The Biological Resources Inventory (BRI) consists of 17 related tables, covering biological groupings (fish, invertebrates, plants, terrestrial vertebrates and even habitats), properties, data sources, and survey types. For each biological grouping, there are two tables. One lists all the species within an organismal grouping expected to occur in California (or in the case of habitats, all the habitat types expected to occur in California). The other links to a given species (in its respective organismal grouping) or habitat from the first table with a property number, and in some cases, provides further information about such details as the abundance, season and survey type. As expected there is also a table that links the property numbers used throughout the database with the actual property name. Our research indicates that this list of property names and numbers may not be up to date, nor reflect the names and property numbers used in the current lands inventory (more information about the Lands Inventory is available from Sharon Taylor, Lands Program- [email protected] 916-323-7194). There are also several supporting tables that provide information about interpreting the codes used for abundance, season and survey type. While there are many entries in the BRI, most lack information about who, how, when and why they were obtained. We know data was collected from many sources and ranges in quality from first person direct observations made by CDFW personnel and partners, to regional bird and plant lists, to land management plans, to predicted occurrences from one of several nascent iterations of the California Wildlife Habitat Relationships program.Because of this variation, and our inability to understand the provenance or verify the accuracy of the data, we felt it prudent to only include the highest quality data from the BRI in the Biogeographic Information and Observation System (BIOS). This dataset is a subset of the information contained in the BRI database. It consists of direct observations made by CDFW staff or partners of fish, invertebrates, plants, terrestrial vertebrates and habitats from the BRI.While this is the best and likely most useful data contained in the BRI, we still have little supplemental information about the nature of these direct observations (date of observation, observer, reason for study or survey etc.), and as such urge the user to exercise caution in interpreting these data.
