Last revised: July 2007
Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics
Scope: This is a selective guide to finding key research material in the related areas of Ecology, Evolution, and Animal Behavior. Ecology is the study of the structure and function of nature, and how living organisms interact with the their environment. Evolution is the process through which current biodiversity has developed from earlier forms of life. Animal Behavior is the study of an animal's response to its environment. These areas are often studied in conjunction, as behavior is examined from an ecological, evolutionary, and developmental perspective. Neuroethology is a related area but falls outside of scope of this guide. Resources and organization of this guide are largely based on Using the Biological Literature: A Practical Guide. 3rd. Edition. by Diane Schmidt, Elisabeth B. Davis, and Pamela F. Jacobs., 2002.
Email the subject area specialist at sgagnon@umd.edu for more information.
Texts
- Alcock, John. Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach. 6th. edition. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer, 2005.
LOCATION: McKeldin Folios
CALL NUMBER: QL751 .A58 2005 - Crawford, Daniel J. Plant Molecular Systematics: Macromolecular Approaches.New York, NY: Wiley, 1990.
LOCATION: McKeldin Stacks
CALL NUMBER: QK95.4 .C73 1990 - Goodall, David W., editor. Ecosystems of the World. New York, New York: Elsevier, 1977-
LOCATION: search the library catalog by individual volume title or series title
- Futuyama, Douglas J. Evolutionary Biology. Sunderland, Massachussetts: Sinauer, 1998.
LOCATION: McKeldin Folios
CALL NUMBER: QH 366.2 .F87 1998 - Hall, Brian K. Evolutionary Developmental Biology New York, New York: Chapman & Hall, 1998.
LOCATION: McKeldin Stacks
CALL NUMBER: QH491 .H3 1998 - Maynard, Smith, John. Evolutionary Genetics. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
LOCATION: McKeldin Stacks
CALL NUMBER: QH371 .M327 1998 - Page, Roderic D.M. and Edward C. Holmes. Molecular Evolution: A Phylogenetic Approach. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science, 1998.
LOCATION: Chemistry Library Stacks
CALL NUMBER: QH390 .P34 1998
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
- Allaby, Michael, editor. A Dictionary of Ecology 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
LOCATION: McKeldin Reference Stacks
CALL NUMBER: QH540 .4 .C66 1998 - Barrows, Edward M. Animal Behavior Desk Reference: A Dictionary of Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution. 2nd Edition. Boca Raton, FL.: CRC Press, 2000.
LOCATION: McKeldin Reference
CALL NUMBER: QL750 .3 .B37 2001 - Birds of North America
http://bna.birds.cornell.edu
Comprehensive resource on bird life. - Ecology Basics Pasadena, California: Salem Press, 2004.
LOCATION: McKeldin Reference
CALL NUMBER: QH540.4 .E39 2004 v.1 and 2 - Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/emrw/047001590X/home
General encyclopedia of all biological sciences topics. - NatureServe: An Online Encyclopedia of Life
http://www.natureserve.org/
Finding books on a topic
To find books on a certain topic, do a keyword search in the library catalog. You can also search using the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) by typing any of the following selected subject headings in the library catalog:
Animal behavior
Animal behavior mathematical models
Human behavior animal models
Animal Behavior evolution
Finding articles on a topic
To find articles in research journals, search any of the following databases using keywords that describe your topic. For example: white-crowned sparrow and song
- BIOSIS Previews (1990-) UM only
BIOSIS Previews provides the most comprehensive coverage to the literature of the life sciences. Coverage includes primary research articles in the basic areas of biology: botany, zoology and microbiology, as well as related fields such biomedicine, agriculture, pharmacology and ecology. - Animal Behavior Abstracts (1982-) UM only
Indexes journal articles, book chapters, conference papers on all aspects of animal behavior. - Ecology Abstracts(1982-) UM only
Indexes journal articles, book chapters, conference papers in ecology, behavior, and environmental science. - Plant Science Abstracts (1982-) UM only
Indexes journal articles, book chapters, conference papers in plant sciences. - Science Citation Index Expanded (1945-) UM only
The Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI) is an important tool for locating research articles. SCI coverage is multidisciplinary and allows you to see the cited references (bibliography) of a particular article, number of times an article has been cited and related records. - Zoological Record (1978-) UM only
Zoological Record (ZR) provides the most comprehensive coverage to the world's zoological literature. ZR provides complete coverage to taxonomy and nomenclature and other areas such as ecology, behavior, life cycle, methodology, physiology and others.
Review Journals
Review journals are a good starting point for finding a research topic of interest. You may expand the scope of your search by searching an index such as the Science Citation Index. SCI provides the cited references for a particular article, number of times cited and related records.
Current issues of journals are shelved alphabetically in the Current Periodicals Room on the 1st floor of McKeldin Library. Bound journals are located in the stacks by call number. To locate a particular volume, search by title of the publication in the online library catalog.
Advances in Ecological Research LOCATION & HOLDINGS : McKeldin Periodical Stacks; vol.1- (1962-current).
Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics
LOCATION & HOLDINGS : McKeldin Periodical Stacks; vol. 1-33 (1979-2002) QH541 .A5
ONLINE
Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
LOCATION & HOLDINGS: McKeldin Periodical Stacks; vol. 10-79 (1935-2004) QH301 .C243
ONLINE
Ecological Studies: Analysis and Synthesis
LOCATION & HOLDINGS: McKeldin Stacks; vol. 1-13, 15-41, 43 (1970-current). Search catalog for individual titles.
Oxford Surveys in Evolutionary Biology
LOCATION & HOLDINGS: McKeldin Periodical Stacks; v. 1-9 (1984-1993) QH359 .O93
ONLINE
Quarterly Review of Biology
LOCATION & HOLDINGS: McKeldin Periodical Stacks v.1 - (1926-current).
Key Research Journals
Below is a selected list of journals in ecology, evolution, and behavior. Titles available electronically are linked, but you may also check the library catalog for
issues available in print.
The American Naturalist
Animal Behavior
Behaviour: An International Journal of Behavioral Biology
Behavioral Ecology
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America
Conservation Biology
Ecology
Ecological Applications
Ecological Monographs
Ecological Research
Ethology
Ethology and Sociobiology
Evolution
Evolutionary Ecology
Evolutionary Ecology Research
Journal of Animal Ecology
Journal of Chemical Ecology
Molecular Ecology
Oecologia
Population Ecology
Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B (appears in the library catalog as
Proceedings Biological Sciences)
Trends in Ecology and Evolution(TREE)
Science
Nature
Professional Associations
- American Society of Naturalists
http://www.amnat.org
- Animal Behavior Society
http://www.animalbehavior.org
- British Ecological Society
http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/
- Ecological Society of America
http://www.esa.org
- International Society of Chemical Ecology
http://www.chemecol.org/
Remote Access via Research Port
Access Library databases and online journals while you are off campus using the Research Port interface. You must log in using your barcode number (14 digit number on the back of your University of Maryland student ID card) and your last name.
