Biodiversity resources

Guides written by Biosphere and trusted external sources about species, ecosystems and conservation.

• Biodiversity Glossary — Clear definitions of the scientific and ecological terms used across Biosphere.
• The Marine Biodiversity Guide — Explore the major organisms, habitats and ecological relationships found in marine environments.
• Tropical Rainforest Field Guide — Discover the layers of the rainforest and the species that live from the forest floor to the canopy.
• Understanding IUCN Red List Categories — A quick reference to every IUCN Red List category and how conservation status appears in Biosphere.
• Biodiversity Heritage Library — An open-access digital library of biodiversity literature and natural history archives.
• Catalogue of Life — A global index of the world’s known species, with their accepted scientific names and classification.
• Convention on Biological Diversity — The international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
• Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) — Species pages that bring together information and media about organisms from many sources.
• Freshwater & Wetlands Guide — Rivers, lakes, marshes and mangroves — where water and land meet, and the species that depend on them.
• GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility — Open access to biodiversity data: occurrence records of where species have been observed or collected.
• iNaturalist — Record observations of plants and animals and get help identifying them from a community of naturalists.
• IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services — A global assessment of the state of nature, its contributions to people and the drivers of change.
• Map of Life — Explore maps of where species are found around the world.
• NOAA Coral Reef Watch — Satellite monitoring of ocean heat stress that can cause coral bleaching.
• NOAA Ocean Service Education — Lessons, tutorials and educational material about the ocean and coasts.
• NSIDC — Learn about the Cryosphere — Explainers about sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, snow and permafrost.
• OBIS — Ocean Biodiversity Information System — An open-access database of marine species occurrence records from around the world.
• Observing Wildlife Responsibly — Practical guidelines for watching animals and plants in nature without disturbing them.
• Ramsar Convention on Wetlands — The intergovernmental treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
• Species Classification Basics — How scientists organise life from kingdom to species, with examples from the Biosphere catalog.
• The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — The global reference for the extinction risk of animal, fungus and plant species.
• USGS Water Science School — Educational pages about water, the water cycle, rivers, lakes and groundwater.