Environmental Sciences

Introduction

The following is a brief, selected guide to environmental science information resources available in Fogler Library, through the Fogler Library home page, and the World Wide Web. See also specific subject guides in this research guide series for other environmental resources.

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Indexes and Databases | Literature Guides | Dictionaries, Glossaries, and Acronyms | Bibliographies | Encyclopedias and Atlases | Biographical Information | Directories | Handbooks and Manuals | Journals | Virtual Libraries

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New Resources since 3/1/2013

Terms & Acronyms. 2013. Definitions of common terms used in EPA issued material. 

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URSUS

URSUS - the online catalogue of the University of Maine System, contains a wealth of information on environmental sciences and related topics.  Searching is by author, title, keyword, subject, and call number.  Through URSUS you can find books, conference, symposium, and workshop proceeding volumes, University of Maine theses and dissertations, and state, federal, Canadian, and other international documents. Material is catalogued by Library of Congress Subject Headings.  Depending on your topic, the following subject headings may get you started in your search:

acid rain, ecosystem management, environmental health, environmental impact analysis, environmental impact statements, environmental law, environmental management, environmental permits, natural areas, wildlife refuges

A good way to search URSUS is by keyword.   Using the keyword search option you can combine various keywords together using AND, OR, and parentheses.  If you wanted to find information on acid rain  in Maine or Vermont your search might look like this:

acid* and (rain or precipitation) and (maine or vermont)

where the * is a truncation symbol (wildcard) retrieving all variant endings (acid, acidic, acidity, acidify, etc.)

Indexes and Databases

The following indexes and databases cover a broad range of subjects related to the environmental sciences, including agriculture, aquatic sciences, biological sciences, engineering, ecology, and pollution.

Agricola 1970-present online
Bibliography of Agriculture Sci Index S1.U52. 1942-1996 (1980-1996 in Annex). If you are connecting to this database off the University of Maine campus but within the State of Maine, please connect through Maine's Science, Technology & Business Library.
Index to materials acquired by the National Agricultural Library (NAL) and cooperating institutions. Includes journal articles, monographs, series, and materials in many non-print formats covering a broad range of agricultural topics. NAL provides a Journals Indexed in Agricola.  Bibliography of Agriculture (print form of Agricola) can be searched by subject, author, and geographic location.  The Web version can be searched in a variety of ways including author, title and abstract keyword, and CAB descriptors. From 1979-1985 international in scope. From 1985+ focuses on U.S. related publications. Note that the National Agricultural Library provides its own Web interface to Agricola from 1970 to present. There is an online thesaurus.  Updated monthly.

AIRSData. United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards Information Transfer & Program Integration Division Information Transfer Group.

Aquatic Sciences & Fisheries Abstracts: 1971-present online.
Sci Index QH 90 A1A68 -1978-1981. If you are connecting to this database off the University of Maine campus but within the State of Maine, please connect through Maine's Science, Technology & Business Library.
This abstract is updated quarterly and covers the total aquatic environment (freshwater, brackish, and marine). Information is included on living resources as well as technology, policy, and non-living resources. Over 4,500 journals (see Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts serials list) are indexed as well as conference proceedings, books, and government and technical reports. Abstracts are included for most citations. 

Biological and Environmental Research Abstracts Database
A searchable database of research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.

BIOSIS Previews 1926-present
BIOSIS Previews, worldwide in scope, indexes the literature of the biological and biomedical sciences. The premier database in the biological sciences, subject coverage includes agriculture, biochemistry, bioengineering, botany, ecology, environmental sciences, genetics, microbiology, pharmacology, and zoology. Approximately 5,500 serial publications (see Biosis Previews serials list) as well as books, proceedings and meeting abstracts, technical reports, review papers, and patents are indexed. There are 58 separate data fields that can be searched including author, title, publication source, organism, concepts, super taxa, publication type, author affiliation, and abstract keyword. Searches can be limited to review articles.

