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Biodiversity Loss in the 21st Century: How Dire a Crisis? (HNR 098-02)

2011 Spring

Daniel Potter — dpotter@ucdavis.edu

Librarian Subject Specialist

Ruth Gustafson
ragustafson@lib.ucdavis.edu — (530) 752‑1883 — Biological/Agricultural Sciences Reference Department (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/bioag/)

Librarian Subject Specialist for: General Biology; Animal Science; Avian Science; Entomology (including Bee Biology and Pollination); Environmental Science & Policy; Environmental Toxicology; Evolution and Ecology; Forensic Science; Nematology; and Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology

Need in-depth assistance? Email your Subject Specialist Librarian to schedule an appointment

On This Page

Library Collections

Harvest UC Davis Catalog

Harvest UC Davis Catalog (http://harvest.lib.ucdavis.edu)
Harvest is the UCD library online catalog of the collections of all five UC Davis General Libraries. It does not include the holdings of the Law Library. If you log in (My Account) using your library card number and PIN, you can renew books online, and request items that have been checked out to another borrower, or are in storage.

Connect From Off-Campus

UC-eLinks (http://www.cdlib.org/services/info_services/instruct/ucelinks_guide.html)
Brought to you by UC libraries! UC-eLinks helps to link you to *choices* to find the item(s) you are interested in. UC-eLinks appears in most library literature databases and provides a consistent way of getting to online articles (if licensed) or to information about which print issues of a journal we own. If we do not own a journal or book, you can use the UC-eLinks service to Request that the item be sent to you for free from another UC library -- often using Web delivery if the item is an article or book chapter.

E-book Collections

ENVIROnetBASE [via CRCnetBASE] (http://www.crcnetbase.com/search/advanced) [Restricted] VPN
PLEASE NOTE: Access is via combined ENTIRE CRC e-book collection. From Advanced search, scroll down to check off "Environmental Science" category for focused searches. This full-text ENVIROnetBASE collection includes over 600 environmental sciences handbooks and includes indexing of chapters and their figures, charts, tables, illustrations, formulas and rules of thumb. Environmental sciences areas covered include environmental engineering and biotechnology, agricultural and natural resources, ecology, pollution and more.
Related:
  • Access Issues (http://blogs.lib.ucdavis.edu/pse/2009/05/08/accessing-online-crc-books-through-the-vpn/)
Biodiversity Heritage Library (http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/)
The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is a consortium of 12 natural history and botanical libraries that cooperate to digitize and make accessible the legacy literature of biodiversity held in their collections and to make that literature available for open access and responsible use as a part of a global “biodiversity commons.” BHL also serves as the foundational literature component of the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL).
Related:
Springer eBooks Package (http://springerlink.com/books/) [Restricted] VPN
This UC-wide pilot is now (2013) a three-year package for Springer eBooks and includes more than 55,000 titles in English (and selectively in German) from every scientific discipline and many social sciences. This online interface enables all books to be searchable at the full-text level. Scope (textbook areas are starred) ranges from Architecture and Design, *Behavioral Science, *Biomedical and Life Sciences, *Business and Economics, *Chemistry and Materials Science, *Computer Science, *Earth and Environmental Science, *Engineering, *Humanities & Social Sciences and Law, *Mathematics and Statistics, *Medicine, *Physics and Astronomy, to Professional and Applied Computing. NEW books are added monthly. NEW INTERFACE as of November 26, 2012.
Coverage: 2005-2013
Related:

Encyclopedias

Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia [Gale Virtual Reference Library] (http://find.galegroup.com/gvrl/infomark.do?type=aboutBook&prodId=GVRL&eisbn=9780787677503&version=1.0) [Restricted] VPN
Extensive, completely revised and updated 17-volume version of the original work published in Germany in 1960. Incorporates recent developments in the animal world as noted by prominent advisors and contributors from the scientific community. Volume 1 covers Lower metazoans and lesser deuterostomes and volume 2 is on Protostomes. Volume 3 is about Insects. Volumes 4-5 are both concerning Fishes. Volume 6 pertains to Amphibians and volume 7 is about Reptiles. Volumes 8-11 are all concerning Birds. Volumes 12-16 are on Mammals and lastly, volume 17 is the cumulative index.
Date: 2003
Related:
  • Each entry by family includes taxonomic placement and brief details including thumbnail description, size, number of genera/species, habitat, conservation status, and distribution map.
  • Detailed sections describe: evolution and systematics; physical characteristics; distribution; habitat; behavior; feeding ecology and diet; reproductive biology; conservation status; significance to humans; and end with lengthy species accounts.
U*X*L Encyclopedia of Biomes (http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?action=interpret&id=GALE|9781414444260&v=2.1&u=ucdavis&it=aboutBook&p=GVRL&sw=w&cs=9781414444260&authCount=1) [Restricted] VPN
Author: Marlene Weigel
Online version of this 3-volume encyclopedia provides "detailed comparative essays on major biomes and their component ecosystems. Includes entries on land biomes and water biomes and covers climate, elevation, soil, water bodies, vegetation, animal life, food web, plant and animal adaptations, endangered species, human effects on the biome and the effects of the environment on humans' culture and economy."
Date: 2008
Birds of North America (online) (http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna) [Restricted] VPN
Author: Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Ornithologists' Union
Authoritative treatise of monographs on birds which nest in North America with accompanying photos, audio and video files. This reference series includes "comprehensive life histories for each of the 716+ species of birds breeding in the USA (including Hawaii) and Canada". Each monograph includes sections on distinguishing characteristics, distribution (with accompanying map), systematics, migration, habitat, food habits, sounds, behavior, breeding, demography and populations, conservation and management, appearance, measurements and priorities for future research.
Coverage: 2003-
Encyclopedia of Life (EoL) (http://www.eol.org/)

The Encyclopedia of Life is planned to be "an online reference and database on all 1.9 million species currently known to science and will stay current by capturing information on newly discovered and formally described species."

"Within ten years [EoL producers] expect to have at least partially populated species pages for all 1.9 million currently known species."

"Funds to get the EOL project started have been generously provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation . The EOL cornerstone institutions have also agreed to raise additional funds." These are "several of the world’s leading natural history institutions, botanical gardens, and libraries, including: Biodiversity Heritage Library, The Field Musuem of Natural History, Harvard University, Missouri Botanical Garden, Smithsonian Institution and Marine Biological Laboratory."

Biodiversity Status Listings

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (http://www.iucnredlist.org/)
Author: International Union for Conservation of Nature

IUCN was founded in 1948 as the world’s first global environmental organization and today is the largest professional global conservation network. Over four decades ago, the Red List started as the IUCN Red Data Book and is currently compiled through the IUCN Species Programme working with the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC).

"IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ provides taxonomic, conservation status and distribution information on plants and animals that have been globally evaluated using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. This system is designed to determine the relative risk of extinction, and the main purpose of the IUCN Red List is to catalogue and highlight those plants and animals that are facing a higher risk of global extinction (i.e. those listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable)."

In addition, the "IUCN Red List also includes information on plants and animals that are categorized as Extinct or Extinct in the Wild; on taxa that cannot be evaluated because of insufficient information (i.e., are Data Deficient); and on plants and animals that are either close to meeting the threatened thresholds or that would be threatened were it not for an ongoing taxon-specific conservation programme (i.e., are Near Threatened)."

Species under CITES Protection (http://www.cites.org/eng/disc/species.shtml)
Author: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Roughly 5,000 species of animals and 28,000 species of plants are protected by CITES against over-exploitation through international trade. They are listed in the three CITES Appendices. The species are grouped in the Appendices according to how threatened they are by international trade. They include some whole groups, such as primates, cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), sea turtles, parrots, corals, cacti and orchids. But in some cases only a subspecies or geographically separate population of a species (for example the population of just one country) is listed.

