Introduction

Endangered species are plants or animals "in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future" throughout all or a significant portion of its natural geographical habitat. Federal legislation determines which species will be classified as "endangered" and thereby protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. In addition to the endangered species classification, there is also a federally legislated classification of threatened species which denotes all species "likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future."

As you can probably guess, there is an overwhelming amount of information available on endangered and threatened species. Narrowing your research to a specific topic will dramatically improve your chances of finding meaningful information suitable for a research project. Consider researching a specific species of endangered plants or animals, endangered or threatened species of a particular geographical region, or perhaps even the potential causes behind the endangerment of plant and animal species.

 

Before searching any database, check out
Tips for Searching Databases
for valuable pointers on constructing your search.

General Databases

Almost any article database will contain some material on endangered species. The specific purpose and topic of your research will determine the best database to use.

For instance, if you are writing a freshman-level term paper, use a database that has general coverage to get ideas and background information on your topic. These general databases index magazines and journals that publish articles that will address your topic from various perspectives (socio-political, economic, and technical, for example). Also, the articles tend to be easier to read and understand than technical and research-oriented articles published in specialized scholarly and technical journals.

Good bets for starters: These databases are good for preliminary research on endangered species. Clicking the name of a database will take you to that database.

Periodical Abstracts (1987- ) Indexes over 2000 general and academic journals. Full text is available for over 1000 of these titles. Citations on endangered species found in this database will be less scientific and research-oriented. This is a good database to search for general information. 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 owls find articles about endangered species of owls

Wilson Select Full Text (1994- ) Indexes over 800 magazines and journals. Provides full text of cited articles. More general in its scope than the specialized databases in the next section. If you are looking specifically for recent articles, check out this database before you search the other Wilson databases. 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 turtles finds articles on endangered species of turtles

If you do not have much luck finding the information you need using the two databases above, try searching EBSCOhost Academic Search Elite, General Science Abstracts, and Readers Guide Abstracts.

Specialized Databases

In addition to the general databases mentioned above, there are several specialized databases that focus more intensely in a particular subject area or on different kinds of materials. Two good databases for finding more in-depth research-oriented articles about endangered species are Biological Abstracts and Current Contents.

Biological Abstracts (1980- ) 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 florida to find articles about endangered species of Florida

Current Contents (1994- ) 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 wanted in these databases, try searching Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management, a database which indexes over 4000 scientific journals and thousands of other sources including conference proceedings, reports, monographs, and government publications including relevant web resources related to your search.

CD-ROM Databases

Two other important databases you should look into for information on endangered species are available on this campus at the CD-ROM station in the Biology Library.

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

Very informative resource that provides detail information on endangered species from around the world. If you want to know all about a particular endangered animal, this is the place to check out. Articles ranging from 10-70 pages on over 1,300 species. Includes images. Also, information about relevant organizations and also the history of endangered species legislation is included. This CD-ROM resource can be used only at the CD-ROM station in the Biology Library. Ask a librarian if you need assistance.

Zoological Record [CD-ROM] (1978- ) **most recent copy at Natural History, other copy located at Biology

This very comprehensive database indexes over 6500 journals as well as books, book chapters, conference proceedings, and other sources in the zoological sciences.

Web Resources

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program. http://endangered.fws.gov/

A gateway to government information about protection of endangered species. Provides lists of endangered species grouped by general classification (mammals, reptiles, flowering plants, etc.) and by region. Also, you can find general information about the conservation work done by the Division of Endangered Species. This site is a good place to start if you want to find information about endangered species within the United States.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Region 3 Endangered Species. http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/eco_serv/endangrd/index.html

Information about 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. If you want to research endangered species in Illinois or the Great Lakes region more broadly, you might want to start your web searching here.

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (full text). http://endangered.fws.gov/esa.html

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

A Summary of the Endangered Species Act and Implementation Activities. http://endangered.fws.gov/esasum.html

If you want to understand the nuts and bolts of the process of federally-mandated protection of endangered and threatened species, this web site provides a good introduction. It 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.

County Distribution of Federally Threatened, Endangered, and Proposed Species in Illinois (Revised February 5, 1997). http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/rock_is/ACTIVITY/ENDANGRD/il_list.html

A listing of threatened, endangered, and proposed species for each county in the state of Illinois. Particularly useful information if you want to concentrate on a local endangered, threatened, or proposed animal or plant.

Illinois Endangered Species Act. http://dnr.state.il.us/orep/nrrc/espa.htm

Full text of the Illinois Endangered Species Act provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Valuable primary source information if you are interested in examined the text of the laws that project endangered species in Illinois.

EE-Link: Endangered Species. http://eelink.net/EndSpp/

EE Link, a project of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAEEE), is an internet resource for finding information about environmental issues. Their Endangered Species main page can help you get started in your research. There are links for getting started, links to organizations, endangered species lists, extinct species, species facts, data, and pictures, current news events and sources, as well as laws and policy and educational and interactive kids stuff. As this site develops and broadens its scope, it will become more and more useful.

IUCN - The World Conservation Union. http://www.iucn.org/

Created in 1948, IUCN (World Conservation Union)  is the "world's largest conservation-related organization." Their web site offers link 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.

IUCN - Red List. http://www.redlist.org

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

CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. http://international.fws.gov/global/cites.html

This web site explains what CITES is as well as having a link to the full text of this treaty that has been in effect since 1975. CITES maintains that "international co-operation is essential for the protection of certain species of wild fauna and flora against over-exploitation through international trade." If your research focuses on international issues concerning endangered species, you might want to check out this site.

