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Endangered & Threatened Species Research Guide
An annotated guide to endangered & threatened species resources

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INTRODUCTION

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 is "one of the most comprehensive wildlife conservation laws in the world." Its purpose is "to conserve the ecosystems upon which endangered and threatened species depend and to conserve and recover listed species." To find more information about the ESA, go to http://endangered.fws.gov/esa.html.

  • Federally Endangered - The classification provided to an animal or plant in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
  • Federally Threatened - The classification provided to an animal or plant likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
*from the Endangered Species Glossary found on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service web site. For more terms that may be encountered when researching endangered and threatened species, go to the above link.

The ESA also encourages State involvement. To find information about Illinois and endangered and threatened species, go to the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board web site.

  • Illinois Endangered Species - Any species which is in danger of extinction as a breeding species in Illinois.
  • State Threatened Species - Any breeding species which is likely to become a state endangered species within the foreseeable future in Illinois.
*from the Illinois Endangered and Threatened Species List found on the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board web site.

SUBJECT HEADINGS

There are many Library of Congress subject headings which you may want to use to look for books and journals in the online catalog. You can divide many of these subject headings further by geography and/or a more specific subject (e.g. Endangered species--Illinois or Endangered species--Governmental policy). 

Endangered species

Endangered animal species

Endangered animals

Endangered wildlife

Wildlife conservation

Nature conservation

Endangered plants

Birds, protection of

Plant conservation

Wildlife management

Rare animals

Threatened animal species

Threatened animals

Threatened species

Threatened wildlife

Vanishing species

Endangered fungi

For additional environment-related LC subject headings, check out Library of Congress Subject Headings for Environmental Sources Greta de Groat, Electronic Green Journal, Nov. 1997, vol. 7.


GENERAL DATABASES

The type of paper you are writing will help you determine what type of database you'll use to find articles about prairies. Does your instructor require scholarly journals or magazine articles as sources? Many magazines have articles about prairies that may serve as valuable resources. However, if your instructor prefers that you use scholarly, research-oriented journals, you may need to search specialized databases.

In order to find articles, go to the articles databases listing or use the databases suggested below.

InfoTrac (Expanded Academic Index) (1980-present)

This database indexes articles from magazines and journals in many academic disciplines. It includes both scholarly and research-oriented articles. Many of the articles are in full text.

sample searches:

  • endangered species and illinois finds articles about endangered species in the state of Illinois
  • endangered species and causes finds articles about causes leading to endangerment of species
  • endangered species and plants find articles about endangered species of plants

EBSCOhost Academic Search Elite (1985- )

Provides full text access to articles from over 1500 periodicals. More general in its scope than the specialized databases in the next section.

sample searches:

  • endangered species and wildlife conservation finds articles about the relationship between wildlife conservation and endangered species
  • endangered species and causes finds articles about causes related to endangered species
  • endangered species and fish finds articles on endangered species of fish

If you do not have much luck finding the information you need using the two databases above, try searching Periodical Abstracts or ArticleFirst.

Check out Tips for Searching Databases for pointers on constructing searches.


SPECIALIZED DATABASES

In addition to the general databases mentioned above, there are several specialized databases that focus more intensely on a particular subject area or on different kinds of materials.

Biological Abstracts (BIOSIS) (1969- )

Major database of the life sciences indexing over 6500 journals. The place to go if you are looking for scientific research articles about endangered species. A handout with suggested tips and strategies for searching Biological Abstracts is available at the Biology Library as well as online.

sample searches:

  • do a subject search for Indiana bat or Myotis sodalis to find articles about Indiana bats
  • do a subject search for endangered species and pollution to find articles about endangered species and pollution
  • do a subject search for endangered species and illinois to find articles about endangered species of Illinois

Current Contents (1993- )

Indexes tables of contents and bibliographic data from 7500 scholarly research journals and books. Very good coverage of major journals in the life sciences. Current Contents will be most useful to you for finding citations to scholarly and/or technical articles.

sample searches:

  • search endangered species and africa to find articles on endangered species in Africa
  • search endangered species and pollution to find articles discussing the relationship between pollution and endangered species
  • search conservation and evolution$ significant unit$ to find articles that discuss   evolutionary processes and conservation of species.

