Internet Plant 

Databases

By Tom Roberts, Natural Resource 

Specialist, BLM, National Science 

and Technology Center

S

pecific plant information is 

often needed in response to 

land management-related 

issues. Primary needs include wildlife habitat restoration, fire rehabilitation, and weed management. 

Other uses include environmental 

assessments, impact statements, 

and allotment or fire management 

planning. In most instances, local 

subject matter experts are asked or 

the literature is checked for such 

information, when easily accessible and inclusive information 

is at hand from Internet accessible databases. Consequently, the 

needed information is available 

to most Bureau of Land Management (BLM) personnel through 

the computers at their desks. Plant 

information is often synthesized 

or developed into databases by the 

Natural Resources Conservation 

Service (NRCS) or the U.S. Forest 

Service (USFS). Two such Internet 

databases are the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture (USDA) PLANTS 

Database and the USFS Fire Effects 

Information System (FEIS).

These systems and some of their 

attributes are discussed here. 

First, each is easily accessible, and 

although not encompassing all 

plants or situations in the United 

States, these databases can probably address most questions that 

one might have about a plant 

or vegetation situation. Both systems are open to the public and 

are growing, as funding permits. 

Finally, both systems use information or data that can be tracked 

and verified if their applicability 

or vintage is in doubt. In general, 

the PLANTS Database provides 

references to where a plant is 

listed or states where it is located, 

whereas the FEIS cites literature 

used in the text of its synthesis 

that can be researched for further information. As revealed by 

a survey of 21 selected grasses, 

shrubs, and trees, the number of 

references listed in the PLANTS 

Database (average, 17) is less than 

that of the FEIS (average, 187), 

although the PLANTS Database 

format is very user friendly. A 

fairly common forb, Lewis flax 

(Linum lewissi), was not listed in 

the FEIS, although it was listed 

in the PLANTS Database. Other 

forbs, including some weeds, were 

checked and found to be listed in 

both databases.

The USDA Web site indicates that 

the PLANTS Database provides 

standardized information about 

the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens 

of the United States and its territories. It includes names, plant 

symbols, checklists, distributional 

data, species abstracts, characteristics, images, plant links, references, 

crop information, and automated 

tools. The PLANTS Database 

reduces costs by minimizing duplication and making information 

exchange possible across agencies 

and disciplines. The information 

is accessible by common name, 

scientific name, or symbol. Additionally, the PLANTS Database 

links to many other USDA NRCS 

sites under PLANTS Topics and 

PLANTS Tools. These sections 

further divide the plant information or provide more information 

and utility in their sections. Under 

the Topics section, information 

can be found on such subjects as 

distribution updates, culturally 

significant plants, plant materials 

publications, wetland indicator 

status, and threatened and endangered status. The Tools section 

provides useful sites, such as the 

Ecological Site Information System 

(ESIS), VegSpec, plant materials 

information, and others. 

A few sites under the Tools section are so useful that they warrant elaboration. The ESIS is the 

repository for data associated with 

the collection of forestland and 

rangeland plot data and the development of ecological site descriptions. The ESIS is organized into 

two applications and associated 

databases: 

The first application and associated 

database in ESIS is the Ecological 

Site Description (ESD) application, which enables the production of automated ecological site 

descriptions from the data stored 

in its database. The ESD is the 

official repository for all data associated with the development of 

forestland and rangeland ecological site descriptions by the NRCS. 

An ecological site may be defined 

as “a distinctive kind of land with 

specific characteristics that differs from other kinds of land in 

its ability to produce a distinctive 

kind and amount of vegetation.” 

Any land inventory, analysis, and 

resulting management decisions 

require knowledge of these individual sites and their interrelations 

with one another. The ecological 

site description is the document 

that contains information about 

the individual ecological site. 

The second application and associated database in ESIS is the 

Ecological Site Inventory (ESI). 

The ESI application enables one 

to enter, edit, and retrieve rangeland, forestry, and agroforestry 

plot data. Although this database 

has, as one of its applications, 

NO. 77 DATE 05/10/05

NEPA

R E S O U R C E N O T E S

Cartography/

mapping sciences

Fire

Forestry

GIS and GPS

Hazardous

Materials

Human/Social/

Historical

Hydrology

NEPA Compliance

Others

Public Affairs

Range

Recreation/

Interpretation/

Visual Resources

Riparian

Soils/geology

Threatened &

Endangered

Species

Wildlife Biology

Libraries/records

management

Cadastral/

land Records

Range

Resource Note 77

Page 1
NEPA

R E S O U R C E N O T E S

Cartography/

mapping sciences

Fire

Forestry

GIS and GPS

Hazardous

Materials

Human/Social/

Historical

Hydrology

NEPA Compliance

Others

Public Affairs

Range

Recreation/

Interpretation/

Visual Resources

Riparian

Soils/geology

Threatened &

Endangered

Species

Wildlife Biology

Libraries/records

management

Cadastral/

land Records

Cadastral/

land Records

Resource Note 77

Page 2

the data entry of information 

on rangeland and forest sites by 

NRCS personnel, the application 

that has the most utility to BLM is 

the accessibility to available data. 

