Enhancing the access and use of forest resources data in Minnesota.
Enhancing the access and use of forest resources data in Minnesota.
There are numerous agencies at different levels that are involved in
the collection and storing of vertebrate species data Minnesota:
The
Department of Natural Resources, the US Fish
and Wildlife Service, US Geological Survey,and
Tribal,
and Non-Governmental, groups also manage some
data as well.
STATE
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (DNR)
Various Divisions and sections of the DNR maintain numerous wildlife
databases. The data collection and monitoring schedules and methods vary
with each databases.
Section of Ecological Services (Division of Fish and Wildlife)
The Natural Heritage Program within the Section maintains a Natural
Heritage Information System. The system focuses primarily on non-game species
and includes the following databases:
Bald Eagle Nest History. An historical database of locations and successes of individual bald eagle nests throughout the state.
Colonial Waterbird Historical Database. The information includes colony site data and histories.
Peregrine Falcon Nest History. An historical database of locations and successes of individual peregrine falcon nests throughout the state.
MN Loon Monitoring Program. The program is a network of volunteers who provide information on the occurrence and abundance of common loons throughout the state. Data is used to estimate annual population size and year-to-year fluctuations.
Prairie Chicken Booming Ground. The database includes information from prairie chicken population monitoring since 1974 in the western agricultural areas of Minnesota.
Section of Fisheries (Division of Fish and Wildlife)
General Creel Survey Analysis. The purpose of the survey is to gain information for management of fish stocks in lakes and rivers. 1950s to present.
Large Lake Monitoring Program. Data from annual surveys of Minnesota's 11 largest lakes. 1983 to present.
Fish Base Data Warehouse. Coordinated fisheries and lakes management information. Updated annually, 1953 to present.
Fisheries Lake Survey Database. The database is a collection of physical, chemical, and biological information concerning habitat, water quality, and fish population characteristics of Minnesota Lakes that allow development of lake-specific management plans, evaluation of management techniques and monitoring. The database is updated annually; data for each individual lake are updated every 6 to 9 years, on average. Data have been collected since 1954 and cover approximately 4000 lakes.
Stream Surveys. Survey information includes data on physical and chemical characteristics of Minnesota streams.
Commercial Fisheries Database. The database includes annually updated information on rough fish removal reports, private aquaculture permits and data, harvest of herps and bait species.
Section of Wildlife (Division of Fish and Wildlife)
Status of Wildlife Populations. Data describing the status of wildlife in the state and harvest statistics are compiled annually in this database, which is intended for administrative use within the DNR. The data are collected primarily in DNR field offices. More than 60 wild species, along with domestic cats and dogs, are covered in the database.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Study Area Data. These data are used to determine the responses of ring-necked pheasant, gray partridge, and meadowlark populations to habitat created by the CRP and RIM. Data are collected annually from 15 study areas in 8 southern Minnesota counties.
Small Game, Trapper, Turkey, Goose, and Deer Hunter Database. This database is used to record the numbers of animals taken annually by hunters and trappers, as well as the number of days it took to catch/kill the animal, and the location where the animal was taken. The database include information from 1919 to the present.
Common Tern Breeding Population Survey.Sampling strategy consists of annual visits to known colonies. Number of breeding adults, number of nests, number of young fledged per colony are recorded. Data have been collected since 1979.
Forest Wildlife Populations and Research Group
Aerial Beaver Survey. The survey has been conducted annually in northern Minnesota since 1958. Flights are conducted to record the number of live beaver colonies per route mile. The data are used to estimate beaver densities and locations.
Ruffed Grouse Drumming Counts. Drumming data and hunting counts are used to estimate the ruffed grouse population size. Data has been collected annually since 1949.
Sharp-tailed Grouse Dancing Ground Survey. This survey of established dancing grounds provides an index of annual population size in northwest and est central Minnesota.
Predator Scent Post Survey. The survey records visits to scent posts by predator species along approximately 100 routes in the forest, transition, and farmland ecological zones in Minnesota.
Registered Furbearer Collections. This data set includes biological data from carcasses of bobcat, fisher, marten, otter, and Canada lynx caught by licensed trappers since 1981.
Aerial Moose Survey. The survey provides an estimate of population size, productivity and calf to cow ratio Data are from 1982 to the present.
Moose Harvest. The data set includes information on kills made by moose hunters from 1971 to the present.
The Forest Wildlife Group maintains several data sets of information related to Minnesota's bear population. For all data sets based on information from radio collared bears, access to bear locations and collar frequencies is restricted.
Bear Bait Station Survey. The survey was conducted from 1980 to 1992 to be used as an index of bear abundance.
Survival of Radio collared Bears. Annually updated information on the fates of radio collared bears.
Status of Radiocollars Bears. Handling history for each collared bear.
Bear Tetracycline Survey. The survey was conducted in 1991 and updated in 1997 to estimate statewide bear abundance.
Bear Ages, Weights, and Reproduction. The data are collected annually on bears killed by hunters. The information is used to estimate statewide bear abundance.
Bear Harvest Registration. The data, collected on bears registered in harvest, contribute to overall understanding of bear population dynamics.
Bear Nuisance Survey. The information in a tally of investigated nuisance complaints.
Bear Food Survey. The survey provides a regional and statewide index, beginning in 1984, of the abundance of berries and nuts.
