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This page includes links outside of Scholastic.com
Every Web site we link to was visited by our team at one point in time to make sure it's appropriate for children. But we do not monitor or control these sites and these sites can change. In addition, many of these sites may have links to other sites which we have not reviewed. Be sure to get permission from your parents or teacher before leaving this site, and remember to read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use of any site you visit.
American
Forest and Paper Association
http://www.afandpa.org/
American Forest and Paper Association's Web site features sections
on forestry, paper, wood products, recycling, and more.
American Museum of Natural History
http://www.amnh.org/science/
Includes an overview of the diversity of earth's habitats, a discussion
of endangered species, a time line of mass extinctions, and a look
at environmental conservation. Maintained by the American Museum
of Natural History.
ARABIAN WILDLIFE [ONLINE]
http://www.arabianwildlife.com/
Online issues of the conservation-oriented publication 'Arabian
Wildlife,' dealing with ecological issues concerning plants and
animals of the Middle East.
Biodiversity and Conservation
http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/bio65/Titlpage.htm
Online text discussing the origins of and threats to biodiversity.
Includes information on global biodiversity patterns. Written by
Peter J. Bryant, with the School of Biological Sciences, University
of California at Irvine.
Biodiversity and WORLDMAP
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/
projects/worldmap/
Discusses the various methods scientists use to measure the diversity
of plants and animals within a specific area. Maintained by the
biogeography and conservation lab at London's Natural History Museum.
Biomes: Table of Contents
http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/
biomes/main.html#tabcont
Images and descriptions of the world's major biomes. Developed for
educational use as part of the Virtual Geography Department Project,
at Radford University in Radford, Vermont. Includes a glossary of
biogeographic terms.
Country Analysis Briefs
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/
Detailed background information on the energy industry of each country,
continent, and major geographical region of the world, with maps,
graphs, statistics, and hyperlinks to related resources. Provided
by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
http://www.gorillafund.org/
Named for researcher Dian Fossey, this fund promotes protection
of the mountain gorillas of central-east Africa. Its Web site has
natural history information, pictures, audio/video, conservation
news, and profiles of gorillas studied by the organization.
earthday.org — Make EVERY Day Earth Day!
http://www.earthday.org/
The official Earth Day Web site provides information on the history
of Earth Day as well as on current celebrations. Well-organized
links offer a gateway to environmental resources on the Web.
Encyclopedia Smithsonian — Zoology
http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmnh/zoology.htm
Zoology-related fact sheets, photo exhibits, bibliographies, and
links to additional Web resources. Includes sections on insects,
marine animals, birds, several groups of mammals, and endangered
species. Maintained by the Smithsonian Institution.
EnviroLink Home Page
http://www.envirolink.org/
Links to materials on an extremely diverse number of environmental
topics and to an online environmental magazine.
FORSite
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/forsite/welcome.htm
On this Web site from the College of Natural Resources at Virginia
Tech K-12 students can learn about the basics of forestry equipment,
how a tree grows, how to identify and measure trees, and the forest
community. Includes interactive exercises.
Global land environments during the last 130,000 years
http://www.esd.ornl.gov/projects/qen/nerc.html
Maps of the changing distribution of vegetation across the world
over the past 18,000 years, including a look at how world vegetation
might have been distributed if human-based land development had
not occurred. From biologist Jonathan Adams.
Gorilla
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/default.cfm
Fact sheet for the gorilla, covering physical features, range, environmental
status, habitat, diet in wild and at zoo, reproduction, life span,
behavior, and more. Provided by Smithsonian National Zoo affiliate
Friends of the National Zoo.
Gorillas
http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Gorilla/home.html
Comprehensive resource on the biology of the gorilla. Maintained
by SeaWorld/Busch Gardens, this Web site offers pages on classification,
habitat, physical features, behavior, diet, longevity, reproduction,
and environmental status and a bibliography.
JGI — Welcome to the Jane Goodall Institute Website
http://www.janegoodall.org/
Offers information about Jane Goodall (including her curriculum
vitae) and the nonprofit institute named for her. Includes sections
on the natural history of chimpanzees and Goodall's 40 years of
chimp research at Gombe National Park in Tanzania.