Current Research Information System
A searchable database of U.S. Department of Agriculture funded research.  Search by keyword, investigator, agency, institution, state, and project status and type.  Many records include a list of publications resulting from the research.

Ecology Abstracts - 1982-present online
Sci Index QH 540 A66 - 1979-2002
Indexes the broad area of the interactions of organisms with their environment. Includes information on conservation, pollution, management, environmental degradation, and reclamation. Ecology Abstracts can be searched by author, title, subject, and abstract word. Indexes over 900 journals (see Serials source list for Ecology Abstracts). Updated monthly. 

Envirofacts data warehouse
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Search this database by zip code, city, county, or state to find EPA data on activities which may effect land, water, and air in a particular area.   

Environment Abstracts - 1971 - 2003. From 1971-1973 known as Environment Information Access.
ORO Sci Index GF 1 E553.
Search this quarterly publication by subject, author, title, and source publication.  Indexes over 650 periodical titles.  We have the full-text of the publications indexed in Environment Abstracts from 1981-1996 on microfiche in the Science & Engineering Center.

Environment Complete
Search this database for environmental information concerning ecosystems, agriculture, marine and freshwater science, and law and public policy.  Full text of over 400 journals. 

Environmental History Bibliography. 1633-present
Containing over 40,000 records with approximately 1,500 added per year, this searchable bibliography contains books, articles, and dissertations on a variety of  subjects related to forestry.  It is maintained by the Forest History Society.

GeoRef - 1785-present. If you are connecting to this database off the University of Maine campus but within the State of Maine, please connect through Maine's Science, Technology & Business Library.
Established and maintained by the American Geological Institute, this database is the online equivalent of the print Bibliography and Index of Geology. Searching is by author, title, subject, and abstract keyword. Over 3,500 serial titles are scanned for inclusion.

GreenFILE
Search this database for human impacts on the environment. Covers areas such as green building, pollution, renewable energy, and global climate change. 

National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP), National Environmental Publications Internet Site - NEPIS
This Environmental Protection Agency site contains the full text of over 10,000 EPA documents. Searching is by keyword.   

Pollution Abstracts - 1981-present online.
Sci Index TD 172 P65 - 1970-2002. 
The Web version can be searched in a variety of ways including author, title and abstract keyword, and CAB descriptors. Updated monthly. Over 1,000 serial titles are scanned for inclusion.

Water Resources Abstracts 1967-present online.
Index to international scientific literature on all aspects of water resource issues. Includes abstracts of journal articles, monographs, technical reports, books, and conference proceedings. Search by author, title, subject, and keyword. Over 1,300 serial titles are scanned for inclusion. Updated quarterly.

Web of Science. 1899-present
Science Citation Index 1965-2003.
Sci Index Q1.A1S36
Web of Science includes Science Citation Index from 1900-present.  Search by word in the title, keyword, and abstract.  Perform cited reference searches from 1900 to present. Limit by author affiliation and document type.   See the master journal list.

World Bank - Documents & Reports
A searchable database of over 65,000 World Bank documents, many available in full-text.  Searches can be done by author, title, keywords, country or region, sector (agriculture, economic policy, environment, etc.), document type, year, and report number.  This database includes country economic and sector work documents, project documents, and research & working papers.  Browsing is possible by country, document type, and sector. 

Literature Guides

Hutchinson, B.S. and Greider, A.P. (eds.) 2002. Using the agricultural, environmental, and food literature. New York: Dekker. 533p.
Sci Ref 494.5.A39U75 2002

Dictionaries, Glossaries and Acronyms

Allender-Hagedorn, S. and Hagedorn, C. An agricultural and environmental biotechnology annotated dictionary. Developed and maintained by above 2 authors at Virginia Tech.

Collin, P.H. (editor) 1998. Dictionary of ecology and the environment. 3rd ed. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. 253p.
Sci Ref QH540.4 .C6 1998

Cooper, A.R. 1996. Cooper's comprehensive environmental desk reference. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 1039p.
Sci Ref GE123 .C64 1996 

Diao, T. 1996. Vocabulaire trilingue de l'environnement. Andover : Intercept; Secaucus: Lavoisier c/o Springer-Verlag. 342 p.
Sci Ref GE10 .D525 1996 

Ecosystem valuation glossary. Part of the Ecosystem valuation site developed and written by Drs. D.M. King and M. Mazzotta.

