Texas Natural History Survey

The mission of the Texas Natural History Survey (TNHS) is to collect, manage, and promote utilization of information on taxonomy, status, and occurrence locations of rare species and high quality natural communities within the state of Texas, for the purpose of sound decision making in a conservation context.

Who We Are

The Texas Chapter is committed to being a leader in its science programs, locating and using scientific information to strategically protect the biodiversity of Texas. To help achieve that goal, the Texas Natural History Survey was established in 1997 within the Texas Chapter to ensure availability of high-quality natural heritage data for sound conservation planning. In addition to its role in the Conservancy’s planning, the Texas Natural History Survey also provides data to other agencies and conservation organizations.

TNHS Botanist, Bill Carr,  with partners and volunteer naturalists - © Lisa Williams

The Texas Natural History Survey is a member of NatureServe, a non-profit membership organization that coordinates the International Network of Natural Heritage Programs and Conservation Data Centers (the Natural Heritage Network). Located in all 50 U.S. states and at numerous international locations, these independent programs are a primary source of authoritative information about species and natural communities of conservation concern. Natural Heritage Program data is used by many organizations, individuals, and agencies for environmental review, resource conservation, resource management, and research and education. As part of the Natural Heritage Network, the Texas Natural History Survey contributes to large-scale conservation planning efforts across the Western Hemisphere.

What We Do

The Texas Natural History Survey develops, manages, and disseminates discrete, objective facts about plants, animals, natural communities, landscape features, and known geo-referenced occurrences of each. Species-level records provide valuable information about global, national, and/or sub-national rarity, conservation status, and natural history. These data are available for viewing at NatureServe Explorer. Current precise information at this level contributes to better conservation among conservation organizations, government agencies, researchers, and individuals. Our powerful new data management system, Biotics is improving our ability to share data with others.

Woodhouse's Toad (Bufo woodhousii)  - ©  Mike Duran

Widely used throughout the conservation and natural resources communities, including government agencies, a conservation status rank is a numerical portrayal of the status of a species based on abundance, distribution, and threats to survival. Ranks at the global, national, and sub-national levels are assigned, reviewed, and updated by Natural Heritage Program and NatureServe biologists on a periodic basis or as new information about a species becomes available. Texas Natural History Survey biologists frequently confer with biologists from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the academic community, and other experts prior to assigning conservation status ranks.

Occurrence-level records include information about the precise location, habitat and viability of plants, animals, natural communities, and landscape features of conservation concern. Plants, animals, natural communities, and landscape features for which the TNHS seeks occurrence-level data are determined in part by conservation status ranks. Occurrence information is obtained from and used by many external sources including scientific literature, museum collections, natural resource agencies, expert biologists, and other individuals. In addition to data gathered from external sources, Texas Natural History Survey biologists conduct field surveys on public and privately owned lands. Biologists from the Texas Chapter's Stewardship and Monitoring Programs submit valuable new and updated occurrence information.