![[back]](../../images/back.gif){kind=small}
Back to Government Information Sources in
Science and Technology main pageBack to Guides and Special ListsBack to Government Information main page
Agricultural Statistics A 1.47: . Annual. 1964-. A compendium of statistics on agricultural production, supplies, consumption, facilities, costs and returns. Recent years are also available online from the Dept. of Agriculture.
Birds in Our Lives I 49.2:B 53/3. 1966. Gives a wide perspective on birds as they affect and are affected by people, their activities, other birds, and other animals. Illustrated, with a detailed index.
Catalog of Diptera of America A 1.76:276. 1965. A listing only, with synonyms and geographic distribution noted. There is a lengthy bibliography classified by author and an extensive index.
Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico SI 1.2:H 99/2. 1979. Index to basic systematic, biological and morphological information on order Hymenoptera (wasps, ants, etc.).
Census of Agriculture. C 3.31: . Taken every 5 years.
Beginning with 1997, the Census of Agriculture publications are classified under different numbers. The Library has 1997 Geographic Area volumes for Texas and the United States (A 92.53/43: ) in print and CDs (on 7-day Reserve) for some other series at A 92.53/56: and A 92.54: . The most comprehensive Agriculture Census data for 1992 to the present is online at the Dept. of Agriculture.
Forest & Rangeland Birds of the U.S.: Natural Historv & Habitat Use A 1.76:688. 1991. Designed to provide basic data to assist in ecologically sound managment of resources. Information for each species includes illustration, range and status, description of habitat and food habits.
Handbook of Agricultural Charts A 1.76/2: . Annual. 1964–1990 . (Newest volumes have the title: Agricultural Chartbook. For years previous to 1985, Handbooks are scattered within the A 1.76: Agricultural Handbook series.) Includes charts on the farm, rural development, consumer issues, food and nutrition programs, trade and commodity trends.
Inventory & Monitoring of Wildlife Habitat I 53.2: In 8/3. 1986. Reviews procedures and techniques for planning, organizing and administering wildlife projects. Glossary, index. Note publication date: of use for general reference and historical purposes only.
Manual of Grasses of the U.S. A 1.38:200/2. 1935. Features line drawings and detailed descriptions of genera and species. Includes general introduction, glossary and extensive index.
Our Living Resources: A Report to the Nation on the Distribution, Abundance and Health of U.S. Plants, Animals and Ecosystems. I 49.2:R 31/15. 1995. The two major parts of this report cover 1) species and ecoregions and 2) special issues such as human influences and non-native species. There is a glossary and detailed index.
Selected Weeds of the U.S. A 1.76:366. 1970. Describes 224 species of weeds and gives geographical distribution. Line drawings are included. There is a glossary of technical terms and an index.
Silvics of North America A 1.76:654. 1990. Vol. 1: Conifers; vol. 2: Hardwoods. Describes 200 species in 50 states and Puerto Rico. Arrangement is alphabetical by genus, with indexes by common name and by author.
Agriculture Handbooks A 1.76: . Includes many substantial and valuable monographs, such as: Handbook of Peach and Nectarine Varieties (#714); Beekeeping in the U.S. (#335); Forest and Rangeland Birds of the U.S. (#688), etc.
Smithsonian Contributions to Botany SI 1.29:. 1969- . Some numbers are in microfiche. Monographs report on research and collections of the Smithsonian museums in the area of botany.
Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology SI 1.27:. 1969- . Some numbers are in microfiche. Monographs report on research and collections of the Smithsonian museums in the area of zoology.
Yearbooks of Agriculture A 1.10:. Annual. 1936-1993. Devoted to a different topic each year, they contain articles and illustrations, some statistics, and usually an index.
Go to Resources in the Library
GPO Browse Topics. This listing of links to government sites is by broad subject. Currently, their pages related to the Life Sciences are: Birds • Aquatic Life
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center. Guides, directories, databases, and other resources concerned with sustainable agricultural practices.
Animal Welfare Information Center. This center is operated by the National Agricultural Library, and offers news, publications, and links to federal animal care legislation and policies.
Bioethics Resources on the Web. This portal, provided by the National Institutes of Health, offers links to information sources concerned with general and specific bioethics issues, such as health law, the conduct of research, stem cells, and laboratory animal protocols. The links cover NIH and other government-sponsored research. A related website is run by the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications Research Program (ELSI), connected with the Human Genome project.
Bureau of Land Management. This agency, in the Department of the Interior, manages the public lands of the U.S. and regulates activities on them, including recreation, commercial enterprises, and conservation/restoration. The Web site may be searched or browsed by subject. Of particular interest to the Life Sciences is their Soil Biological Communities website.
Biological Resources Division of USGS. This component of the U.S. Geological Survey is charged with providing the "scientific understanding and technologies needed to support the sound management and conservation" of the nation's biological resources. Links to publications and subsidiary offices (including a by-state listing of programs) are on the main page. The agency also operates the National Biological Information Infrastructure, designed to be an "electronic gateway to biological data and information maintained by federal, state, and local government agencies; private sector organizations; and other partners around the nation and the world." You may search the entire network of Web pages, or focus on particular topics.