Elsevier's dictionary of environment in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.1998. Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier. 467 p.
Sci Ref GE10 .E36 1998

Environmental health & safety dictionary[:] Official regulatory terms. 7th ed. Rockville, MD: Government Institutes. 617p.
Sci Ref RA566.E58 2000

Gilpin, A. 2000. Dictionary of environmental law. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. 377p.
Sci Ref K3584.6 .G55 2000 

Global change acronyms and abbreviations.
U.S. Global Change Research Information Office

Glossary of climate change terms
EPA

Glossary of oil spill terms. The Encyclopedia of Earth

Gregorich, E.G., Turchenek, L.W., Carter, M.R., and Angers, D.A. (eds.)  2001. Soil and environmental science dictionary. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 577p.
Sci Ref S592.S59 2001

Headworth, H. 1998. Dictionary of environmental science and engineering : English-Spanish/Spanish-English. Chichester; New York: John Wiley. 310p.
Sci Ref GE10 .H43 1998 

King, J.J. 1995. The environmental dictionary: and regulatory cross reference. 3rd ed. New York: John Wiley. 1295p.
Sci Ref KF3775.A68 K57 1995  

Koren, H. 1996. Illustrated dictionary of environmental health and occupational safety. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers. 407p.
Sci Ref RA566 .K59 1996 

Lee, C.C. 1997. Dictionary of environmental legal terms. New York: McGraw-Hill. 818p.
ORO Ref KF3775.A68 L44 1996 

Lee, C.C. 1998. Environmental engineering dictionary. 3rd ed. Rockville, MD: Government Institutes. 682p.
Sci Ref TD9 .L44 1998 

Matthews, J.A., et al. (eds.) 2001. The encyclopaedic dictionary of environmental change. London: Arnold; New York: Oxford Univ. Pr. 690p.
Sci Ref GE10.E534 2001

Ozone layer protection glossary. EPA

Pankratz, T.M. 1996. Concise dictionary of environmental engineering. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers. 406p.
Sci Ref GE10 .P36 1996.

Park, C. 2008. Oxford dictionary of environment and conservation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Sci Ref GE10.P375 2008

Porteous, A. 2008. Dictionary of environmental science and technology. 4th ed. Chichester; New York: J. Wiley. 797p.
Sci Ref GE10 .P67 2008

Reclamation glossary. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.

Routledge French dictionary of environmental technology:
French-English/English-French. 1997. London; New York: Routledge. 260p. 
Sci Ref TD9 .R67 1997 

Terms & Acronyms. 2013. Definitions of common terms used in EPA issued material. 

Wyman, B. and Stevenson, L.H. 2001. The facts on file dictionary of environmental science. New Edition. New York: Checkmark Books, 458p.
Sci Ref TD9.W95 2001

Zoebelein, H. (ed.) 2001. Dictionary of renewable resources. 2nd ed, rev. enlarged. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. 408p.
Ref S922.D53 2001

Bibliographies

Bibliography: Environmental change and its impact on species/ecosystems. Prepared by William C.G. Burns, Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security.  3,386 citations last updated 6/30/2002.

Burchsted, F. n.d. New England naturalists: A bio-bibliography.

Environmental justice bibliographic database. EPA. Almost 4,000 searchable bibliographic records.

Encyclopedias and Atlases

Atlas of America’s polluted waters. Assessment and Watershed Protection Division, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, EPA. 

Cape Cod: Land cover and ecology. The Woods Hole Research Center.

Cevasco, G.A. and Harmond, R.P. (eds.) 2009. Modern American environmentalists - a biographical dictionary. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. 557p.
Sci Ref GE55.M63 2009

Encyclopedia of biodiversity. 2001. San Diego: Academic Press. 5 vols.
Sci Ref QH541.15.B56 E53 2001

The encyclopedia of earth.

