About the Kansas Natural Heritage Inventory

The Kansas Natural Heritage Inventory (KSNHI) is a research program of the Kansas Biological Survey (KBS). Our mission is to collect, manage, and disseminate information about the biological diversity of the state, emphasizing the plants, animals, and natural communities that are sensitive, threatened, or endangered. We use a standardized methodology to maintain this information in an integrated data management system consisting of map, manual, and computer files. These data are made available to a wide variety of users to provide early notice of potential natural resource conflicts, guide public and private land protection efforts, and are essential to the outreach and educational efforts of KSNHI and KBS. Our program is a contributing member of NatureServe, a network connecting science with conservation, consisting of natural heritage programs and conservation data centers throughout the United States, Canada, and Latin America. Through NatureServe, data are integrated among member programs to provide seamless coverages of multi-jurisdictional datasets.

The KSNHI has a full-time staff of 4 with expertise in field botany, plant ecology, wildlife ecology, and zoology. Many of our projects provide research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. We collaborate with other scientists from KBS and the University; as well as with a variety of state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, private corporations, and individuals.

We conduct directed surveys for rare species and their habitats, habitat assessments, and surveys for a variety of natural community types. We are increasingly involved in restoration and remediation projects, and in the development of site-specific management recommendations. Another expanding area of expertise is the use of remote sensing techniques and the development of GIS databases that contribute to the protection of the state's biodiversity.

The KSNHI is located on the West Campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Our facilities include wet and dry lab space for processing field specimens. Vouchers collected for our work are deposited at the University's Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center. Our GIS lab runs ArcView and Arc 8 workstations and includes access to 2 digital plotters. The Heritage database, The Biological and Conservation Data System, runs in a networked environment with 5 client workstations. We maintain a full complement of field equipment necessary for routine botanical, zoological, and plant community surveys.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Kansas Natural Heritage Inventory
Kansas Biological Survey
2102 Constant Ave.
Lawrence, KS 66047
785-864-1500
Fax: 785-864-1534