If you don't find the kind of information you want in these databases, try searching Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management, Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide, or Zoological Record.

Check out Tips for Searching Databases for pointers on constructing searches.


CD-ROMs

One other important resource to look for information on endangered species is available on this campus at the CD-ROM station in the Biology Library.

Beacham's International Threatened, Endangered, and Extinct Species
[CD-ROM] (1995)

Very informative resource that provides detailed information on endangered species from around the world. Articles include images and range from 10-70 pages on over 1,300 species. Also, information about relevant organizations and the history of endangered species legislation is included. This CD-ROM resource can be used at the CD-ROM station in the Biology Library. Ask a librarian for assistance.


WEB RESOURCES

American Bird Conservancy
"American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, whose mission is to conserve wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas." The web site contains information about ABC's campaigns and programs. They also provide access to reports, field guides, and a newsletter.

Canadian Biodiversity: Species at Risk
"There are 353 species in Canada that have been designated as at-risk in some way as of May 2000. This number constantly changes as species are added to this list, go extinct or are no longer deemed at risk and removed from the list. Within the list, there are several different categories of risk: special concern, threatened, endangered, extirpated (no longer found in Canada but not extinct), and extinct."

Center for Plant Conservation: Recovering America’s Vanishing Flora
Hosted by the Missouri Botanical Garden, this web site includes a national collection of over 600 endangered plants. Plants can be searched by scientific or common name, plant family, state, or member institution.

Crayfish Home Page at BYU
Housed at Brigham Young University, contains information about crayfish, including phylogeny, conservation, identification, photographs, biology, and diseases.

Construction Industry Compliance Assistance
"Here you will find plain language explanations of environmental rules for the construction industry. Also provided are links to detailed information, including state regulations and other resources." There is a section about endangered species permits, state regulations, and additional resources.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Internal Affairs
CITES is a global treaty that focuses on the protection of plant and animal species from unregulated international trade. Use this web site to find out which plants are protected by CITES; find informaiton about participating countries and port information.

EE-Link: Endangered Species
EE Link, a project of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), is an internet resource for finding information about environmental issues. The Endangered Species page has links for getting started, links to organizations, endangered species lists, extinct species lists, species facts, data, and pictures, current news events and sources, as well as laws and policy and educational and interactive kids stuff.

Endangered Species Act of 1973
The full text of the famous legislation that enacted the Endangered Species Act of 1973 is available online through the Fish & Wildlife Service.

Endangered Species Chocolate Company
Supports chocolate and endangered species. Ten percent of all profits are donated to environmental organizations that protect endangered animals. Find out what organizations receive portions of the Chocolate Company's profits.

Endangered-Species.org
"The primary purpose of Endangered-Species.org is to focus on the status of endangered and threatened species, as defined under the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the various State acts governing the status of endangered and threatened species." It includes various links to useful web sites about endangered species and web sites about U.S. Laws and endangered species.

Endangered Species & Wetlands Report
Linked to the publication of the same title. It features links to Federal Register reports about the Endangered Species Act. There is also a list of links to organizations and groups, governmental and non-governmental, associated with endangered species.

Geometry: The Online Learning Center
Search engine focused on online learning. An "endangered species" search on this web site results in a list of web pages found in Geometry.net, a list of book titles, and a list of 100 web sites about endangered species.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
This is the World Conservation Union's database for assessing the conservation status of species, subspecies, and varieties.  Search the database by scientific or common name for endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species. Obtain information about conservation status, geographic distribution, and habitat.

IUCN: The World Conservation Union
Created in 1948, IUCN (World Conservation Union)  is the "world's largest conservation-related organization." Their web site offers links to recent news and events concerning their organization and issues related to international nature conservation. There is information about communities committed to nature conservation, ecospaces, and species survival.

Jane Goodall Institute
"The Jane Goodall Institute advances the power of individuals to take informed and compassionate action to improve the environment for all living things." Find information about endangered chimpanzees and issues concerning chimpanzees.

