New York State Species Distribution And Conservation Status By County

New York State data aggregates species location and status information from three Department of Environmental Conservation databases. It includes records for rare animals, rare plants, significant natural communities, breeding birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The compiled data provides county-level distribution details.

Use Cases

• Analyze the correlation between County and Federal Listing Status to map federally protected species distributions.
• Model temporal trends in species presence using Year Last Documented and Taxonomic Group.
• Assess regional conservation priorities by aggregating State Conservation Rank and Global Conservation Rank per County.
• Identify habitats of concern by cross-referencing Category (e.g., wetlands, forests) with Distribution Status and NY Listing Status.

Strengths

• Integrates data from three distinct authoritative databases maintained by the NYS DEC.
• Includes 12 specific columns covering taxonomy, conservation ranks, legal status, and geography.
• Provides temporal context with Year Last Documented for records.

Limitations

• Record counts and total dataset size are unknown, limiting statistical reliability assessments.
• Temporal coverage is fragmented, with bird data from 2000-2005 and herpetofauna data primarily from 1990-1999.
• Geographic scope is limited solely to New York State, restricting broader ecological analysis.

Provenance

Source

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) via data.ny.gov.

Collection Method

Compiled from three databases: NY Natural Heritage Program biodiversity database, 2nd NYS Breeding Bird Atlas Project (2000-2005), and DEC's NYS Reptile and Amphibian Database (primarily 1990-1999).

Time Range

Primary records span from 1990 to 2005, with specific Year Last Documented per entry.

Freshness

Data was last updated on the platform in April 2026, indicating recent maintenance.

Geography

New York State, United States, with data organized by County.