The encyclopedia of ecology & environmental management. 1998. Oxford; Malden, MA: Blackwell Science. 805p.
Sci Ref GE300 .E53 1998

Encyclopedia of energy technology and the environment. 1995. New York: John Wiley. 4 vols.
Sci Ref TJ163.235 .E53 1995

Encyclopedia of environmental analysis and remediation. 1998. New York: John Wiley. 8 vols. 
Sci Ref GE10 .E49 1998

Encyclopedia of environmental biology. 1995. San Diego: Academic Press. 3 vols.
Sci Ref QH540.4 .E52 1995

Encyclopedia of environmental science. 1999. Dordrecht; London: Kluwer Academic. 741p.
Sci Ref GE10 .E5 1999

Encyclopedia of paleoclimatology and ancient environments. 2009. Dordrecht: Springer.

Encyclopedia of pollution. 2011. New York: Facts on File. 3 vols.
Sci Ref TD173.G38 2011

Encyclopedia of soils in the environment. Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press. 4 vols.
Sci Ref S592.E53 2004

Environmental encyclopedia. 2003. Detroit: Thomson Gale. 2. volumes. 1641p.
Sci Ref GE 10.E38 2003

Hosansky, D. 2001. The environment A to Z. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. 320p.
Sci Ref GE10 .H67

Luck, M. (ed.) 2008. The encyclopedia of tourism and recreation in marine environments. Wallingford, UK: CABI. 587p.
Sci Ref G155.A1.E4296 2008

Biographical Information

Biographical dictionary of American and Canadian naturalists and environmentalists. 1997. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. 937p.
Sci Ref QH26 .B535 1997

World lake database. International Lake Environment Committee Foundation (ILEC).

World who is who and does what in environment & conservation. 1997. New York: St. Martin's Press; Geneva: Foundation for Environmental Conservation. 592p.
ORO Ref GE55 .W67 1997 

Directories

A-Z areas of biodiversity importance. UNEP, WCMC

Best environmental directories
Maintained by Bruno Kestemont, Centre for Economic and Social Studies on the Environment, Bruxelles. 

Conservation directory. 2003. Washington, D.C.: National Wildlife Federation. 
Sci Ref SK 361 N34 2003 48th ed.

Directory of environmental information sources. 5th ed. 1995. Boston: National Foundation for Environmental Control. 
Sci Ref HC110.E5 A7 5th ed. 1995 

Directory of Maine's conservation partners. 1997. [Augusta]: Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources. 22p.
ORO Special Collections St. Docs. A 27.7:C76/997 

Directory to the subject bibliographies in environmental ethics. Complied and edited by Timothy C. Weiskel, Harvard Divinity School. 

Earthwatch Radio. 1990-May 22, 2007. Gaylord Nelson Institute and University of Wisconsin Sea Grant

Environmental Careers Organization

The environmental directory
Maintained by a group of 23 volunteer staff in Santa Barbara, CA

Environmental telephone directory. 1996. Rockville, MD: Government Institutes. 
Sci Ref HC110.E5 E53 1996 

Global Change Master Directory. Directory of available data files on earth science topics.

Global Directory for Environmental Technology

Internships and opportunities in the field of environmental studies. Center for Environmental Studies, Brown University.

ISO 14000 resource directory. 1997. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and
Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Center for Environmental Research Information. 
ORO Gov Doc EP 5.24:R 31 

Trzyna, T. (ed.) 2001. World directory of environmental organizations. 6th ed. Sacramento, CA: International Center for the Environment and Public Policy, California Institute of Public Affairs. 263p.
Sci Ref TD169.6.W67 2001

World database on protected areas

Handbooks and Manuals

AirData: Access to air pollution data
Hazardous air pollution data for the United States.  The site is capable of generating reports and maps.  It includes the data from the Air Quality System and the National Emission Inventory databases.  Developed and maintained by the EPA.