NANFA Links to State Web Lists of Endangered and Threatened Fishes
Found on the North American Native Fishes Association website, this list is alphabetized by state and has an interactive map.

Native American Fish and Wildlife Society
"The Society is a non-profit membership organization. It exists for the protection, conservation and enhancement of Native American fish & wildlife resources. The Society's purposes are charitable, educational, scientific and cultural."

The Nature Conservancy: Saving the Last Great Places on Earth
TNC's mission is "to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive." Their site provides information about the organization, how they work, and how to get involved. They also provide limited access to the content of the Nature Conservancy Magazine.

Northern Prairie Biological Resources: Endangered/Threatened Species
These resources come from the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. It includes species accounts, a bibliography, resource management technique information, software products, and status information.

Pesticides: Endangered Species Protection Program (ESPP)
Protecst endangered species from pesticides and to minimize the program's impact on pesticide users.

Reptile Conservation International
RCI is a non-profit organization located in Austin, Texas. They offer an alternative to a conservation program based on egg collection and incubation. Their solution is to implement a hormone-spotting method in remote sites.

Smithsonian National Zoological Park: Endangered Species Science
Discusses endangered species science and what is involved (the ESA, recovery plans, and different organizations). There are also links to different species that are supported by the National Zoo.

Space Today Online: Satellite Tracking of Endangered Birds and Animals
Explains how satellites track endangered birds and animals. Gives information about the transmitters, the satellites, and what is learned from the data.

A Summary of the Endangered Species Act and Implementation Activities
Enumerates the history and evolution of the Endangered Species Act, outlines its administration, discusses how species are listed as endangered or threatened through federal legislation, and comments on the recovery of listed species.

*Threatened and Endangered Species System (TESS), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Allows searching by species name, state or region, and habitats. Reports can also be generated about the searches. It also gives delisted species information.

UNEP: World Conservation Monitoring Centre
"The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre provides information for policy and action to conserve the living world." Their programs concentrate on species, forests, protected areas, marines, mountains, and freshwaters, among other topics.

USDA NRCS Plants Database: Threatened and Endangered Plants
Allows searching by plant family, plant genus, and/or state. The database provides access to state and federally protected plants.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Endangered Species Topics
The EPA provides some information about endangered species including some recommended EPA web pages and some subtopics like aquatic ecosystems and landscape ecology.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program
A gateway to government information about the protection of endangered species. Provides lists of endangered species grouped by general classification (mammals, reptiles, flowering plants, etc.) and by region. Also, gives general information about the conservation work done by the Division of Endangered Species.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Region 3 Endangered Species
Information on endangered species in the Great Lakes Big Rivers Region (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri). There is information on recent news about specific species, lists of endangered and threatened species by state and county, candidate species, species of concern, as well as extinct species.

Wild Aid
Wild Aid provides protection for wildlife in danger. Focuses on reducing poaching, fighting illegal trade, and lowering the demand for wildlife products.

Wildlife Conservation Society
"The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild lands. We do so through careful science, international conservation, education, and the management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together, these activities change individual attitudes toward nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in sustainable interaction on both a local and a global scale. WCS is committed to this work because we believe it essential to the integrity of life on earth."

World Wildlife Fund: Endangered Wildlife
The WWF's Endangered Species web site highlights breaking news about endangered species, focuses on information on a few specific endangered species (pandas, tigers, rhinos, and whales), and offers tips for how you can help save endangered species.


BOOKS

Atlas of Endangered Species. 2nd ed. / Burton, J.A. (ed). (1999)
Location: Undergrad Reference -- Call number: Q. 333.9516 At65 1999

Beacham's Guide to the Endangered Species of North America / Beacham, W. (ed.) (2001)
Location: Biology Reference, Natural History Reference -- Call number:
Q. 578.68097 B353

Beacham's Guide to International Endangered Species, v. 1.(1998)
Location: Natural History Reference -- Call number: 333.9542 B353

Encyclopedia of Biodiversity. (2001)
Location: ACES Encyclopedias, Biology Reference, Natural History Reference, Undergrad Reference -- Call number: Q. 333.9503 En19

