Using BLS records

NBN Gateway

The BLS datasets for England, Scotland, Wales, Rare and Threatened Lichens, and the Mapping Scheme can be accessed through the NBN Gateway  data.nbn.org.uk .  They were last updated in July 2013.

The NBN Gateway is a website run by the National Biodiversity Network. It brings together records for many species groups, including mammals, birds, invertebrates and plants, and can be searched for them by species, site, grid square, or by using the interactive map, by area.

If you are new to the Gateway, start by typing in a lichen name and looking at the grid and interactive maps. To restrict your view to just the BLS datasets tick off any others in the list below the map and Refresh. In the interactive map try zooming in on an area and changing the background. Click on a dot to call up the details of the records it includes.

Registering with the NBN Gateway and then logging in to the site when using it gives access to more functions, and you can then request a higher level of access including recorder names and sensitive species records.

The BLS database holds more detail for each record than can be put on the NBN Gateway even at the higher level of access, so anyone needing this should contact  the Data Manager .

There are restrictions on the use of records from the NBN Gateway for commercial purposes, publications or research. Users should check the NBN Gateway Terms and Conditions of Use, and request permission to from the BLS if appropriate.

Follow the links below to browse mapped BLS datasets via the NBN

• England: general
• England: churchyards
• England: rare and threatened lichens
• Scotland
• Wales: general
• Wales: churchyards
• Wales: rare and threatened lichens
• Mapping scheme

 

Distribution maps

Dot maps for the UK are included in the species accounts on this website, and can be provided for other species on request. They are produced in a standard format, with dots relating to hectads and different colours used for records made pre-1960, since 1960 and since 2000.  The colours and date ranges can be changed if required. Distribution dot maps are also available for regions and vice counties, with dots for hectads (10km squares), tetrads (2km squares) or monads (1km squares).

Coincidence maps show the number of species for which we have records in each 10km, 5km, 2km or 1km square. These are very useful in helping us focus our recording on areas for which we have no, or very few, records. Again they can be produced for regions or vice counties, just ask for what you need.

Records

Vice county recorders and researchers can also be provided with the records for their area in spreadsheet form.

Correcting errors

Please note that the BLS can take no responsibility for the accuracy of records in our database or on the NBN Gateway. Our own data has been through several stages of automated and expert review, but there will still be errors and you are encouraged to log in to the NBN and comment on any record you consider incorrect or dubious. These comments are then visible to other logged in users. Errors that should be corrected include wrong species names (mistaken identifications or often just input errors), locations, grid references and dates.

Corrections should also be emailed to the Data Manager to ensure that they are applied quickly to the database. The NBN Gateway is updated from the database every year or so.

Datasets on the NBN Gateway from other providers may not have been through the same review process, so critical lichen records should always be checked against the BLS database and queried with us if they are not there.