Encyclopedia of Endangered Species - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 081038857X ISBN 13: 9780810388574

Publisher: Gale / Cengage Learning, 1994

Synopsis

Describes endangered mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, molluscs, crustaceans, insects, and plants

About this title

From Booklist

This guide to endangered species worldwide is highly selective, describing 700 animals and plants of the many thousands that are threatened with extinction. The species have been selected from lists compiled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and IUCN-the World Conservation Union. Animal entries are arranged by species and then by family and genus; there is a separate section for plants. Entries are listed by common name, followed by scientific name. A shaded box contains phylum, class, order, and family; the status of the animal or plant on the lists of any of the three organizations; and geographic range. Essays provide a physical description, breeding and habitat information, and conservation efforts and survival outlook for the species. These entries are one to two pages in length. A small black-and-white photograph is provided for about half the entries; some of these photographs have been too tightly cropped, cutting off the animal's horns or its tail. Supplementary material consists of lists of extinct species and of wildlife and conservation organizations, a bibliography arranged by species, and a series of simple black-and-white maps of regions of the world. The geographic index shows that there is good representation of animals from all parts of the world. American species are listed both under U.S.A. and specific states. The index lists both popular and scientific names.

Several other reference tools cover more endangered species. For example, the encyclopedia under review includes only 133 species from the U.S.; The Official World Wildlife Fund Guide to Endangered Species (4v., Beacham, 1990-94), with coverage limited to the U.S., lists more than 800 plants and animals. The Beacham set also cites bibliographic references for each species. The 11-volume Endangered Wildlife of the World from Marshall Cavendish [RBB My 1 93] does not cover plants but includes 1,200 species and subspecies of animals. The 10-volume Grolier World Encyclopedia of Endangered Species [RBB S 1 93] covers more than 600 animal species. These three titles all have color as well as black-and-white photographs; the Marshall Cavendish and Grolier titles are especially well illustrated. These titles also have locator maps for each species.

The Encyclopedia of Endangered Species is recommended as a good overview and as a less expensive alternative for public and high-school libraries that don't own one of the titles listed above.

From Library Journal

Gale Research has teamed with the IUCN-The World Conservation Union to produce this latest volume in the "Gale Environmental Library." It provides roughly 700 accounts, ranging in length from about a third of a page to two pages, of endangered animals and plants around the world. Following the common and scientific names that head up each unsigned entry is a box giving the higher classification, endangerment status, and range. This information is followed by paragraphs discussing the animal or plant's description and biology, its habitat and current distribution, and its history and the conservation measures meant to save it. Appendixes list recently extinct and critically endangered species as well as conservation organizations, and there are separate geographic and species indexes. Unfortunately, serious researchers will find this encyclopedia lacking. Only a small fraction of endangered species is covered, and criteria for inclusion are not well defined. The geographic index indicates a good geographic balance, which means that every state and country is equally slighted. The absence of references at the ends of the articles will be frustrating to all users. The bibliography is brief and general, and over half of the citations are to publications from the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources), which are unlikely to be found in most libraries. Academic libraries will probably prefer the Official World Wildlife Fund Guide to Endangered Species of North America (LJ 6/15/92) for its comprehensiveness (within North America) and the references with each article. Public and school libraries will prefer the 11-volume Endangered Wildlife of the World (LJ 5/1/93), which is written for a younger audience and does not cover plants but has better descriptions and discussions of the issues involved.
Bruce Neville, Univ. of Texas at El Paso Lib.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Gale / Cengage Learning
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 081038857X
• ISBN 13: 9780810388574
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1230
• Editor: Emanoil Mary