Arkansas Heritage Program
Arkansas Biodiversity Data
The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission (ANHC) works to conserve the
Arkansas biodiversity by identifying ecologically important areas and
setting
priorities for their protection and the species that inhabit
them. To that end, ANHC's Arkansas Heritage Program maintains a dynamic
biodiversity database
that tracks the location and status of rare species of
animals and plants as well as natural communities in Arkansas.
Currently, the Arkansas Heritage Program biodiversity
database maintains information on almost 900 rare species of animals and
plants. The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists some of these species
as endangered or threatened,
while
others are simply considered rare in Arkansas. For most of
these "elements of special concern," the Arkansas Heritage Program tries
to collect
all known locations, which it records in the Arkansas
biodiversity database.
The Arkansas Heritage Program is a member of NatureServe,
an international network of state natural
heritage programs and conservation data centers. NatureServe
members utilize the same data management methodology, enabling
information regarding
biological diversity to be exchanged across state and
international boundaries.
Staff continuously update and add new information to
this database from a variety of sources. Information is gathered from
herbaria, museums,
scientific publications, research studies, and field surveys
conducted by ANHC staff. As the central repository for statewide
information on
rare species and natural communities, the Arkansas Heritage
Program's biodiversity data is useful to a wide range of groups. Data
are commonly
used for:
Biodiversity assessment: The
Arkansas Heritage Program's standardized methodology provides a
consistent process
for evaluating the relative imperilment of native species
and natural communities. The result is a dynamic process that updates
the conservation
status and ranks of rare elements of biodiversity as new
data becomes available.
Land management planning:
ANHC uses Arkansas Heritage Program data as the primary tool in the
location and identification
of ecologically significant lands most in need of
protection. Data are also provided to government agencies and other land
management organizations
specific to their respective holdings. With this data in
hand, rare species and natural communities can be factored into land
management plans.
Environmental review/information-sharing: Data from the Arkansas Heritage Program
is used by ANHC staff in the review of specific
project-related impacts through the state environmental review process.
Examples include commercial
and residential developments, transportation projects,
utility construction, landfills, mining, and flood control projects.
Data is also provided
to private developers and public land use planners to notify
them of the location of rare species or biologically sensitive areas
early in
the planning process.
New Explorers
Even though ANHC maintains a vast amount of data on Arkansas’ rare
species of animals and plants, this information needs constant updating
and
is far from complete. Records in the Arkansas Heritage
Program biodiversity database span a long time frame, with entries from
the mid-1800s
up to the present. Older records require updating to
accurately assess rare species persistence and conservation status. We
also still lack
a great deal of basic information about Arkansas’s
biodiversity. Many areas of the state have yet to be fully surveyed for
rare species or
remnant natural communities, while some species groups have
simply gone completely unstudied.
To fill these gaps in our knowledge, ANHC staff conduct
field surveys to verify historically known rare species and natural
community occurrences
and to locate previously undocumented occurrences. This
survey work can result in the discovery of new populations of rare
species, species
new to Arkansas, or undocumented natural communities.
Results of this work can also be used to gauge the health and stability
of rare species,
identify high priority sites, develop conservation measures,
and guide natural area management practices.