---
title: "Get community concepts by ob"
method: GET
path: "/plot-observations/{ob_code}/community-concepts"
tags: ["Community concepts"]
---

# Get community concepts by ob

`GET /plot-observations/{ob_code}/community-concepts`

Retrieve a paginated and sorted collection of community concepts representing all concepts associated with the specified plot observation (using its `ob_code`), or a subset thereof based on a specified `search` query.

## Path parameters

- `ob_code` string, required

## Query parameters

- `search` string
- `status` 'any' | 'current' | 'accepted' | 'current_accepted'
- `with_nested` boolean
- `sort` 'default' | '+default' | '-default' | 'comm_name' | '+comm_name' | '-comm_name' | 'obs_count' | '+obs_count' | '-obs_count'
- `limit` integer
- `offset` integer
- `create_parquet` boolean

## Response `200`

Matching community concept(s), with fields based on parameters:
- `detail=full&with_nested=false`: Extended fields, no nested array fields
- `detail=full&with_nested=true`: Extended fields + nested array fields

- union
  - CommConceptFull
    - `count` integer — Total matching record count
    - `data` CommConceptFull[] — Data records
  - CommConceptFullNested
    - `count` integer — Total matching record count
    - `data` object[] — Data records
      - `cc_code` string — VegBank community concept identifier
      - `comm_name` string — Community name, as recorded on the community concept
      - `comm_code` string — Code for the community concept, derived from a community usage record of class system 'Code'
      - `comm_description` string — Description of the community concept by the party contributing the concept
      - `concept_rf_code` string — VegBank identifier for the reference in which the community was identified by a name.
      - `concept_rf_label` string — Name/label for the reference in which the community was identified by a name.
      - `status_rf_code` string — VegBank identifier for the reference in which the status was reported
      - `status_rf_label` string — Name/label for the reference in which the status was reported
      - `obs_count` integer — Number of plot observations associated with this entity
      - `comm_level` string — Level in the taxonomic hierarchy to which a class belongs. This is an open list with the possible values defined by the classification system employed. If the party responsible for the record is using the U.S. National Vegetation Classification, the acceptable levels are defined in the Vegetation Classification Standard of the Federal Geographic Data Committee as adopted June 1997. The standard is available at http://biology.usgs.gov/fgdc.veg/standards/vegstd.htm and the allowable entries for each of the physiognomic levels are listed in the appendix (see http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/documents/standards/vegetation/tables19-41.pdf). If the Braun-Blanquet classification system is employed, the acceptable values are defined in the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (Weber, H.E., Moravec, J. Theurillat, J.-P. 2000. Journal of Vegetation Science. 11: 739-769)
      - `status` string — Status of the concept by the party (accepted, not accepted, undetermined)
      - `start_date` string, date — Date for which the status assignment by the party started.
      - `stop_date` string, date — Date for which the status assignment by the party ended.
      - `current_accepted` boolean — Is this concept currently accepted by at least one party?
      - `py_code` string — VegBank identifier for the party that made the status assignment
      - `party_label` string — Name/label for the party that made the status assignment
      - `comm_party_comments` string — Comments by party providing rationale for status assignment
      - `parent_cc_code` string — VegBank identifier of the parent concept in the classification hierarchy. For example, if this concept were at the association level, the parent would be a concept that is the parent alliance type.
      - `parent_name` string — Name of the parent concept in the classification hierarchy
      - `usages` object[] — Name usages for this community concept
        - `class_system` string — The name of the classification system wherein the name is applied (e.g., Scientific, Spanish common)
        - `comm_name` string — Community name, as recorded on the community concept
        - `status` string — Status of the concept by the party (accepted, not accepted, undetermined)
      - `children` object[] — Hierarchical children of this community concept
        - `cc_code` string — VegBank community concept identifier
        - `comm_name` string — Community name, as recorded on the community concept
      - `correlations` object[] — Other (newer, valid) concepts correlated to this (older, no longer valid) community concept
        - `cc_code` string — VegBank community concept identifier
        - `comm_name` string — Community name, as recorded on the community concept
        - `convergence` string — Descriptive attribute used to relate the congruence between this concept and each correlated concepts, generally expressed as either greater than, less than, or equal to. For example, if the current concept has been split, the convergence would be 'greater than' (i.e., the old concept is 'greater than' the new concept).

## Other responses

- `400` — Invalid Parameters

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/nceas/apis/vegbankapi.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/nceas/apis/vegbankapi/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/nceas/vegbankapi/revisions/852fd165e202/schema)