Content Summary: The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources. The NBII links diverse, high-quality biological databases, information products, and analytical tools maintained by NBII partners and other contributors in government agencies, academic institutions, non-government organizations, and private industry. NBII partners and collaborators also work on new standards, tools, and technologies that make it easier to find, integrate, and apply biological resources information.
Content Type: Clearinghouses

Content Summary: NatureServe compiles and maintains extensive data on the plants and animals of the United States, Canada, and the entire Western Hemisphere. These data focus on the taxonomy, natural history, distribution (ranges), and conservation status of vertebrates and selected invertebrates. The following downloadable datasets are available here:- Digital Distribution Maps of the Birds of the Western Hemisphere- Digital Distribution Maps of the Mammals of the Western Hemisphere- Digital Distribution Maps of the World's Amphibians- Distribution of Native U.S. Fishes by Watershed.These datasets can be downloaded as ESRI shapefiles.

Content Summary: The USGS Center for Biological Informatics serves as the operating agent for the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), hosting top-level pages, managing the NBII search engine, and developing and providingstandards and procedures for acquiring, managing, and sharing biological data and information. CBI also develops, identifies, and provides access to tools that facilitate collection and use of biological information and data, and cooperates with others to improve access to existing information and data not housed at the center. decision makers, educators, and the public. In addition, CBI manages national data collection programs that complement and strengthen its role within the NBII.
Content Type: Clearinghouses