Oregon's most comprehensive database of rare, threatened and endangered species is maintained by ORBIC. This database includes site-specific information on the occurrences, biology, and status of over 2,000 species throughout Oregon. It includes the state's only database of natural vegetation, with descriptions and information on the occurrences and protected locations of all known ecosystem types. As part of the Natural Heritage Network overseen by Natureserve, ORBIC is able to share this data nationally.

The Natural Heritage Data System provides information to guide implementation of the Natural Heritage Plan, including the selection of natural areas for registration and dedication. It is also contracted to provide natural heritage and sensitive species information to state and federal agencies, and is accessed daily by public land managers, private developers, researchers and educators.

Electronic systems contain (as of June 2010):

• More than 30,500 records of locations of over 1200 species of rare and endangered plants and animals (EORs). To see which species we track, check out the Rare Species Lists section of our website.
• Status of 933 vertebrate, 1339 invertebrate, 1409 vascular plant, 164 non-vascular plant, 62 alga, and 319 fungus taxa, as well as 525 plant community types (ETs)
• Detailed descriptions of 825 vertebrate, 49 invertebrate and 303 plant taxa (VCAs, ICAs and PCAs), with ecoregional, county, and EMAP hexagon distributions for vertebrates

Potential questions our data can answer

• What rare species are known to occur in a given area (county, watershed, legal description, physiographic province, etc.)?
• Where are the known rare species occurrences located within or near my project?
• What is its federal and state status?
• What is the habitat for the rare species that I am interested in?
• Where are all the known locations in Oregon for a given rare species?

If you are looking for spatial data, try our affiliated Pacific NW Landscape Assessment and Mapping site or the Oregon Geospatial Data Clearinghouse.

See our Data Request page for instructions on how to order data from ORBIC.