National Vegetation Survey Databank (NVS) and NVS Lite

The NVS Databank and NVS Lite are very much intended for all individuals and
organisations (including local government) who collect standard NVS type
plot-based vegetation data and want to use a documented and tested methodology
with a well resourced and robust archive/electronic system. The goal is to
simplify the collection and management of high quality vegetation survey data
through the promotion of a standard methodology coupled with accessible tools,
and a dependable and long-term funded archive database system. Our approach
aims to achieve this for NZ by providing sufficient benefits to data collectors
and related organisations such that they will be encouraged to deposit for
secure and long-term storage of what is extremely valuable information.

The model we use has 6 steps:
1. data collector/provider enters data using the NVS Lite desktop system into
their local database,
2. users validate the locally held data in order to capture and correct species
and measurement errors,
3. user logs on to the NVS Web site and together with appropriate metadata,
uploads the data files to the upload database in NVS,
4. if the data represent an update of an existing dataset or a remeasure of a
previously measured plot, they are checked for consistency across years such as
incorrect tree grow or changing species identifications,
5. NVS provides an error report allowing the user to correct data problems and
the user can upload new corrected versions if necessary,
6. Corrected data are then uploaded into the NVS databank by the system and are
made available on-line to the data owner for download. Once the user has
retrieved their data it is ready for analysis by the inbuilt analysis routines
that are due to be incorporated into NVS Lite by the June 2009 or exported into
other standard formats, e.g., CSV, Excel etc.

Some key points about NVS

Data ownership remains with the depositor/collector/owner and NVS manages
access rights for public users based on the access level specified by the data
owner: Public, Restricted, Private - see NVS web site for further details.

Landcare Research are custodians on behalf of NZ and data owners, and are
subject to the same access permissions specified by data owners as any member
of the public or agency.

NVS itself is a Public Good National Significant Database and as such is
already supported by long-term FRST based funding. In addition, NVS has
received significant funding from TFBIS for data acquisition, data cleansing
and tools (such as NVS Lite) and also receives on-going support from Landcare
Research. There is currently no charge for using the databank for data storage,
and while Landcare reserves the right to recovery the cost of data supply, this
has only been invoked on rare occasions where the effort was a significant cost
in time to the NVS administration team.

Development of the NVS electronic database and associated tools, as well as the
on-going management of the system, are undertaken by Landcare's in-house
Informatics team. This team includes data architects, analysts, and database
programmers who work with the NVS databank team to ensure that the system and
data are securely managed.

NVS is a long lived repository and holds data spanning 50 years across a very
wide range of the NZ landscape. It is an invaluable resource for NZ and just as
it offers unparalleled benefits for safe secure storage of peoples data it is
also an excellent resource for additional data that can be incorporated in a
wide range of analyses at both local and national scales that are unavailable
elsewhere.

Together with plot site information, the NVS Lite tool allows end-users to
enter and valid four types of vegetation data: Recce, measures of individually
tagged tree (including diameter, height etc), Seedling counts and sapling
counts. In the future additional data type may be added.

We have staff who can undertake data entry, query/extraction and validation
tasks if data owners do not want to enter their own data.

The NVS Databank is both an electronic and physical archive. Landcare Research
has a purpose built archival facility for secure storage of any physical
material (such as maps, paper records, note books etc) related to vegetations
survey data. NVS is housed at the same site as the Allan Herbarium for storage
of voucher specimens for plant identications.

Historically a wide range of individuals and organisations/agencies have and
still do use NVS, e.g., DOC, some regional councils, MfE. Use of NVS and NVS
Lite are part of DOC SOP's. As the NVS Lite system is only just released we
have few examples of it being used with regional councils at this stage but do
have one case recently and it is no in use through out DOC. Promotion and
explanation of NVS to local government is a major goal for the Databank this
year and we would be very interested in opportunities to visit councils to
explain what NVS is and how it can help them.