Census of Marine Life Portal (http://www.coml.org/coml.htm)
The Census of Marine Life (CoML) is a research program that seeks to assess the diversity, distribution and abundance of ocean life and to explain how it changes over time. The portal provides access to a global network of researchers in more than 45 nations engaged in this ten-year marine life initiative. Includes three major projects: Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), the History of Marine Animal Populations project (HMAP), and the Future of Marine Animal Populations project (FMAP). Seven studies have been initiated to collect data for these projects: Biogeography of Deep-Water Chemosynthetic Ecosystems (ChEss); Census of Diversity of Abyssal Marine Life (CeDAMaR); Gulf of Maine Program (GoM); Mid-Atlantic Ridge Ecosystems Project (MAR-ECO); Natural Geography in Shore Areas (NaGISA); Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Program (POST); and Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP).

Taxonomy Resources

Taxonomy Browser -- Taxonomy Resources (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/taxonomyhome.html/index.cgi?chapter=resources)
Author: NCBI (U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information)

Compilation of some of the references and on-line resources used by the Taxonomy group at GenBank, including the following categories:

General; Algae; Fungi; Plants; Vertebrates; Insects; Other arthropods; Molluscs; Other invertebrates; Other eukaryotes; Archaea and Bacteria; Viruses; and Culture Collections

Subject Guides

Subject Guides (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/ul/research/subjects/)
Use the Subject Guides to identify additional databases to search for information on your topic.

Databases

Biodiversity literature is scattered across a variety of subject databases, some by biome, some by organism kingdom.
BIOSIS Previews [via Web of Knowledge] (http://isiknowledge.com/BIOSIS) [Restricted] VPN

NEW interface loaded July 17, 2011 -- result retrievals will be larger due to search design changes.

More than 22 million records in all life science areas, including agriculture, biochemistry, biomedicine, biotechnology, ecology, environmental sciences, genetics, microbiology, plant biology, veterinary medicine & pharmacology, and zoology. Indexes over 6000 journals, serials, books and book chapters, conference proceedings and patents.

