BERDS - Spatial Data Warehouse

The Biodiversity and Environmental Resource Data System of Belize (BERDS) hosts a Spatial Data Warehouse component, providing valuable geospatial information. While the extensive flora and fauna specimen records are now private, this public data warehouse offers a collection of baseline ArcGIS shapefiles. These datasets are presented in UTM NAD 1927 Z16N format and come with comprehensive ArcGIS v.10 metadata, which users are required to keep attached to the data.

The warehouse includes critical datasets such as the Belize Basemap, which covers boundaries, districts, cayes, islands, and coastline, updated using geo-referenced Landsat imagery. Other offerings include Belize Elevation Polygons at 100m intervals (derived from aerial photography and digital elevation models) and the Belize Biological Corridors 2011, illustrating principal corridors connecting protected areas. These resources are intended to support a wide array of societal, planning, conservation, and education initiatives.

Users are encouraged to utilize these open-data resources while adhering to the citation requirements. The creators disclaim responsibility for data shortcomings or errors, advising users to assess suitability for their specific purposes. Future integration with the Belize National Spatial Data Infrastructure (BNSDI) is also anticipated, where many of these datasets may eventually be hosted.