Flora and Fauna

The Forest Inventory and Analysis service in the United States monitors the lichen community in order to assess the impact of air pollution on forest health.

Information from Wikipedia on this phylum of fungi the members of which are molds living on soil or decaying plant or animal material.

Taxonomy, description, and extensive references, with particular emphasis on the Crenarchaeota (classified here as a Kingdom.)

Taxonomy browser, with some links.

Reports the decoding of the Pyrococcus abyssi, which lives in the intense pressure and temperature of black smoker vents on the seafloor.

Alphabetically and chronologically arranged lists of taxa, with additional information on bacterial taxonomy.

Free to use horticultural and conservation research tool with an up-to-date list of all the world's Cycad species.

Phylogenetic trees, technical descriptions of all orders and families, references, and links. By Peter Stevens of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Article by Wim van Egmond introducing these delicate unicellular organisms that have yellow-brown chloroplasts that enables them to photosynthesize, with fine photographs.

Photographic observations by Jim Evarts of the fission and conjugation of these protozoans.

Includes sections on the fossil record, life history and ecology, systematics, and morphology.

Photographs and information on these single-celled organisms.

Information on slime moulds which were originally considered to be fungi by mycologists and amoebae by zoologists, respectively classified as Myxomycota (slime fungi) or Mycetozoa (fungus animals).

The taxonomic placement of this parasitic worm long puzzled biologists. Information from Wikipedia on this species, sometimes known as Tetracapsula bryozoides.

Information from Wikipedia on this protozoan parasite that inhabits the gut, its life cycle, how the infection manifests itself and how it can be prevented and treated.

Article from Wikipedia on this single-celled organism, its habitat, anatomy and reaction to outside stimuli such as changes in salinity.

Description and significance, genome structure, cell structure, metabolism and ecology.

Information on Giardia intestinalis (or Giardia lamblia) which is a human pathogen, and diagrams and information on the life cycle of this protozoan flagellate.

Photographs and information on the natural history of this species.

Taxonomy reference information.

Article by Wim van Egmond introducing water fleas, ostracods and copepods with several excellent photographs.

Systematic and alphabetic list with detailed information on all the insect orders. From John R. Meyer's North Carolina State University Entomology class site.

Information on these crabs, which have evolved little in the last 250 million years, their behavior and mating ritual.

Photograph and information on this species, including its taxonomy, description, habitat, distribution, life history, population biology, physical tolerances and community ecology.

Illustration and information on this species, including its taxonomy, description, habitat, distribution, life history, population biology, physical tolerances and community ecology.

Illustration and information on this arborescent bryozoan, including its taxonomy, description, habitat, distribution, life history, population biology, physical tolerances and community ecology.

Worldwide database compiled from the ornithological literature of birds with two different species as parents. Includes complete references for each species combination. In English, French, and Spanish.

Identification key and guide to all families of fishes in Puget Sound (Washington, USA).

Images, distribution maps and other data on North American freshwater fish.

Annotated checklists of Canadian, Iranian and Iraqi freshwater fish.

Photograph and article from Wikipedia on this barrel-shaped tunicate, including its distribution, nervous systems, relationships and classification.

Laboratory modules using sea urchin eggs to explore fertilization and development.

Illustrated article by Richard L. Howey considering how creatures with no brains, such as the sea urchin, react appropriately to their surroundings.

Rob Toonen's comments about the defense mechanisms of sea cucumbers.

Photographs and a description of this species.

Classification and images of cephalopods from the Tree of Life project.

Information about Architeuthus dux and an illustration.

Photographs and information on Nautilus and Allonautilus which are the last living genera of externally shelled cephalopods.

Photographs and information from ARKive including classification, status, description, range, habitat, biology, threats and conservation.

Information from Wikipedia on this disease which is caused by the dog roundworm, Toxocara canis or the cat roundworm, Toxocara cattis.

Information from Wikipedia on this parasitic nematode, Enterobius vermicularis, that affects humans, its classification and life cycle.

Photographic study by Jean-Marie Cavanihac of these marine organisms.

Provides information designed to help educate aquarists on the basics of marine biology and chemistry and on the proper care of common aquarium corals.

Introduction to the Ctenophora, otherwise known as "comb jellies" "sea gooseberries" or "Venus's girdles."

Article by Wim van Egmond on the sea gooseberries with many photographs of the Ctenophore, Pleurobrachia pileus.

Wikipedia article on the ascomycete fungi that cause powdery mildew on plants.

Photograph of this species.

Article with photographs by Tom Volk on this green mould and a useful explanation of the complex classification system for fungi, their teleomorphs and anamorphs.

The fungus Gibberella zeae and its anamorph, Fusarium graminearum, are the causal agent of a serious disease of wheat. Illustrated article by Tom Volk on the microscopic processes involved in the infection.

Article by Tom Volk on this fungus which grows on rose thorns, and other fungi that can colonise human skin.