Library of Congress / Federal Research Division / Country Studies
/ Area Handbook Series / Peru
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/petoc.html
Scholarly handbook, part of the Area Handbook/Country Studies series
of the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress. Provides
information (as of 1992) about the history, culture, economy, and
sociopolitical structure of Peru.
Living On Earth: NPR's Environmental News Show
http://www.loe.org/
Companion Web site to NPR's environmental news show offers a program
schedule, weekly highlights and features (in text and RealAudio
formats, with links to related Web resources), searchable transcript
archives, and more.
National Wildlife Federation's Homepage
http://www.nwf.org/
Includes online wildlife publications, infomation on environmental
issues, such as preservation of wetlands and protection of endangered
species, as well as on government involvement with these issues.
Includes child- or family-oriented material.
Olympic National Park
http://www.nps.gov/olym/
Provided by the National Park Service, this Web site gives extensive
information, including detailed visitor information, about Olympic
National Park. Online tours and information centers are available
or will be soon. Illustrated, educational.
Primate Info Net
http://www.primate.wisc.edu/pin/
Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center provides information
on primate biology, behavior, and research. Images and sound files
are available.
Rain Forest Materials
http://www.bcrescue.org/rainforests.html
Includes links to information on rain forest history and conservation
and a general list of Web sites.
Rainforest Action Network
http://www.ran.org/
The Rainforest Action Network, an organization working to protect
rain forests and support the rights of their inhabitants, provides
action alerts, press releases, World Rainforest Reports, information
on campaigns, and links to related organizations.
Tropical Forests
http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/TropicalForests/home.html
Educational resource on tropical forests as ecosystems, maintained
by SeaWorld/Busch Gardens. Includes facts and figures, recommended
reading for young people, a glossary of terms, and more.
Virtual Trip to Brazil
http://www.vivabrazil.com/
A map-based guide to the country, its provinces, and its cities.
Well illustrated and linked to many other sites about Brazil. Created
and maintained by computer consultant and teacher Walter Morales.
Welcome to Puerto Rico!
http://welcome.topuertorico.org/
A useful site with links to information about government, geography,
history, and tourism in Puerto Rico. Subsites reveal some flaws
in the English language descriptions and narratives.
Wild World @ nationalgeographic.com
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/terrestrial.html
Wild World clickable maps show the Earth in terms of ecological
boundaries, delineating terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecoregions.
Materials provided via a partnership between National Geographic
Society, World Wildlife Fund, and Ford Motor Co.
World Conservation Monitoring Centre
http://www.unep-wcmc.org/
Centre provides data and other information on threatened plant and
animal species, natural habitats, marine and coastal ecosystems,
protected areas, and wildlife utilization worldwide.
World Wildlife Fund: Welcome to WWF
http://www.wwf.org/
Web directory of the World Wildlife Fund, the world's largest conservation
organization, active in some 100 countries. Click on any country
on the map or on the list to be linked to the Web site of its national
WWF organization or program office.
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An
ecosystem characterized by a dense growth of trees in a very wet climate
is called a rain forest. There are two types of rain forests: tropical
and temperate. The largest areas of rain forest are in the tropics, and
they are amazingly rich in life: they are home to more species of plants
and animals than all the rest of the world's ecosystems combined. The
dominant plants in tropical rain forests are broadleaf evergreen trees.
They grow to heights of 27 m (90 ft), forming a canopy that shades the
lower layers of the forest. Vines rooted in the soil grow up tree trunks
and along branches until their leaves also are part of the canopy. Reaching
above the canopy are lofty trees that may attain heights of 60 m (200
ft). Below the canopy is the understory, which includes young trees, ferns,
and herbaceous plants. The dark floor of the forest is generally covered
with leaves, seeds, fruits, and other matter that falls from the upper
layers. Animal life includes monkeys, parrots, jaguars, bats, and sloths.
Temperate rain forests usually occur in wet coastal areas. The dominant
trees often are conifers such as redwoods and spruces. Wildlife includes
hawks, owls, wolves, and martens.
