Biology, Flora, and Conservation resources on the World Wide Web
When you're searching for informational sources on the open Web, you must assess if the pages you locate are credible, with verified authority, objectivity, and currency. Click on the link at left labeled "How to verify credibility" to learn more about this process.
Alternatively, use the websites listed below, which provide suggested starting points for your research.
FOR INFO. ABOUT CALIFORNIA FLORA (a.k.a. the Chaparral Lab)...
- Jepson eFlora
This site is maintained by the University of California at Berkeley (per the site's copyright notice), and entries are submitted/reviewed by staffers, faculty, and graduate students at UC Berkeley's University Herbarium (established in 1895) and Jepson Herbarium (established 1950). - Calflora
This site is maintained by the Calflora Database organization, with a published mission and staff. - Calscape
This site is maintained by the non-profit California Native Plant Society. You can learn more about its mission, leadership, and staff.
FOR INFO. ABOUT WILDLIFE CONSERVATION EFFORTS (a.k.a. the Zoo Lab)...
- The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
This site, per its copyright notice, is published and maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). You can read more about the organization here, to learn that it's been around for more than 70 years, and has named leadership with relevant expertise in bio-conservation efforts. - Los Angeles Zoo - Home page
The copyright notice for this site gives publishing credit to the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA). This page provides information about the Zoo itself, and this page describes GLAZA. Double-checking these pages for the history, mission, and leadership of the organizations, we can be assured of their credibility. - Animal Diversity Web
This site is maintained by the Regents of the University of Michigan (per its copyright notice). Its content is contributed by students of biology at many respected universities around the country, and the site is editorially reviewed by staffers at the U of M's Museum of Zoology. On the site's "About" page, you can verify its background and stated purpose.
Pro-tips for searching on the Web
When searching Google, utilize these advanced search strategies.
- Use quotation marks to force phrase searching. Search for "keystone species" or "leaf miners," typed into the search bar with quotations at the start of each phrase and at the end of each phrase.
- Limit the search to retrieve results from sites with .org or .edu domains.
Type into the search bar something like these demonstrations:
