Biodiversity of the Hengduan Mountains: This region of southern China is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, imperiled areas chock-full of unique species. You can check out the impressive haul of specimens from one of the few botanic surveys of the Hengduan Mountain region.

Islands of Hope to Challenge Extinction: 44% of all higher plants and 35% of all land vertebrate species are confined to 25 hotspots, which together make up just 1.4% of the Earth's land surface. The total area of the hotspots is 2,122,891 square kilometres - and 38% of that already enjoys at least nominal legal protection.

The Israel Biodiversity Information System : being developed at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem showcases the promise of creating geographic information systems (GISs) that can transform raw observations into user-friendly maps that detail where plants and animals live. Visitors can click on a species and pull up all its records, then plot them on a map. The site's map tool can be used to zoom in on any point in Israel and pull up data on specimens and ecological conditions.

Biodiversity Economics: This library from the World Conservation Union is stuffed with papers, case studies, reports, abstracts, and other sources of information on the economics of preserving biodiversity.

Biodiversity and Conservation : This is a hypertext book, but most of the links leave the book in order to take advantage of documents produced and updated elsewhere. Used in Bio65, Biological Conservation.

Sustainable Seas Expeditions : National Marine Sanctuaries, Live Events, Expedition Reports, News

Shark Research Program at the University of Florida Museum of Natural History : Shark attack files, population studies, conservation programs.

Hopkins Marine Station - Monterey Bay Aquarium - Tuna Research and Conservation : The Tuna Research and Conservation Center is a joint collaboration between Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station and The Monterey Bay Aquarium. The mission of the Tuna Research and Conservation Center is to promote cooperative ventures that educate the public about the conservation and biology of tunas.

Marine Biology, Coral Reefs & Rainforests, Etc. : It's an unusual Web site that packs tarantulas, astronomy, paleoclimate, and coral reefs onto the same server. But all those and more interest Hays Cummins, a biological oceanographer in the department of--what else, interdisciplinary studies--at Miami University in Ohio. The result is a great trove of links, especially for teaching.

Coelecanth: The Fish Out of Time : Once thought to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs, the Coelacanth was "discovered" alive and well in 1938. Read all about it - including the latest efforts to protect the creature.

The Battle for West Africa's Fish: Stocks in these rich fishing grounds are plummeting. But the Europeans need to access more than ever now because most of Europe's own waters are already overfished. See also a follow-on story: West Africa's delicate fishing balance.

New Source Of Natural Fertilizer Discovered In Oceans: This discovery points to how little we know about the organisms that drive ocean biogeochemical processes," says Phil Taylor, director of NSF's biological oceanography program. "It may have profound influences on our thinking about and modeling of the global ocean nitrogen and carbon cycles."

Atlas of the Oceans : Promoting sustainable use of the hard-pressed oceans is this new online encyclopedia from the United Nations. Provides up-to-date data on human uses of the ocean and environmental issues, such as pollution, food security, and global climate change.

National Estuarine Research Reserves : They protect and study 25 estuarine reserves in the USA. The site describes the importance of estuaries, national programs, reserves in your state, and critical issues, such as polluted runoff, restoration science, invasive species and environmental stewardship.

Water Research Network : Lists freshwater research projects from around the world. The studies range from estimating flood volumes to limiting non-point source pollution and to the social impact of dams.

Salton Sea : History, origins, wildlife, geology, ecological problems and more.

Water on the Web : Is a site for teaching high school and first-year college students science and math concepts through lessons on limnology, or the study of lakes, rivers, and streams. A 21-page primer covers topics such as lake formation, food webs, and eutrophication (nutrient overload). It also explains such basics as the seasonal turnover of lake waters and a device, called the Secchi disk, used to measure water clarity.

ECOTOX : Need to know the lethal dose of dioxin for bullfrog tadpoles? Want to find out how selenium fouls up the growth and development of ducklings? Track down the harsh consequences of these and many other pollutants in this storehouse of ecological toxicity information assembled by the EPA.

Anchialine Caves and Cave Biology : To learn more about the life lurking in underwater caves, try some scientific spelunking at this site from Texas A&M University, Galveston.

All About Tigers : From the Tiger Information Center in India. See their Research Reports and Teacher's Resources. The Project Tiger Directorate provides information about reserves, ecology and endemic species.

Bear Trust International : Bear Trust International promotes the conservation of all eight species of wild bears and their habitat through three Wild Bear Conservation Program areas: Bear Research, Bear Education, and Bear Habitat. Other conservation groups include Int'l Assn for Bear Research & Mgmt.. See The Bear Den for information reagrding bear evolution, species accounts and much more.

Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund Int'l. : Saving Mountain Gorillas through conservation and research is at the heart their work. Also see Dian Fossey biography and details about Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees.

Orangutan Foundation International - Orangutan Facts : Prehistorically their numbers were probably in the hundreds of thousands and their range extended from southern China through southeast Asia. Today their total numbers range from 15-25,000. Another conservation group is the Balikpapan Orangutan Society. See also Orangutan Links/Resources.

Gray Wolf Recovery : Click on a region to find out about gray wolf activities in the continental U.S. The Wolfdogs Resource discusses the wolf-dog hybrid and wolf hybrid, a mix between a wolf and a dog. Genetically, the wolf and the dog are the same species. See also Canid Genetics.

