNB serves as the NRS’s data registry.
This is also where you will find the MORPHO tool.  Morpho allows researchers to create metadata and create a catalog of data & metadata upon which to query, edit and view data collections.

Mapping Resources

IGIS is the UCANR GIS Mapping Interface
USGS – earthquake activity
UNAVCO – GPS Velocity Viewer – geoscience research and education using geodesy
CDF – maps, PDF, Arc/GIS info, and tools from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Information and Data Center
CA Digital Conservation Atlas – map views of California’s natural resources and working landscapes
Topozone– Online maps from the U.S. Geological Survey
GPS Velocity Viewer – allows exploration of PBO-site geodetic plate velocities, or your own geodetic velocities, in various reference frames 

ArcGIS Online

ArcGIS Online helps you explore, understand, and measure your geographic data. Use viewers to explore maps, scenes, layers, and tools, and discover patterns, find answers, and reveal relationships about your community and the world.

Google Earth

GoogleEarth lets you zoom around the world and view the KMZ or KML boundary files available for all NRS reserves.

California Natural Diversity Database

The California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) is a program that inventories the status and locations of rare plants and animals in California. Staff work with partners to maintain current lists of rare species as well as an ever-growing database of GIS-mapped locations for these species.

Reserve managers and researchers are encouraged to submit information to CNDDB regarding special-status species found within or adjacent to the reserve system. Data is accepted in many formats, and guidelines are available. Reserve managers are also encouraged to provide researchers with the monthly password to CNDDB.

CNDDB online maps and GIS data can be queried via RareFind5 software, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife BIOS map viewer, or by downloading a GIS shapefile that can be opened in another application. Data specific to the reserve system and adjacent areas are available, as are training documents and tutorials.

WILDFIRE RESOURCES

GEOMAC – California Wildfire Viewer
FRAP – Fire and Resource Assessment Program
USGS – Wildfire Science
NIFC – National Interagency Fire Center – News
CDF – California Department of Forestry – Incident Report
LPNF – Los Padres National Forest – Incident Report
RCFD– Riverside County Fire Department – Incident Report
CA Fire Tracker – interactive map developed in The San Francisco Chronicle newsroom
NASA Earth Sciences Disaster Program – promotes the use of Earth observations of natural and technological disasters

WEATHER RESOURCES

Climate.gov – Data Snapshot – Maps and data for reports with layman description of weather concepts.
Climate Explorer – generates interactive graphs and maps showing climate projections and observations for any county in the contiguous United States
NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NCAR – National Center for Atmospheric Research
Metreora – Local and Regional Weather Reports
WRCC – Western Regional Climate Center
SFSU – California Regional Weather Server
Intellicast – weather information to help plan all outdoor and weather sensitive activities
Current NOAA Satellite 4 kilometer visible view of California

ORANIZATIONS 

NCEAS – National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis
OBFS – Organization of Biological Field Stations
LTER – The Long Term Ecological Research Network
Ecoinformatics – Online Resource for Managing Ecological Data and Information
CBC – California Biodiversity Center
UC Field Stations
ESIP Federation of Earth Science Information Partners – open, networked community that brings together science, data and information technology practitioners.