Bear Hematology and Serum Chemistry. Blood profiles of bears captured in summer or handled in dens, beginning in 1981.
Composition of Bear Scats. Scats were collected 1981 to 1989, mainly from radio collared bears.
Wild Fruit and Nut Production in Northern Minnesota Forest Types. The survey was conducted from 1984 to 1988 to quantify food abundance for bears by forest type.
Farmland Wildlife Populations and Research Group
Car-Killed Deer. The survey, begun in 1972, runs annually from January to June. Data include reproductive rates, fawn gender proportions, and an idea of the age structure of the deer population.
HOWT Wild Turkey Populations Survey. A randomly selected sample of 15,000 antlerless deer hunters are asked to provide information on their observations of wild turkeys. The percent of hunters observing turkeys is used as an index to compare turkey abundance between areas and over time. Data were collected annually from 1986 to 1996, but may be collected less frequently in the future.
August Roadside Wildlife Survey. Approximately 175 routes of 25 miles each are surveyed annually between August 1 and August 15. The survey is used to provide an index for farmland and transition wildlife. Primary emphasis is given to pheasant, gray partridge, cottontail rabbit, white-tailed jackrabbit, mourning dove, and white-tailed deer. Sharp-tailed grouse, prairie chicken, red fox, striped skunk, sandhill cranes, squirrels is conducted in 72 counties, comprising the primary range of the ring-necked pheasant and gray partridge in Minnesota.
Wetland Wildlife Populations and Research Group
MN Waterfowl Migration Survey. Aerial and ground survey techniques are used to estimate waterfowl abundance and distribution by species at major migration areas throughout the state. Public access to the data is restricted.
Waterfowl Production and Habitat Survey. This annual survey monitors population size for mallard and blue-winged teal and population trends for other species in Minnesota. changes in wetland numbers are also documented. Begun in 1968, the survey currently covers most of the major prairie and transition zone waterfowl breeding areas (about 39% of Minnesota).
License Bureau
Antlerless Deer Lottery. The data set includes information on applicants for antlerless deer permits.
Spring Turkey Lottery. The data set includes information on applicants for spring turkey permits.
Fall Turkey Lottery. The data set includes information on applicants for fall turkey permits.
FEDERAL
US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Population Assessment Section
May Breeding Waterfowl Survey. The data are collected from annual aerial surveys conducted in prairie portions of the north central states; prairie, parkland, and boreal forest areas of central and western Canada, and through Alaska.
Refuges
USFWS Biological (Waterfowl and Waterbird) Database. The database stores information from weekly waterfowl and waterbird surveys at field stations in USFWS Region 3 (including Minnesota). The data are used to calculate regional trends in waterfowl and waterbirds.
Migratory Bird Management Office
Woodcock Wing Collection Survey. the data set records recruitment indices for woodcock obtained by the examination of wings provided by woodcock hunters. Data have been collected since 1968/69.
USFWS Woodcock Singing Ground Survey. The survey provides data on woodcock abundance on established routes through singing grounds. Data have been collected since 1968/69.
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US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Biological Resources Division (BRD) Information on BRD programs
may be accessed through the website at www.nbs.gov.
North American Breeding Bird Survey. The survey provides information on numbers of individuals reported annually per route. Population trends are estimated for all species of birds recorded during the surveys. 1966 to present. (Information about and from the survey may be accessed through www.mbr.nbs.gov.)
Colonial Waterbird Inventory. The data are collected by federal, state, and private researchers using a variety of survey techniques. the BRD plans to perform an analysis of the data similar to the analysis conducted on the Breeding Bird Survey data. From this analysis, the BRD hopes to estimate regional and continental population trends. (The data bases are designed to be compatible with those in Canada.) Implementation began in 1994. Due to the financial and time constraints of many of the agencies that participate in the inventory, the BRD recommends monitoring frequencies of every four years for most species and annually for species of special concern and major colonies of selected species.
BRD Environmental Management Technical Center
Long Term Resource Monitoring Program: Fish Trend Analysis Data. The data are gathered from annual monitoring (1991 to present) of fish populations in five reaches of the Upper Mississippi River System.
BRD National Wildlife Health Research Center
Epizootiological Database. The database includes information on epidemics in wildlife across the nation. The database has been maintained since 1975.
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Reservation Frog and Toad Survey. The database is being developed to hold indices of abundance of frog and toad species based on night calling an 10 wetland sites.
Reservation General Wildlife Database. This database is being developed to hold data on game and non-game wildlife species on reservation lands.
The Audubon Society
Christmas Bird Count Database. The Count is an annual hemispheric early-winter bird census. Volunteers count every individual bird and bird species observed over one calendar day, within defined geographic areas. Audubon facilitates the data collection; the USGS Biological Research Division stores the data. Information about the count is available through the Audubon Society's website at www.audubon.org.
The Nature Conservancy
Biological Conservation Data System (BCD). The BCD is used to track information on elements of biological diversity (i.e.. plants, animals, and communities), occurrences of those elements (i.e., location), conservation sites, projects for protecting sites, real estate tracts and transactions (including ownership interests, rights, and legal requirement), property tax obligations, ecological monitoring programs and observations, plans for stewardship management actions, individual and institutional contacts, etc. Temporal and spatial extent vary by data set; some are global, some extend back to 1974.
Send
comments to: iic@gis.umn.edu
Last
updated:
05/22/2006