Biodiversity Resources & General Links

Biodiversity> Links> Animal Studies

For more specific animal resources see Biodiversity : Animal Studies. Many Biodiversity Organizations list specific online resources.

Start with:
EE-Links : Endangered Species
Sections include: Species Lists ; Species Highlights ; Law & Policies ; Education ; U.S. State Info ; Organizations ; Causes ; News ; Actions.
EE-Link is a participant in the Environmental Education and Training Partnership (EETAP) of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).

Tree of Life Web Project
"...produced by biologists from around the world. On more than 2000 World Wide Web pages, the Tree of Life provides information about the diversity of organisms on Earth, their history, and characteristics."

WWF Global Network
"...is the world's largest and most experienced independent conservation organization, with around 5 million supporters and a global network of 27 National Organizations, 5 Associates, and 21 Programme Offices."

Continue on with:
Animal Diversity Web
:"The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology provides the searchable Animal Diversity Web database, with species accounts (images and text) of some of the world's mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, sharks, bony fishes, mollusks, arthropods and echinoderms. The database is searchable by common or scientific name."
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

Animal Info
Information on Rare, Threatened and Endangered Mammals
Sections include: World's Rarest Mammals ; Individual Species Index ; Species Group Index ; Links to Animal Sites ; Country Index.
By Paul Massicot

Animals of the Great Basin - (dead link)
From Animal Species Lists, Distribution Maps and Photos
Biological Resources Research Center - (dead link), University of Nevada, Reno

Aquatic Ecology Page - (dead link)
Topics include Organizations and Biological Stations; Insects; Birds; Plants; General Biology & Ecology; Algae; Ichthyology & Herpetology
Originally created & maintained by Alice T. Dossett now maintained by Donald Keppel.

Arctic Environmental Data Directory (AEDD) - (dead link)

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Includes both wildlife and oil development information. Sections include: Refuge Information ; Wildlife ; Habitat ; People.
Official U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service page

Australia's Biodiversity
A well designed educational site from Australian Museum Online.

BBC - Nature - The Life of Mammals
Web site companion to the TV series.
"David Attenborough's latest series presents the biggest ever wildlife series devoted to mammals. It features many of the planet's most fascinating species, including ourselves."
Episodes include: A Winning Design ; Insect Hunters ; Plant Predators ; Chisellers ; Meat Eaters ; Opportunists ; Return to the Water ; Life in the Trees ; Social Climbers ; Food for Thought.

Biodiversity and Biological Collections WWW Server - (dead link)
"Within these pages you will find information about specimens in biological collections, taxonomic authority files, directories of biologists, reports by various standards bodies (IOPI, ASC, SA2000, etc), an archive of the Taxacom, MUSE-L and CICHLID-L listservs), access to on-line journals (including Flora On-line) and information about MUSE and Delta."

Biodiversity Assessment Programme - (dead link)
This programme provides and facilitates access to information on species of conservation concern.
World Conservation Monitoring Centre

Biodiversity Counts
"...is a middle-school science program created by the American Museum of Natural History. It gets students out of the classroom and into the field to study biodiversity at a site near their school."

Biodiversity Support Program (BSP)
"...is a consortium of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and World Resources Institute (WRI). BSP is funded through a cooperative agreement between WWF, the lead consortium institution, and The United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Biotelemetry Resources
Topics include: Applied Biotelemetry Projects ; Research Labs & Organizations ; Companies & Suppliers ; Instrumentation ; Manufacturing Resources ; Data Analysis ; Information Sources ; Additional Resources.
Laboratory for Applied Biotelemetry & Biotechnology, Texas A&M University

Bird Checklists of the United States
"Here we offer bird checklists developed by others that indicate the seasonal occurrence of birds in state, federal, and private management areas, nature preserves, and other areas of special interest in the United States.
By Lawrence Igl, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, USGS

Bird Families of the World - (dead link)
The Sibley and Monroe Classification

BlackRhinoceros - (dead link)
"We produce a directory for environmental activists wishing to campaign on these ecological issues: biodiversity, conservation, energy, environmental justice, habitat and pollution."