Bats and Humans : Organization for Bat Conservation

Central American Cloud Forests: Through their impact on water and soil quality, climate patterns, and numerous known and unknown plant and animal species, cloud forests profoundly affect life surrounding them, and life around the planet.

Biological Soil Crusts : From bacteria that build soils to insects that aerate the soil.

Seabirds and Forage Fish Research : Aimed at both students and scientists, the site explains Alaskan ecosystems through descriptions of research on how the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and long-term swings in forage fish populations have affected seabirds. But birds are the site's stars in a large photo gallery.

Land Use History of the Colorado Plateau : Centered on the Four Corners of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, the Colorado Plateau is 337,000 square kilometers of paradox. Learn about the Anasazi people, who built cliff dwellings and kivas before mysteriously disappearing 800 years ago. Find out how scientists use fossilized garbage piles left by packrats to trace past vegetation and animal life.

The Icy Continent is a booming place for science on everything from meteorites to Weddell seals, calving icebergs, and microbes that thrive in the hostile dry valleys. One can get a quick overview at Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research . Its site briefly describes research projects ranging from glaciology to seals. For more technical info, check out the United States Antarctic Resource Center where you can see all kinds of maps -- zoom in on the nearly water-free dry valleys, for example. If it's general information you're after, check out the British Antarctic Survey and it's recently spiffed-up site. It includes updates on topics such as the ozone hole as well as diaries of scientists.

Arctic Themes : Need to know the history of arctic sea ice, whether mercury pollution is harming polar bears, or perhaps the current temperature at the North Pole? These are just a few tidbits to be found at the, Arctic Theme Page a new collection of links and articles from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See also Norwegian Polar Institute to learn more about polar pollution and animal life.

Alaska Science Forum: Water, Snow and Ice Index : From the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, this website contains lots of coool stuff about cold. Glaciers, Ice Age, Ice, Snow and People.

Climatic Extremes and Weather Events : Sections focus on different forms of unruly weather. For example, you can search a 50-year database for all tornadoes above a certain wind speed, maximum/minimum daily rainfall, or browse the gallery of satellite views of fires, hurricanes, cyclones, and pounding storms.

Global Warming Photography : Aims to make climate change real and immediate by documenting effects we can see and measure today. The site provides examples of environmental shifts that range from disappearing toads in Costa Rica to melting permafrost in Alaska to surging sea levels in Siberia.

Climate Timeline Tool : Introduces students to long-term patterns in temperature and precipitation, and issues such as the debate over global warming. Each unit describes scientific findings about climate variation and discusses how such changes might have influenced human history or evolution.

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species : Like uninvited party guests, hundreds of foreign animals and plants have made themselves at home in U.S. waters, where they can wreak havoc on native ecosystems. The site's database can be used to generate a U.S. map of an invader's range and list introduced species found in any state or watershed. The aliens run from high-profile nuisance species such as the zebra mussel, bighead carp, and green crab to plants such as giant salvina, a fern choking many Southeast ponds and streams.

Atlas of Exotic Species: Sun-starved tourists aren't the only outsiders flocking to the Mediterranean. Hundreds of exotic creatures have wandered in from the Atlantic, sneaked through the Suez Canal, or been introduced by people. One invader, the pushy Caulerpa alga, is smothering native species in many spots across the Mediterranean, but the effects of most exotics are unknown.

Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk: The silent invasion of Hawaii by insects, disease organisms, snakes, weeds, and other pests is the single greatest threat to Hawaii's economy, natural environment and public health.

The Invaders Database: Comprehensive data on exotic plant names and weed distribution records for five states in the NW United States. Noxious weed listings are provided for all states and six Canadian provinces.

Wildland Invasive Species Program: Provides detailed information on the use of manual and mechanical techniques, grazing, prescribed fire, biocontrol, and herbicides, to help control undesirable invasive plants.

Invasive Species Program: America's forests and other ecosystems are threatened by invasions of alien species of insects, disease pathogens, and plants. Already, insects, fungi, and disease pathogens introduced from Europe and Asia have damaged 70% of the 165 million acres of forest in the Northeast and Midwest.

California Exotic Pest Plant Council: All over California, natural wildlands and parks are under attack from invasive pest plants. The CalEPPC is finds solutions to problems caused by non-native pest plant invasions.

Alien Plant Working Group: This site provides a compiled national list of invasive plants infesting natural areas throughout the U.S., background information on the problem of invasive species, illustrated fact sheets that include plant descriptions, native range, distribution and habitat in the U.S.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Citrus Canker, TSE in Vermont Sheep, Plum Pox Virus, Asian Longhorned Beetle and West Nile Virus are just some of the hot topics here.

Alien Species in North America and Hawaii : Impacts on Natural Ecosystems : by George W. Cox

Nature Out of Place: Biological Invasions in the Global Age : by Jason and Roy Van Driesche

Invasive Species in a Changing World : by Harold A. Mooney and Richard, J. Hobbs

Alien Invasion : America's Battle With Non-Native Animals and Plants : by Robert S. and Bob Devine

Tinkering with Eden: A Natural History of Exotics in America : by Kim Todd

The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants : by Charles S. Elton

Island Press: Environmental Publisher: Island Press was organized in 1984 to help meet the need for accessible, solutions-oriented information addressing the multidisciplinary nature of environmental problems.