State Birds Forced to Take Flight? Global Warming Likely to Displace Nation's Migratory Birds [.pdf]
http://www.nwf.org/climate/statemigratorybirds.html
The National Wildlife Federation's Climate Change & Wildlife Web site is currently featuring the topic of state birds that are likely to be impacted by global warming. Visitors can download a fact sheet for each state that focuses on the threats to bird species in that state. The site also contains the downloadable Birdwatcher's Guide to Global Warming, a report put out by the National Wildlife Federation and American Bird Conservancy. The research "shows that global warming is already shifting songbird ranges, altering their migration behavior and habitat, and perhaps diminishing some species' ability to survive." [AL]
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Ocean Explorer: 2002 Explorations
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/explorations.html
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Ocean Explorer Web site (last mentioned in the March 8, 2002 NSDL Scout Report for the Life Sciences) has begun several of this seasons explorations. Six new voyages have been, or soon will be undertaken and the Web pages include daily updates, photos, and videos of the research efforts. Studies include biological monitoring of marine sanctuaries, hydrothermal vents, geological studies, and recovery of a sunken Civil War ship. An interesting site for those interested in the type of research conducted by NOAA, and those curious about careers in oceanography. [AL]
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Two on Chronic Wasting Disease
http://whyfiles.org/156cwd_deer/index.html
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/cwd/
Chronic wasting disease, the brain disease sometimes compared to mad cow disease that affects deer and elk, has become a problem outside of the states of Colorado and Wyoming where it has been known for decades, raising awareness and concern for wildlife in affected areas. The first Web site is a recent Why Files discussing the epidemic and Wisconsin's plans to control it. The second is a Web site from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service which includes a fact sheet on the disease and USDA actions to attempt to eradicate it. [AL]
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US Fish & Wildlife Service National Image Library
http://images.fws.gov/
This digital image collection from the US Fish & Wildlife Service contains an enormous number of photographs that can be viewed online or downloaded. The collection contains images of plants, wildlife, landscapes, and habitats. The search function allows for either general or specific searches, but the site is lacking a browse function that would allow users an overview of the scope of categories contained in the collection. [AL]
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NOAA Fisheries Shark Web Site
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sharks/index.htm
This Shark Web site from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contains a broad range of information on sharks ranging from shark biology and management to reducing the risk of a shark attack. The Web site includes a series of fact sheets on these various topics that briefly and effectively convey information. The site, which is mainly text, is easy to navigate, and includes a large number of links for more information organized into topic groups. [AL]
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Seeing Leaves in a New Light
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/LAI/
This current feature from NASA's Earth Observatory focuses on the use of a new type of vegetation measurement called the leaf area index (LAI). The four page article describes how trees moderate climate, and how scientists think the LAI will be useful in modeling global climate change. The text is written for a general audience and includes images showing what LAI data actually looks like. When the glossary is turned on, links are provided to definitions for a number of scientific terms. [AL]
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Dendrology at Virginia Tech
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/main.htm
This home page for the Dendrology program at Virginia Tech is a great resource for those interested in woody plants. In addition to the set of fact sheets on over 450 tree species and fall color photos for many species, the site hosts two useful identification keys. The Leaf Key and Twig Key allow users to identify a tree by viewing online photos and statements, and clicking on the choice that most resembles the tree to be identified. When the suspected genus or species is identified, more photos and descriptions are provided to help ensure that the identification is correct. [AL]
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Environmental Indicators
http://ecoinfo.org/env_ind/indicators_e.cfm
Environment Canada has developed a set of environmental indicators that are easily measurable and provide useful clues on the state of the environment. This Web site provides a listing of those indicators that Environment Canada monitors. For each indicator, there is a detailed description of the environmental indicator, how it relates to larger environmental problems, and what is being done to reduce the threat. A number of Web links are provided for further information on each indicator. [AL]
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