The civil engineering handbook. 1995. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 2609p. 
Sci Ref TA151 .C57 1995
Section on environmental engineering.

Community-based environmental protection: a resource book for protecting ecosystems and communities. 1997. [Washington, D.C.]: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation. 
ORO Gov Doc EP 1.2:C 73/24 

DSIRE - database of state incentives for renewables & efficiency. (Maine information). U.S. Department of Energy, North Carolina Solar Center, Interstate Renewable Energy Council.

Hydrologic Information Center. National Weather Service

ECOLEX - The gateway to environmental law. FAO, IUCN, UNEP.
Search for treaties, court decisions, legislation, and literature.

ENTRI - Environmental treaties and resource indicators. SEDAC - Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center, Columbia University.

Environmental performance Index 2012. Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy

EPA TRI Explorer. Summary of Toxic Release Inventory basic data for each state - 2002-2011. 

Fierro, P., jr. and Nyer, E.K. 2007. The water encyclopedia - hydrologic data and Internet resources. 3rd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. various paging.
Sci Ref TC403.W38 2007

Finucane, E.W. 1999. Concise guide to environmental definitions, conversions, and formulae. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers. 206p.
Sci Ref TD145 .F55 1999

Gottlieb, D.W. 2003. Environmental technology resources handbook. Boca Raton: Lewis. 216p.
Sci Reg TD169.5.G68 2003

Handbook of environmental data on organic chemicals. 3rd ed. 1996. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 2064p.
Sci Ref TD196.O73 H35 1996 

Lee, C.C. and Lin, S.D. (eds.) 2007. Handbook of environmental engineering calculations. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw Hill.
Sci Ref TD145.H27 2007

King, R.B. 1998. Practical environmental bioremediation : the field guide. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers.184p.
ORO Stacks TD192.5 .K56 1998

Lehr, J., Hyman, M., Gass, T.E., and Seevers, W.J. 2002. Handbook of complex environmental remediation problems. NY: McGraw Hill. various paging
Sci Ref TD1060.H34 2002

Linkages: A Multi-media Resource for Environment and Development Policy Makers. International Institute for Sustainable Development.

The little green data book. 2004. Washington D.C.: The World Bank.
(Note: world development indicators by country)
Sci Ref GE148.L5 2004

The McGraw-Hill recycling handbook. 2001. 2nd ed. NY: McGraw-Hill. various paging.
Sci Ref TD794.5 .M397 2001

Montgomery, J.H. 1997. Agrochemicals desk reference. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 656p.
Sci Ref TD196.A34 M66 1997 

Montgomery, J.H. 2007. Groundwater chemicals - desk reference. 4th ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 1701p.
Sci Ref TD426.M66 2007

    NOTE: 4,300 references cited in this book

Prager, J. 1995. Environmental contaminant reference databook. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 3 vols.
Sci Ref TD196.C45 P73 1995

Standard handbook of environmental engineering. 2nd ed. 1999. New York: McGraw-Hill.  
ORO Stacks TD145 .S72 1999 

UV index. EPA

Verschueren, K. 2001. Handbook of environmental data on organic chemicals. 4th ed. New York: Wiley. 2 vols. 2391p.
Sci Ref TD196.O73V47 2001

Wilderness.Net
Find information about US wilderness areas by name, state, or region.

Journals

EJournals at UMaine. To determine if Fogler Library owns a particular electronic journal of newspaper, search URSUS by journal, magazine, or newspaper title. 

Virtual Libraries

AgNIC - Agriculture Network Information Center. Over 1,000 information resources described.

Environmental policy collection. University of North Texas Digital Library

Maps and Graphics Library. UNEP.
A searchable database of almost 1,600 graphics with an environmental or sustainable development theme.

National Service Center for Environmental Publications/NEPIS. Searchable, full-text database of over 10,000 EPA documents.

U.S. EPA Online Library System

Return to the guides listing

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Created by: Jim Bird | Revised: 03/12/2013