Coverage: 1926-present
Related:
Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management (ESPM) [via ProQuest] (http://www.csa.com/htbin/dbrng.cgi?username=davis&access=davis856&db=envclust-set-c&db=eisft-set-c&adv=1) [Restricted] VPN
New Interface 8/7/12 (from CSA Illumina to ProQuest): Major areas of coverage include aquatic pollution, bacteriology, ecology, energy resources, environmental biotechnology & engineering, environmental impact statements, hazardous waste, industrial hygiene, microbiology, and risk assessment. Separately searchable subfiles include: ASFA 3: Aquatic Pollution and Environmental Quality; Bacteriology Abstracts (Microbiology B); Ecology Abstracts; Environmental Engineering Abstracts; Health and Safety Science Abstracts; Industrial and Applied Microbiology Abstracts (Microbiology A); Pollution Abstracts; Risk Abstracts; Sustainability Science Abstracts; Toxicology Abstracts; and Water Resources Abstracts. EIS: Full Text and Digests of Environmental Impact Statements is combined for cross-searching with ESPM.
Coverage: 1967-present (varies by subfile)
Related:
Zoological Record [via ProQuest] (http://search.proquest.com/zoologicalrecord/advanced) [Restricted] VPN
WILDLIFE. New Interface 8/7/12 (from CSA Illumina to ProQuest): Comprehensive coverage of zoology; including behavior, conservation and environmental science, ecology, evolution, genetics, habitat, marine and freshwater biology, nutrition, parasitology and disease, reproduction, taxonomy and systematics, veterinary studies, zoogeography and fossil records. Especially strong in new species reports and field studies. Backfile for 1864-1977 added April 2007.
Coverage: 1864-present [1864-1977 backfile added]
Related:
Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide [via EBSCO] (http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=fzh) [Restricted] VPN
WILDLIFE. Indexes literature on wild mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians; covering all aspects of wildlife and wildlife management. Database producer from South Africa -- excellent coverage of African publications. [changed from NISC to EBSCO March 20 2009]
Coverage: 1935 (& earlier)-present
Related:
  • Register for a library class on the new EBSCO interface. (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/instruc/classes/descriptions.php#class70)
  • Contact BioAg Librarians (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/bioag/about/meet-staff.php)
    For assistance with the new EBSCO interface, e-mail bioagquestions@lib.ucdavis.edu or contact your BioAg librarian subject specialist
  • NISC access (http://biblioline.nisc.com/scripts/login.dll?Biblioline&dbname=QWW_)
    RETIRING after April 17 2009!
Fish, Fisheries & Aquatic Biodiversity Worldwide [via EBSCO March 20 2009] (http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=ffw) [Restricted] VPN
More than 1 million records. Covers fish, fisheries and aquaculture, including biology, genetics, natural history, behavior, diseases, parasites, limnology and oceanography, habitat management, culture, propagation, fish processing, marketing, and fisheries management. Merged content from thirteen databases including records from the now ceased database Aquatic Biology, Aquaculture, & Fisheries Resources (ABAFR), and from FISHLIT, Aquatic Biology Citations (ABC), the Fishing Industry Research Index (FIRI), Fisheries Review, and a database from the Worldfish Center's Library. Database producer from South Africa -- excellent coverage of African publications. [changed from NISC to EBSCO March 20 2009]
Coverage: 1971-present
Related:
CQ Electronic Library (http://www.library.cqpress.com/) [Restricted] VPN
Congressional Quarterly's web service provides access to resources for the study of current and historical congressional and American government issues. The CQ Researcher is invaluable source of background information and research summaries on topical issues since 1991. CQ Weekly Report, back to 1983, reports impartially and in detail on Congressional activities and political developments.
Related:
PAIS International Database [via Proquest] (http://search.proquest.com/pais?accountid=14505) [Restricted] VPN
Indexes all types of materials in the area of public affairs and public policy - journal articles, books and book chapters, reports, government documents. Topics include agriculture, banking, demographics, education, environment, finance, government, health, law, legislation, political science, social sciences, and statistics. Note that PAIS was formerly a CSA database and transitioned to a new interface via Proquest in August, 2012.
Coverage: 1972-present
Related:
  • New Proquest Platform -- User Guide (http://www.proquest.com/assets/downloads/products/userguide_np.pdf)PDF
    Generic 12-page guide explaining the major ProQuest changes with the new August 2012 interface.
  • PAIS International [via CSA] (http://search.proquest.com/pais/advanced) [Restricted] VPN
    PAIS transitioned to the new Proquest interface during the first week in August, 2012.
  • Fact Sheet (http://md1.csa.com/factsheets/pais-set-c.php)
  • Help (http://www.csa.com/help/index.html)
PsycINFO [via Proquest] (http://search.proquest.com/psycinfo/advanced) [Restricted] VPN
PsycINFO is a department of the American Psychological Association (APA). It provides citations to articles in professional journals, conference proceedings, books, reports, dissertations and even important internet sites in psychology and related disciplines, most with abstracts and some citations. (Psychinfo is the incorrect spelling.)
Coverage: 1840-present
Related:

EndNote

EndNote Instructional Webpage (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/instruc/research/endnote/)
Author: UC Davis Libraries
EndNote, licensed for all UCD full-time students, faculty, researchers and staff, is a bibliographic reference manager which enables citations to be stored, searched, and quickly inserted into research papers in the format of many scholarly journals.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Databases

A process through which manuscripts submitted to a journal are evaluated for quality -- by one or more subject experts in addition to the editor -- before being accepted for publication.

All CSA Illumina databases (such as Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management and PAIS) separate result sets into tabbed categories including "Peer-Reviewed" journals. For journals retrieved from other databases, use the online Ulrich's Periodicals Directory to locate your journal and then look for the black symbol indicating the publication is "Refereed".

Ulrich's Periodicals Directory (http://www.ulrichsweb.com/) [Restricted] VPN
The standard source for information on virtually every active and ceased periodical, annual, irregular publication, and monographic series published throughout the world (plus thousands of newspapers). Indicates whether a publication is a refereed (peer-reviewed) title.