The ESI contains inventory data 

collected on thousands of plots 

over the past 40 years. These data 

are made available to the public 

through the ESI application. The 

data may be viewed in a variety of 

standard report formats or through 

the use of custom queries tailored 

to an individual’s needs. The data 

may also be downloaded for use 

in other applications. Inventory 

data collected on rangeland plots 

include the total annual production of all plant species of a plant 

community, as well as the production (by weight) and composition 

of individual plant species in the 

plant community. The inventory 

data collected on forestland plots 

include composition and relative 

abundance of the overstory and 

understory plant species, stand 

densities (basal area), and site 

productivity, as measured by site 

index. The other tool accessible 

through the PLANTS Database is 

VegSpec. VegSpec is a Web-based 

decision support system that assists 

land managers in the planning and 

design of vegetative establishment 

practices. It utilizes soil, plant, 

and climate data to select plant 

species that are site-specifically 

adapted, suitable for the selected 

practice, and appropriate for the 

purposes and objectives for which 

the planting is intended. The VegSpec application can determine the 

site-specific adaptability of plant 

species and has the potential to be 

useful in planning fire, habitat, or 

rangeland rehabilitation and restoration projects. The user can define 

the constraints or desires for the 

project and VegSpec will select the 

species that are appropriate.

The FEIS database provides upto-date information about fire 

effects on plants and animals. It 

was developed at the U.S. Forest 

Service Rocky Mountain Research 

Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, in Missoula, Montana. The 

FEIS database contains reviews 

from English-language literature of almost 900 plant species, 

about 100 animal species, and 16 

Kuchler plant communities found 

on the North American continent. 

The emphasis of each review is on 

fire and how it affects each species. Background information on 

the taxonomy, distribution, basic 

biology, and ecology of each species is also included. Reviews are 

thoroughly documented, and each 

contains a complete bibliography. 

Managers from several land management agencies (U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of the 

Interior—Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

Bureau Land Management, Fish 

and Wildlife Service, and National 

Park Service) identified the species 

to be included in the database. 

Those agencies funded the original work and continue to support 

maintenance and updating of the 

database. 

As noted previously, the reference 

list of species used by the FEIS is 

generally long. It does, however 

permit one to see where the information is drawn from in a full citation. However, in neither database 

is the original information readily 

available; it must be accessed by 

other means. With the FEIS, some 

references are available through 

other Web sites—for example, the 

Society for Range Management’s 

Web site. The FEIS database also 

has a number of links, including the University of Montana 

INVADERS Database System, the 

USDA PLANTS Database, and 

The Nature Conservancy. 

In conclusion, two readily available 

Internet-based plant databases give 

the user access to a large amount 

of easily understood and utilized 

information on many plant species 

and their properties. They offer 

access to programs and information to BLM personnel or others 

that can be extremely helpful in 

land management. The Internet 

addresses of these databases follow: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

http://plants.usda.gov/

Contact

Tom Roberts

Natural Resource Specialist

Bureau of Land Management

National Science and Technology 

Center

Denver Federal Center

Building 50, P.O. Box 25047

Denver, CO 80225-0047

Phone: 303-236-0586

Email: Tom_Roberts@blm.gov

The Bureau of Land Management Resource Notes, 

which are posted on this Web site 

(http://www.blm.gov/nstc/resourcenotes/resnotes.html),

are early announcements of technical and informational 

topics for BLM personnel and their customers. Information contained in this Resource Note has not been 

peer-reviewed. Conclusions and opinions expressed herein 

do not necessarily represent those of BLM. Use of trade 

names does not imply U.S. government endorsement of 

commercial products.

Technical Editor - Deborah Harris 

(Debbie_Harris@blm.gov)

Graphic Designer - Ethel Coontz (Ethel_Coontz@blm.gov)

If you would like to prepare a Resource Note for 

electronic distribution, or if you have an idea or can 

suggest an author for a Resource Note, contact 

NSTC@blm.gov; phone: 303-236-2772) 

with the topic and the 

name of the writer, including mailing address, 

phone number, and e-mail address.

Thank you for your interest in Resource Notes.