Encyclopedia of Endangered species. (1994- )
Location: Natural History Reference, Reference Room, Undergrad Reference -- Call number: Q. 574.529 En19

Endangered Species: must they disappear? / Jennifer Yeh (2003)
Location: Uni-High -- Call number: 578.680973 En212002

Endangered Species: protecting biodiversity / Kim Masters Evans (2007)
Location: Biology -- Call number: 333.9522 Ev159e2006

Endangered Species: a reference handbook / Sherry, C.J. (1998)
Location: Natural History Reference, Undergrad Reference -- Call number: 333.9522 Sh57

Habitats and Ecosystems: an encyclopedia of endangered America / Crawford M. (1999)
Location: Natural History Reference -- Call number: 333.780973 C858h

Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World / Arthur D. Chapman (2006)
Location: Natural History -- Call number: Q. 578.0120994 C366n

Practicul Solutions to Improve the Effectiveness of the Endagered Species for Wildlife Conservation / editor, Krista E. M. Galley (2005)
Location: Natural History -- Call number: 346.0469542 P881

Sixth Extinction: journeys among the lost and left behind / Terry Glavin (2007)
Location: Natural History -- Call number: 333.9522 G469w


JOURNALS

Amphibian & reptile conservation
Location: Natural History -- Call number: 333.9571605 Am

The international journal devoted to the worldwide preservation and management of amphibian and reptilian diversity.

Audubon
Location: Biology, Natural History, Undergrad, Main Stacks -- Call number: 598.05 Bi

"Audubon's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity."

Bird Conservation International
Location: Natural History -- Call number: 639.97805 Bi

"Focuses on conservation issues affecting birds, especially globally threatened species, and their habitats."

Common ground
Location: Natural History, Main Stacks -- Call number: Q. 363.70094305 Co

Common Ground is "a triannual report on Germany's environment." Published by Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

E: The environmental magazine
Location: Uni High, Main Stacks; Undergrad -- Call number: 363.7005 En; MFICHE 363.7005 En

"A substantial magazine, E is chock full of everything the budding environmentalist needs to know, from 'rainforests to recycling' and from the 'personal to the political.' "

Endangered species bulletin
Location: Natural History -- Call number: 639.905 En1

This bulletin is published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Includes news about recovery, habitat conservation plans, and cooperative ventures.

Endangered species update
Location: Natural History; Law -- Call number: 639.905 End; QL81.5 .E54

"Endangered Species UPDATE... is the leading forum for information on scientific and political aspects of current threatened and endangered species protection efforts."

National wildlife
Location: Natural History, Main Stacks -- Call number: Q. 339.4905 Na

"National WildlifeŽ uses riveting text and captivating images to educate readers about conservation issues and to explore the latest discoveries affecting the natural world. Its articles place special emphasis on what individuals can do to help solve environmental problems."

Natural Areas Journal
Location: Natural History -- Call number: 333.731605 Na1

"Scientific journal on the preservation, management, inventory and study of natural areas, endangered species and other aspects of nature conservation."

Nature Conservancy Magazine
Location: Natural History -- Call number: 330.97305 Natc1

"The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive."

Recovery: an endangered species newsletter
Location: Natural History -- Call number: 578.68097105 Re

This journal "publishes information and views on animal and plant species at risk."

Science
Location: ACES, Biology, Chemistry, Grainger, Geology, Main Stacks, Natural History, Physics/Astronomy, Undergrad, Vet Med -- Call number: Q. 505 Sjn.s.

"Science is a weekly, peer-reviewed journal that publishes significant original scientific research, plus reviews and analyses of current research and science policy."

Wildlife Conservation
Location: Natural History -- Call number: 590.5 New1

This magazine publishes articles about endangered wildlife and wild lands and the efforts to save them. It focuses on articles about recent conservation efforts of individual species and conditions affecting global wildlife diversity.

Wildlife Tracks
Location: Natural History -- Call number: 333.95160973 W646

"Wildlife Tracks is published as a practical resource for grassroots wildlife and habitat-protection groups as well as for individual activists working throughout the United States."

*denotes exceptional web site

Last updated: 08/06/07 kam



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