Data_Dictionary

Data Requests > Data Dictionary

Wyoming Natural Diversity Database
Data Request File Naming Conventions and Data Dictionary

Describes the column headings (see table) and shapefile/worksheet naming conventions (words in bold) for

ArcView shapefiles (.shp) and Excel spreadsheets (.xls) generated from our Biotics database.

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A species or natural community is referred to as an Element.

OCCURRENCE RECORDS:

source (Source Feature)

Source Features are made up of individual observations of a specific Element at a specific place and time. They can be represented by points, lines, or polygons. We are currently in the process of revising our Source Feature attribute table according to the new data methodology in Biotics. Records that have yet to be revised will only contain identification numbers and the text “HDMS DEFAULT CONVERSION VALUES” in the DESCRIPTOR field: observation and survey data for these records can still be found in the EO_DATA field in EOREP files (the EOREP and related SOURCE files can be cross-referenced using the ‘EO_ID’ field). Please bear with us during this transitional period.

eorep (Element Occurrence Representation)

An Element Occurrence (EO) is an area of land and/or water in which a species or natural community is, or was, present. An EO should have practical conservation value for the Element as evidenced by potential continued (or historical) presence and/or regular recurrence at a given location. For species Elements, the EO often corresponds with the local population, but when appropriate may be a portion of a population (e.g., long distance dispersers) or a group of nearby populations (e.g., metapopulation). For community Elements, the EO may represent a stand or patch of a natural community, or a cluster of stands or patches of a natural community. Because they are defined on the basis of biological information, EOs may cross jurisdictional boundaries.

An Element Occurrence Representation (EOREP) is a data management tool that has both spatial and tabular components including a mappable feature and its supporting database. EOs are typically represented by bounded, mapped areas (a single polygon or a collection of related polygons) of land and/or water. EO Representations are most commonly created for current or historically known occurrences of natural communities or native species of conservation interest. They may also be created, in some cases, for extirpated occurrences. All EOREPs encompass one or more observations (Source Features).

data_sensitive

These records are provided at the township scale and for Source Feature records only. Data are considered sensitive if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. Records of Source Features and/or Element Occurrences on private land that are not documented in publicly available references, but for which WYNDD has permission from the land owner to archive and disseminate at the township level.

2. Records of Source Features and/or Element Occurrences submitted to WYNDD by an outside party who has requested that the data be treated as sensitive.

3. Source Features and/or Element Occurrences that are especially sensitive to disturbance, over-harvest, over-collection, intentional destruction, or unintentional destruction.

4. Element Occurrences that encompass one or more Source Features that are considered sensitive for any reason.

SUMMARY SPREADSHEET:

The summary_supplement.xls Excel spreadsheet contains two worksheets:

1. The summary of results worksheet summarizes the results contained in all the source and eorep shapefiles and is sorted by ELCODE (a unique code for the Element/species), AREA (if a buffer area was searched) and SHAPEFILE. If the species name appears more than once it is because it is represented by more than one AREA and/or SHAPEFILE.

2. The obs data worksheet is a supplement to the source shapefiles. Because multiple observations within a Source Feature are listed one after another in the observation fields, the fields may become truncated if they go over 256 characters. All truncated observation data can be accessed here using the OBS_ID field as a cross-reference between the shapefiles and this worksheet.

(O) = Observation data (see O_LAST_MOD for date last modified)

(A) = Additional Source Feature data (see A_LAST_MOD for date last modified)

