You don't have to be a scientist to recognize that vast areas of wilderness are disappearing. Every time a highway is constructed, a river dammed, a streambed diverted, or a forest cleared, the natural habitat of plants and animals is lost.

In many cases, habitat is not destroyed entirely. What does vanish is the unseen diversity that depends on complex interactions between all of an environment's elements. Earthworms that aerate the soil. Microorganisms that recycle nutrients. Pollinators. Predators. Birds that disperse seeds. When some of these elements are lost, habitat becomes impoverished.

More than likely, the world's wildlife will never disappear completely. Some species, such as grey squirrels, starlings, and ragweed, actually flourish in degraded areas. It is the species that are specialized and more sensitive to environmental changes-otters, bluebirds, columbine-that vanish. Conceivably, much of the earth may one day be populated only by those few species hardy enough to survive in depleted environments.

Beacham’s Guide to the Endangered Species of North America
*R-SIBL QH77 .N56 .B43

Encyclopedia of Endangered Species
*R-SIBL QH75.A1 E53

IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals
*R-SIBL QL82 .T43



Computer Indexes
General Science Abstracts
Biology Digest


Print Indexes
General Science Index*R-SIBL Z7401 .G46
Biological Abstracts*R-SIBL QH301 .B37

Our Vanishing Relative: the status of wild oran-utans at the close of the twentieth century
by H. D. Rijken
JSE 00-136

Killing Game: international law and the African elephant
by D. J. Harland
JBE 94-2481

Prescription for Extinction: endangered species and patented oriental medicines in trade
by Andrea L. Gaski
JSF 95-848