The Nature Conservancy. http://www.tnc.org/

Official web site of "the world's leading private, International conservation group." Their site provides information about the organization, its accomplishments, as well as their past and present activities. Available also is online access to their newsroom and articles from their magazine. In addition, they also discuss and provide links to information about conservation science.

Natureserve - an Online Encyclopedia of Life. http://www.natureserve.org

A joint effort of the Association for Biodiversity Information and the Natural Heritage Network, offers authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals, and ecological communities of the United States and Canada.

World Wildlife Fund: Endangered Species. http://www.wwfus.org/species/species.cfm

The WWF's Endangered Species web pages highlight breaking news about endangered species, focuses on information on a few specific endangered species (pandas, tigers, rhinos, and whales), and offer tips for how you can help save endangered species. Another perspective on endangered species from one of the major organizations fighting to conserve international wildlife diversity.

Subject headings

Here are some Library of Congress subject headings which may be useful for locating books and journals on endangered species in the UIUC online catalog. Several of these subject headings have geographical and/or further subject subdivisions as well (e.g. Endangered species--Illinois or Endangered species--Governmental policy). 

Endangered species

Wildlife conservation

Nature conservation

Endangered plants

Birds, protection of

Wildlife management

Rare animals

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.

Books and Other Print Resources

Encyclopedia of Endangered Species. (1994- )
Location: Natural History Reference, Reference Room, Undergrad Reference -- Call number: Q. 574.529 EN19

If you are looking for a brief entry on a specific endangered species, this would be a good source to go to. This encyclopedia "describes over 500 animals and plants worldwide" currently threatened with extinction. Each entry lists general description and biology, habitat and current distribution, as well as history and conservation measures. Additional appendices include a species watch summary and a list of wildlife and conservation organizations. Also, there is a lengthy bibliography as well as geographic and species indexes to help locate specific information in the encyclopedia.

Encyclopedia of Biodiversity. (2000)
Location:  Biology Reference -- Call number:   Q. 333.9503 En19

Five volume set.  Covers endangered species by major taxonomic and ecological groups (birds, freshwater invertebrates, mammals, plants, etc.), plus ecological processes affecting endangered species (agricultural invasions, introduced species, etc.).   Entries are written by recognized authorities, and have sufficient depth to provide an excellent understanding of topics.  Each entry includes a glossary of major concepts and key bibliographic references, as well as cross references to related entries in the encyclopedia.  The "Contents by Subject Area" (p. xix of each volume) is a useful aid for finding a particular topic of interest. 

Moulton, M.P. Wildlife Issues in a Changing World. 2nd ed. (1999)
Location: Natural History Stacks -- Call number: 333.95416 M862W 1999

1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants. (1998)
Location: Biology Stacks -- Call number: 333.9532 N622

A "snap-shot of the state of the world's plant diversity at the end of the second millenium." This list of nearly 34,000 species compiled by the IUCN is the most comprehensive listing of threatened plants available. To get the most out of this resource, you should read the introduction and section on navigating the list at the beginning of the book.

1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. (1997)
Location: UIUC Natural History Stacks -- Call Number: 333.95 N622, 1996

Covering over 5200 threatened species, this list is the "most comprehensive inventory ever of threatened species and subspecies on a global scale." There are interesting charts and graphs analyzing threatened species by their classification, geopolitical region, and other variables. This resource would be beneficial to check out if you are looking to find information about the state of endangered and threatened species on a more global level.

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

This book a great resource for finding "data and photos of all international species listed as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service" as well as extra species listed by IUCN and CITES. As the introduction points out, "never before have so many images of international endangered species been published in the same volume, some are published here for the first time."

Burton, J.A. (ed). Atlas of Endangered Species. 2nd ed. (1999)
Location Undergrad Reference -- Call number: Q. 333.9516 AT65 1999

A nice introduction to endangered species divided by geographically. Each section concentrates on a particular region of the world. Includes descriptions of habitats, plants, and wildlife. There are lots of great full-color photographs and illustrations in this book if you are looking for pictures of endangered species. There is also a nice section on "Conservation in Action" which focuses on national parks.

Sherry, C.J. Endangered Species: A Reference Handbook. (1998)
Location: Undergrad Reference -- Call number: 333.9522 SH57E

From the Contemporary World Issues series, this handbook is a very good place to start looking for information if you are having trouble coming up with a specific topic. The introductory chapter provides a broad overview of the issues concerning endangered species. There is a chronological timeline of historical events related to the rise of concern about endangered species and nature conservation. There are also biographical sketches of major figures, information on U.S. legislation and international treaties, U.S. litigation, and organizations. Lastly, the book outlines major print and nonprint resources for researching endangered species. Overall, a nice overview of the issues and resources concerning endangered species.

Endangered Species: Opposing Viewpoints. (1996)
Location: Undergrad Stacks -- Call number: 574.529 EN212

Journals

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

E: the Environmental Magazine.
Location: Undergrad Stacks -- Call number: 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 Update.
Location: Law Stacks -- Call number: 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 Stacks -- Call number: Q. 339.4905 NA

"National Wildlife® 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."

Science.
Location: ACES Stacks, Beckman Reference, Biology Stacks, Chemistry Stacks, Grainger Stacks, Geology Stacks, Natural History Stacks, Physics/Astronomy Stacks, Undergrad Stacks, Vet Med Stacks -- Call number: Q. 505 SJN.S.

Wildlife Conservation.
Location: Natural History Stacks -- Call number: 590.5 NEW1

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

 
Environmental Studies Virtual Library

Please send us your comments on this page
07-07-2003 BJA