Tools, resources and publications
For mapping
Over the years, the NBN Trust and its partners have developed a range of mapping tools to aid biological recording.
Watsonian Vice County Boundary files
To help improve accuracy of species sightings, the Biological Records Centre (BRC) makes available Watsonian Vice County Boundary files. For further information and to download the most recent versions of the files please go to BRC’s GitHub repository
To help with the recording of accurate biological data, the NBN Trust suggests that you visit the Ordnance Survey website to download the maps freely available for use.
FSC Plugin for QGIS
This is a QGIS plugin designed specifically for biological recorders. The plugin streamlines many of the tasks commonly required from GIS by biological recorders including viewing NBN maps (via the NBN WMS), displaying biological records derived from CSV file, working with OS grid references and registering raster map images from the internet.
QGIS
QGIS is a user friendly Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS) licensed under the GNU General Public License. QGIS is an official project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). It runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, Windows and Android and supports numerous vector, raster, and database formats and functionalities. It is a volunteer driven project.
DMap
DMap for Windows is mapping software designed specifically for producing Distribution Maps and Coincidence Maps which are displayed in colour on-screen, with multiple zoom capability. The maps can be printed at high resolution in colour or black and white, or they can be exported as high-resolution images to other software for incorporating high-quality maps in reports or publications.
MapMate
MapMate is a species recording website.
Digital maps of Britain are freely available from the Ordnance Survey website and we recommend that you use these maps, or other alternatives.
Mapping – historic / archive information
OS Map Tiles
The NBN Trust used to supply Ordnance Survey map tiles for use within Recorder to help with the recording of accurate biological data. However, the software for producing the encryption keys, which are needed in order to use the map tiles, is now very out of date and unstable and, as such, they can no longer be supplied.
Background information
The map tiles were on a set of five CD’s which contain all 812 map tiles covering England, Scotland and Wales in areas of 20 by 20 km. The licence was agreed for use only within Recorder software and because of this each tile was encrypted in such a way as to prevent their use in any other software, including Geographic Information System (GIS) packages.
Watsonian Vice County Boundaries
Please note: the Biological Records Centre (BRC) now manages the Watsonian Vice County Boundary files. For further information and to download the most recent versions of the files please go to BRC’s GitHub repository. The information below is retained for historic information only.
Background information
The Vice County system for Great Britain was devised by an English botanist, Hewett Cottrell Watson, for the purposes of illustrating plant distributions.
These digitised boundaries are available free-of-charge as a download to recorders, mapping scheme organisers, local environmental record centres and others.
Because the boundaries are at a scale of 1:10,000 a GIS system is needed to view the boundaries against suitable map backgrounds although the boundaries can also be loaded and viewed in Recorder.
Licence
The Watsonian Vice County Boundaries can be used within the terms of the OS Open Data Licence. This can be found on the OS website
Download package contents
Software Tool folder
Contains an application to extract individual or groups of Vice County Boundaries from the master mid/mif file
Documents folder
Contains the following documents:
- Finalreport.pdf. A summary of the work of this data conversion project.
- VC_Boundary_rules.doc. A summary of the process and business rules used to convert the data
- Watsonian VC Boundaries Online Help.pdf. User manual for the Vice County Boundary generation software tool
- Watsonianleaflet.pdf. A general flyer promoting and explaining the data conversion initiative
- WatsonianHowTo.doc. How to extract data using the software tool and loading into Recorder.
Individual County Files Polygons folder
Contains a zip file with the following contents:
- Individual county VCB files as polygons delineated by the Mean Low Water Mark (MLWM) coastal boundary. In ESRI shape and MapInfo mid/mif formats.
- Individual county VCB files as polygons delineated by the 3-mile limit coastal boundary. In ESRI shape and MapInfo mid/mif formats.
- Individual county VCB files as polygons delineated by the 12-mile coastal limit. In ESRI shape and MapInfo mid/mif formats.
Note land-locked counties will be delineated by their county boundaries for all classifications above
Download Individual County Files polygons
Individual County Files Polylines folder
Contains a zip file with the following contents:
- Individual county VCB files as polylines and including all coastal delineations (MLWM, 3-mile, 12-mile) where appropriate. In ESRI Shape and MapInfo mid/mif formats
Download Individual County Files polylines
Whole Country Polygons folder
Contains a zip file with the following contents:
- A whole country data set containing all individual VCB polygons delineated by the Mean Low Water Mark (MLWM) for coastal counties. In ESRI shape and MapInfo mid/mif formats.
- A whole country data set containing all VCB polygons delineated by the 3-mile boundary for coastal counties. In ESRI shape and MapInfo mid/mif formats.
- A whole country data set split containing all VCB polygons delineated by the 12-mile boundary for coastal counties. In ESRI shape and MapInfo mid/mif formats.
Download Whole Country polygons 2012
Whole Country Polylines folder
Contains a zip file with the following contents:
1. A whole country data set containing all individual VCB polylines and including all coastal delineations (MLWM, 3-mile, 12-mile) where appropriate. In ESRI Shape and MapInfo mid/mif formats
Download Whole Country polylines
Vice County Boundaries as KML files
Download Vice County Boundaries as KML files