>>What advantages do you see NVS and NVS Lite providing - see above

>>compared with in-house systems, or other integrated systems such as FORMAK -
have never used FORMAK, but the vegetation data and basic plot information are
largely compatible with NVS. Obviously, FORMAK collects other data e.g., bird
counts, pest transects which are less compatible (although NVS does hold
historic data of these types). Aside from what is written above another major
difference is that NVS lite will be offering a number of vegetation analyses
and data exports.

Nick Spencer

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NVS Lite has been further developed to include a data summary and analysis
package and is now available under the new name NVS Express.
We welcome any feedback that users may have on this tool.

Hi Hazel,

Both of us are fine for the 26th or 27th.

I couldn't get hold of Kara but her phone number is 0272240165 if you
would like to try.

Thanks,

Shay Dean
Scientific Officer - Biodiversity
Mobile: 027 464 6733

-----Original Message-----
From: <email obscured>
<email obscured>] On Behalf Of
Hazel Broadbent
Sent: Wednesday, 2 June 2010 4:27 PM
To: <email obscured>
Subject: [dataversity public discussion] National Vegetation Survey
Databank (NVS) and NVS Lite

Invitation to attend free NVS Express workshop

The National Vegetation Survey databank (NVS) is a physical archive and
computer databank containing records from approximately 77,000
vegetation survey plots.  We have recently developed a freely available
software package called 'NVS Express' which is specifically designed for
the purpose of entering and analysing permanent plot and Recce data
which has been collected using standard methodology (as per Hurst &
Allen 2007). NVS-Express provides an easy way to enter, validate and
analyze these data. An electronic copy of the data is also archived in
NVS as part of this process.
This winter Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research will be running a series
of one-day workshops offering an overview of the NVS databank and
training on NVS-Express.
The workshops will be held in computer classrooms for 'hands-on'
training.
Each workshop will be divided into three sessions: An introduction to
the NVS databank, data entry with NVS-Express, and data summary and
analysis.

Department of Conservation and Regional Council staff, resource
management and biodiversity consultants, policy makers and any others
who measure and monitor vegetation using standard plot-based methods
will benefit from these workshops. The workshops will be free thanks to
a generous TFBIS grant and the workshop locations will be selected based
on expressed interest.

Further details on the NVS databank and NVS Express can be found on the
NVS website: http://nvs.landcareresearch.co.nz/

Interested participants should contact Anna Marburg (3 321 9729 or
<email obscured>) for further details


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NVS Express workshops are scheduled for the following locations:

Rotorua 21 Oct 2010
Wanganui 27 Oct 2010
Wellington 1 Nov 2010
Nelson 3 Nov 2010
Invercargill Apr 2011 (date to be finalised)
Auckland Apr 2011 (date to be finalised)

There are still places available at these workshops. Please contact me on Ph 03
321 9622 if you wish to attend.

The NVS team is running three further workshops on the NVS Express software
tool. These are one-day workshops offering an overview of the NVS databank and
training on NVS-Express. The workshops will be held in computer classrooms for
'hands-on' training.

The intention is to run the workshops in Auckland, Wellington and Invercargill
in April 2011.
The Invercargill NVS Express workshop is scheduled for the 18th April. We
presently have 9 people registered for this workshop (hopefully you know who
you are!). If you would also like to attend this workshop and have not yet
contacted me please do so.

The date is not yet set for the Wellington or Auckland workshops. Online polls
have been set up in order to find dates that would suit the majority of
interested participants. If you wish to attend either of these workshops please
follow the links below.  You will be shown a screen with a list of dates. Add
your name and email address to the participant list and tick the dates for
which you are able to attend.

The link to the Wellington NVS Express workshop poll is
http://doodle.com/zbv85t358fihfz7q

The link to the Auckland NVS Express workshop poll is:
http://doodle.com/8szkyy53rx885w22

If you have any difficulties using this website you are welcome to email me
your interest and preferred April dates directly.

If you know of anyone else who may be interested in these workshops please feel
free to forward this email to them. We may also look at running a Christchurch
workshop next winter so let me know if this would be of interest to you.

Thanks
Hazel