**Data not distributed for data sensitive records or township scale requests (see above for details).

Biotics SOURCE	**Biotics EOREP	DEFINITION
FEATURE_ID (C)	FEATURE_ID	v SOURCE Identification number for the Source Feature shape in Biotics (not necessarily unique because the Source Feature may contain more than one observation). v EOREP A unique identification code for EO or Source Feature shape (polygon or collection of polygons) in Biotics.
DATA_SENS (A)	DATA_SENS	Data are sensitive (see policy on page 1): Y - Yes. Records are released at township scale only. N - No.
AREA*	AREA*	Request or Buffer Area Request - Occurrence intersects the request area. Buffer - Occurrence intersects the buffer area only. *Buffer areas are usually only created for smaller scale data requests.
ELCODE	ELCODE	Element code assigned to each Element by NatureServe (http://natureserve.org/).
ELEM_TYPE	ELEM_TYPE	Taxonomic grouping of Element (Reptile, Mammal, Flowering Plant etc.)
SNAME	SNAME	Scientific name.
COMNAME	COMNAME	Common name.
G_RANK	G_RANK	Global Heritage rank assigned by NatureServe.
S_RANK	S_RANK	State Heritage rank assigned by WYNDD biologists.
USFWS_ESA	USFWS_ESA	Status under the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Act.
AGENCYSTAT	AGENCYSTAT	Status assigned by: United States Forest Service: S-USFS R2 - Sensitive in Region 2 S-USFS R4 - Sensitive in Region 4 SOLC-NF - Species of Local Concern designated by National Forests Wyoming Bureau of Land Management: WY BLM SSL - On Sensitive Species List Wyoming Game and Fish Department: CWCS - Species part of Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy NSS1-NSS7 - Native Species Status with NSS1 being the most imperiled.
TRACKSTAT	TRACKSTAT	Tracking Status: Y - Element tracked by WYNDD. W - Element watched for potential tracking.
TOWN_RANGE (C)	TOWN_RANGE	Township/Range as generated from Biotics based on a spatial intersection of the point, line, or polygon with the Township/Range.
LOCATOR (C) TRS_NOTE (A)	TRS	v SOURCE - LOCATOR o Township/Range/Section (format: 045N118W Sec 23 SE4) and sometimes a brief description of specific location. Data entered by hand. v SOURCE - TRS_NOTE Township/Range/Section comments. Usually ¼ ¼ sections. Data hand entered. v EOREP - TRS Township/Range/Section (format: 012N084W Sec 15 SE4 * next TRS).
	COUNTY	County name.
	MAPSHEET	USGS 1:24000 state quad code and name.
	MANAGED_BY	Land management area (i.e. agency land ownership).
	DIRECTIONS_1 DIRECTIONS_2 etc.	Directions to, or description of, the location. EOREP DIRECTIONS_2 etc... Long records are carried over into the next field.
	GEN_DESC_1 GEN_DESC_2 etc.	General habitat description for the location. EOREP GEN_DESC_2 etc... Long records are carried over into the next field.
	MIN_ELEV	Minimum elevation in feet.
	MAX_ELEV	Maximum elevation in feet.
	SPECIMEN	Specimen or voucher information.
**LITERATURE (A)	BESTSOURCE	v SOURCE - LITERATURE Literature source for specific observation. v EOREP - BESTSOURCE The best source of information for the EOREP.
NUM_OBS (O)		Number of observations at any one Source Feature.
OBS_ID (O)		Observation ID(s). A unique identification number for each observation. Source Features (and their associated shape) contain one or more observations. Separated by an asterisk and sorted in order of most recent observation date.
**OBSERVER (O)	see EO_DATA field	Observation ID: Observer(s). Separated by an asterisk and sorted in order of most recent observation date.
**OBS_DATA (O)	EO_DATA_1 EO_DATA_2 etc.	Observation ID: Observation Data. Details of each observation, including biological. Separated by an asterisk and sorted in order of most recent observation date. EOREP EO_DATA_2 etc... Long records are carried over into the next field.
OBS_DATE (O)	SURVEYDATE FIRST_OBS LAST_OBS	v SOURCE - OBS_DATE Observation ID: Observation date(s). Separated by an asterisk and sorted in descending order. v EOREP - SURVEY DATE Date of the last known survey at this location. v EOREP - FIRST_- and LAST_OBS The first and last date, respectively, the Element was observed at this location.
SOURCE_ID (C)	SOURCE_ID	v SOURCE Identification number for the Source Feature in Biotics (not necessarily unique because the Source Feature may contain more than one observation). v EOREP Shape type and identification number for the Source Feature's associated with the EO in Biotics.
EO_ID (C)	EO_ID	Identification number for the Element Occurrence (EO).
EO_NUM (C)	EO_NUM	Element Occurrence number for the Element.
	SIZE_OF_EO	Size of EO in acres unless otherwise noted.
INDEPEN_SF (C)		Independent Source Feature: Y - Yes, Source Feature is not incorporated in an EOREP. N - No, Source Feature is part of an EOREP.
DESCRIPTOR (C)	EO_TYPE	A brief description of the Source Feature or Element Occurrence. When the DESCRIPTOR field in Biotics SOURCE files is populated with “HDMS DEFAULT CONVERSION VALUES”, use the EOREP file to view data by cross-referencing EO_ID. We are currently in transition from the old BCD methodology to Biotics.
	EO_RANK	EO Rank; an estimate of the relative value or viability of the Element Occurrence.
ID_CONFIRM (A)	ID_CONFIRM	Indicates whether identification has been confirmed by a reliable individual: Y - Yes ?/Q - Questionable N - No U - Unknown
BUFFERDIST (C) DIST_UNIT (C)	PRECISION ACCURACY	v SOURCE - BUFFERDIST Estimated accuracy of the location given as a buffered distance (represented in the EOREP shapefile). v SOURCE - DIST_UNIT Unit of distance measure for BUFFERDIST. v EOREP - PRECISION Estimated precision of the data (old method, carried over from previous system; as records are updated in Biotics this value is deleted and the next field is populated): G - Low - within 7.5 km M - Medium - within 700 S - High - within 20 m v EOREP – ACCURACY Estimated accuracy of the data (new method, populated as data are updated in Biotics): Very High (>95%) High (>80%, <=95%) Medium (>20%, <=80%) Low (>0%, <=20%) Unknown
C_LAST_MOD (C) O_LAST_MOD (O) A_LAST_MOD (A)	E_LAST_MOD	v SOURCE - C_LAST_MOD Date the core Source Feature data were last modified. v SOURCE - O_LAST_MOD Date the Observation Record was last modified. v SOURCE - A_LAST_MOD Date additional Source Feature data were last modified. (Note: this field is manually edited, not automated, and therefore may not always be accurate). v EOREP - E_LAST_MOD Date the EO Record was last modified.