China's Environment
"This research guide contains an annotated bibliography for selected resources concerning China's environment that are available in Harvard University's libraries or on the Internet."
From Harvard Environmental Resources Online

Coffee and Biodiversity Conservation in El Salvador
"The aim of this work is to promote the conservation of biodiversity by providing the tools, training and information necessary to empower local people to monitor and assess the biodiversity of the forests associated with Shade Coffee farms in El Salvador."
By the El Salvador Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales and The Natural History Museum, London.

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

  • Convention Text
  • The Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)
  • [.pdf]
    "the world biggest web-based archive as a transdisciplinary knowledge base of sustainable development."
  • Sustaining Life on Earth
    How the Convention on Biological Diversity Promotes Nature and Human Well-Being
    "This booklet looks at the importance of biological diversity for the health of people and the planet. It explains the role of the Convention in protecting this biodiversity and ensuring that it is used for the benefit of all."

Discover Life
"Our first mission is to complete a comprehensive study of all living things in Great Smoky Mountains National Park...This website is a portal to information about all living things. It disseminates photographs and knowledge on the identification, natural history, ecology, and taxonomy of species (click on snail above), provides training and research guidance (click on people below), and helps coordinate the activities of the ATBI and other biodiversity studies (click on trees & flowers below)."

Ecology, Biodiversity and the Environment - (dead link)
World-Wide Web Virtual Library
An extensive collection of mostly academic links.
A portion of the Center for Conservation Biology Network - (dead link).
Rice University

eNature.com
"This new nature portal offers online searchable field guides to over 4,800 plant and animal species."

Environment Canada - The Green Lane

  • Migratory Birds
     Sections include: CWS Bird Conservation Program ; Bird Trends ; Maritime Breeding Bird Survey ; Hunting ; Landbird Conservation ; Geese.
  • Canadian Wildlife Service
    • Hinterland Who's Who - (dead link)
      "...wildlife vignettes have been part of Canadian television and popular culture for nearly 40years...Now you can enjoy the complete series of these educational vignettes on our website."
    • Species At Risk in Canada
       "You can search for information either a map search, or by a species search (by risk category, range, latin name and common name)."

Environmental Australia On-Line
Topics include Priorities, Heritage, Natural Heritage, Biodiversity, Marine, State of the Environment, and Library & Education
Official Government site

Environmental Defense
"Since 1967, we have linked science, economics and law to create innovative, equitable and cost-effective solutions to society's most urgent environmental problems."
Sections include: Action Center ; Biodiversity ; Climate Change ; Health ; Oceans ; Library.

  • Library
    Sections include: Reports ; Print Newsletters ; Filings & Testimonies ; Fact Sheets ; Letters ; Organizational Materials ; Educational Materials ; Publications Catalog.

Environmental Law Around the World - (dead link)
An extensive listing arranged by continent.
From IGC Internet but you don't have to be a member to access the collection

Endangered Species Home Page - (dead link)
Includes In the News; Species Information; The Endangered Species Program; and FAQs
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Extinction Files - (dead link) Sections include: The Mass Extinctions ; The Cast, Past and Present ; Theories of Extinction ; The Big Question ; The Last Extinction ; Some Terms ; Hotlinks.
- From the BBC Evolution Website

The Field Museum (Chicago, IL)

  • Biodiversity and Conservation: The Web of Life (English or Spanish)
    Sections include: Investigate Biodiversity ; Year of Biodiversity and Conservation ; Meet the Scientist ; Explore Global Diversity ; Events and Programs ; Take Action! ; Teaching Biodiversity ; Biodiversity Exhibitions.


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Global Atlas of Paleaeovegetation
"The Atlas is divided into seven regions. The links on this page point to introductory information on the palaeovegetation of each region."

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
"The purpose of establishing GBIF is to design, implement, co-ordinate, and promote the compilation, linking, standardisation, digitisation and global dissemination of the worldís biodiversity data, within an appropriate framework for property rights and due attribution."