Convention on Biodiversity. This United Nations umbrella organization aims to conserve diversity, use it sustainably, and share its benefits. Look under "Programmes" for sub-sites dealing with diversity in specific types of ecosystems or with themes like climate change that cut across ecological boundaries. Another good link is "Information," which leads to reference material and databases.
Department of Agriculture. The USDA is a major agency for information about domesticated and wild plant and animal species. Many USDA publications are available on their Web site, which can be searched. The main page also links to the many sub-agencies which operate under the various USDA mission areas: Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, Rural Development, Research, Education and Economics, Natural Resources and Environment, Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, Food Safety and Marketing and Regulatory Services. Here are some important sub-agencies with valuable websites:
Fish and Wildlife Service. FWS is a sub-agency in the Department of the Interior which supports programs to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The main page links to informational pages on topics of substantial public interest, such as endangered species, as well as to publications, grants information, etc. An example of a specialized site within the Service is their Birds, Birds, Birds site, a clearinghouse of information on the subject. Another is their Endangered Species Program website, which offers information on protected species and on plans for their recovery.
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC). The site provides online access to various Center publications (journal articles, reports, fact sheets, etc.) and datasets. The extensive listing of Fact Sheets are of particular interest for the general public. The Center is operated by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Mammal Species of the World. This Smithsonian Institution database provides taxonomic information on over 4,000 species and may be searched by scientific or common names.
NASA's Life Science Data Archive. This database provides information and data from experiments related to the life sciences from NASA missions.
National Agricultural Library. This site is a good portal to many of the Department of Agriculture's publications, as well as agriculture resources in general. One of the main components of the Library is AGRICOLA (AGRICultural OnLine Access). The database contains records (with some links to full-text materials) for books and journal articles dealing with all aspects of agricultural science. There are two parts to the database, one for books (largely since 1970, with some older items) and the other for journal articles (since 1981). Materials can be borrowed or copied. Another significant feature linked from the Library's site is AgNIC (Agriculture Network Information Center). This database of online resources is maintained by a partnership among colleges and universities and the Dept. of Agriculture, and may be searched or browsed by general topic.
National Human Genome Research Institute. The NHGRI is the Institute within the NIH (see below) in charge of the Human Genome Project, an ambitious, long-term research effort aimed at mapping the entire human genome. There is a separate section of the Institute devoted to an exploration of the "Ethical, Social and Legal Implications" of the research, as well as a glossary of genetics terms and a collection of news items regarding the project.
National Marine Fisheries Service. This sub-agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration administers NOAA's programs which support the domestic and international conservation and management of living marine resources. Links from its main page lead to offices dealing with different aspects of the agency's mission, regional offices, and information such as news items, statistics and laws. Another of NOAA's responsibilities is the system of National Marine Sanctuaries. They provide this educational page dealing with the sanctuaries and their resources.
National Marine Sanctuaries Media Library. Images and videos of aquatic life that can be searched or browsed by "galleries" or broad subjects.
National Museum of Natural History. This Smithsonian Museum supports research and mounts exhibitions related to the natural world, and has a global, not just a national, focus. "The Diversity of Life" is one of the Museum's major subject areas and this part of the website is of particular interest to the Life Sciences.
National Park Service. This link is to the Park Service's Biology Resources page, which links to information regarding plants and animals in the nations' Parks in general. The web pages for each Park have a similar format, which features a "Nature and Science" link on the left-side navigation bar. Here you can find information on plants and animals in that particular area.
National Resources Conservation Service. This office under the Department of Agriculture provides assistance for conservation efforts. Their "Technical Resources" link is a good portal to their various projects and information projects, and "Features" offers websites with resources on topics of interest such as droughts and soils, as well as educational material for students and the general public.
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Biological Resources. A comprehensive database of information related to the " biotic resources of the Great Plains," which was developed to make this material more widely available to scientists and the general public.
President's Council on Bioethics. This body's web site includes transcripts of their session, links to reports that they have produced, and links to similar institutions in other countries, as well as miscellaneous background resources on bioethical issues such as cloning and stem cell research.
PubMed Central. An archive of free life science journal literature from the National Institutes of Health.
Wildlife Disease Information Node. This portal, operated as part of the National Biological Information Infrastructure of the USGS, provides access to information on wildlife populations around the world. Highlights of the site are an interactive map which allows geographical appreciation of disease problems, and links to information on "hot topics" of current news interest.
Wind and Sea Internet Guide. This listing of reviewed and annotated links dealing with weather, climate, and oceans was developed by librarians at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They have an extensive collection of links to information on fish and marine biology , which includes sub-divisions covering birds, fishes, invertebrates, mammals and reptiles.
House Committees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, and Science and Technology.
Senate Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Commerce, Science and Transportation, Energy and Natural Resources, and the Environment and Public Works.
There is some variation among Congressional Committee Web sites as to content. But all of them will have at least some information on legislation they are currently considering. So for information of this kind, these are good sites to consult. Some Committees, however, will have more historical information available than others.
A selection of links to government databases in the sciences and technology can be found on our Government Databases in Scientific and Technical Fields page.
Back to Government Information Sources in
Science and Technology main page
Back to Guides and Special Lists
Back to Government Information main page