International Species Information System - (dead link)
"...an international non-profit membership organization (U.S. 501c3) which serves nearly 500 zoological institutional members, from 54 countries, worldwide."

Invasive Species
The Nation's [U.S.] Invasive Species Information System
"...a comprehensive, online information system that facilitates access to and exchange of invasive species data and resources by researchers, scientists, land and resource managers, public and private sector agencies, and concerned citizens. Developed in accordance with Executive Order 13112 on Invasive Species, the site is guided by the Invasive Species Council."

Mammal Species of the Worlds (MSW) - (dead link)
"...contains the names of the 4,629 currently recognized species of mammals, in a taxonomic hierarchy that includes Order, Family, Subfamily, and Genus."
From: Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (eds). 1993. Mammal Species of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press.
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

MarLIN
The Marine Life Information Network for Britain & Ireland
"...will provide the most comprehensive and easily used source of information about marine habitats, communities and species around Britain and Ireland."
Marine Biological Association of the UK

National Geographic - Animals and Nature (K8)
Sections include: Conservation Maps ; Animal Profiles ; Sights & Sounds ; News ; Photo of the Day.

Native Nursery
A Comprehensive Internet Site Relating to Native Australian Flora and the Environment

NatureServe Explorer
An Online Encyclopedia of Life
"...a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals, and ecological communities of the United States and Canada. NatureServe provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe is a product of the Association for Biodiversity Information in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network."

[Northern Spotted Owl] USGS - Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC) - (dead link)
Sections include: Research ; Current News ; Product Library ; Field Stations ; Fact Sheets.

  • Olympic Field Station - (dead link)
    • LTEM: Monitoring Northern Spotted Owl Populations in Olympic National Park - (dead link)
    • Northern Spotted Owl Inventories in National Parks Publications - (dead link)

Ocean and Marine Conservation
Resources and online publications on Ocean Policy and Law of the Sea; Marine Environment and Science; Fisheries and Marine Conservation; Salmon Related Issues; Arctic and Antarctic Policy.
Bureau of Oceans and International, Environmental and Scientific Affairs

Open University Ecology and Conservation Research Group (ECRG) - (dead link)
Links to areas of active research

The Problem of Species Extinction - (dead link)
"This section of World Book's Earth Day feature examines the importance of preserving Earth's plant and animal species."
Includes Classroom Activities
World Book, Inc.

Rainforestweb.org
World Rainforest Information Portal
"...was created as a tool for concerned citizens, companies and institutions to conveniently access the most complete and current information about rainforests, through one umbrella site...The strength of Rainforestweb.org as an information and campaign tool is its participatory design that encourages users to quickly add new resources, alerts and other postings to the site."

The Reptiles of Australia
Includes photos, descriptions, maps, and links.
By John Hollister and John Fowler

Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney - (dead link)

  • Centre for Plant Conservation - (dead link)
  • PlantNET - (dead link)
    The Plant Information Network System
    "...can be searched for information on New South Wales plant names, their distribution and their conservation status."
    • The Cycad Pages - (dead link)
      "Web access to a botanical database developed from The World List of Cycads, with a page for every known cycad."
      Maintained by Ken Hill
    • Freshwater Algae - (dead link)
      Census of Freshwater Algae in Australia
      Compiled by Tim Entwisle and Lucy Nairn
    • New South Wales Biodiversity Research Network - (dead link)
      "This website summarises the current state of biodiversity research relating to NSW, and identifies gaps and priorities for future research. If you are a researcher looking for collaborators, a student looking for a project, or are simply interested in biodiversity research, you have come to the right place."

Satellite Tracking of Threatened Species - (dead link)
"The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, and the Direct Readout - (dead link) group of the Applied Information Sciences Branch (Code 935) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center are working together on a project to monitor the migration routes of several endangered species using satellite tracking."

SeaWeb - (dead link)
"...is a multimedia public education project designed to raise awareness of the world ocean and the life within it. We aim to provide information and opinion from a broad spectrum of sources to help us all become more connected and involved in the life of the sea."

Southwest Exotic Plant Mapping Program (SWEMP) - (dead link)
"...a Colorado Plateau Field Station (CPFS) program designed to develop a regional database of exotic plant distributions for the southwest (which consists of Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado Plateau portions of Utah and Colorado). The purpose of this project is to develop and distribute information on exotic plant species distributions, as well as to provide information on the status of exotic species distributions on the Colorado Plateau, and the greater southwest."
- U.S. Geological Survey

Thailand's Amazing Insects
Photographed in the forests around Chiang Mai
"The site contains photographs of insects including butterflies, moths, dragonflies and damselflies, flies, wasps, ants, caterpillars, cicadas, grasshoppers, mantids, bugs and beetles plus spiders and some others. Wherever possible I identify the species. There are also audio files of cicadas and crickets."
By John Moore

Threatened Species Network - (dead link)
"This website contains information about the hundreds of plants, animals and ecological communities threatened with extinction throughout Australia and most importantly, what you can do to help save them."

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

  • UNEP.Net - The U.N. Environment Network
    "For authoritative environmental information from a broad range of information and data providers, committed to making their information freely available to the whole spectrum of users of environmental information."

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

University of Washington Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture

  • Amphibians of Washington - (dead link)
  • Mammalogy Section
     Focus on the mammals of Washington state.
    "where you can explore the biodiversity of our Washington mammals. All species in the state are found below on our checklist, and you can click on each name for an account of its natural history, geographic distribution, and further information...Our mammal fauna is comprised of 148 species that belong to nine of the world's 26 orders of mammals. Of the 148 species, nine have been introduced, leaving 139 natives Thirty-two of the species are marine mammals, and we have 16 species of flying mammals, the bats. This leaves 91 species of land mammals."
  • Reptiles of Washington - (dead link)

Vertebrates and Selected Invertebrates of the United States and Canada - (dead link)
"Taxonomic and conservation status information for all known vertebrate species, excluding marine fishes, and all invertebrate species in selected groups that are native and regularly occur in the United States or Canada."
The Nature Conservancy

Weeds on the Web
Wildland Invasive Species Program, The Nature Conservancy

Wildlife Australia - (dead link)

Wildlife Health Information Partnership (WHIP)
"...is a collaborative project that gathers and disseminates information in the broad context of wildlife health, including the areas of disease and health management in free-ranging and captive wildlife, environmental toxicology, conservation biology, and zoonoses and public health."

World Conservation Monitoring Centre
"...Centre provides information services on conservation and sustainable use of the world's living resources, and helps others to develop information systems of their own."

World Heritage Information Network - (dead link)
"...is a clearing-house for information about the natural and cultural sites identified as being of "outstanding universal value" and inscribed on the World Heritage List - (dead link) by the Intergovernmental World Heritage Committee. This list is established as part of the international implementation of the World Heritage Convention - (dead link)."

World Wildlife Foundation (WWF)

  • Endangered Species - (dead link)
  • Expeditions
    • Central African Republic
      "...a team of some of the world's most experienced field biologists conducted a biological inventory -- essentially a census -- of the Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve in the Southwestern Central African Republic (CAR). Working deep inside the rainforest, often at night, the researchers analyzed the threats and opportunities facing one of the world's few remaining undisturbed lowland tropical forests."
      Sections include: Dispatches from the Field ; Animals in the Region ; About the Scientists ; Map of the Region ; Fact Sheets.
    • Heart of Borneo
      "Three biological survey teams mounted an expedition into the rainforests of the Heart of Borneo, some of the most diverse - and endangered - habitats on earth. This survey was the latest in a series of projects under WWFís Asian Rhino and Elephant Action Strategy (AREAS), a cross-cutting action plan to save populations of these endangered species and their habitats."
    • Mesoamerican Reef

    • "The Caribbean's Mesoamerican Reef is home to more than 500 species of fish, and WWF has been a leader in the region's science for more than 15 years. Come along as we track the underwater life of the reef, explore with local biologists and dive in with 30-foot whale sharks.



Maintained by Mike Madin.
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Academic Info