When you are doing research on a topic, you will often require a quick definition of a term, a specific fact, or condensed, detailed information about particular topics. This is a non-comprehensive listing of encyclopedias, handbooks and manuals covering biology topics. Scroll down to see more or use the menu below to skip to a section.
Reference eBooks & Books
A regularly updated resource of more than 6,300 peer-reviewed articles by experts in their field, accompanied by colour illustrations and tables. It is "comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the life sciences for students, lecturers, and researchers alike."
Life on Earth: An Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution - online or at Robertson Library: QH 541.15 .B56L54 2002
Primarily for undergraduates, this resource begins with an in-depth description of biodiversity, its importance, and the threats to biodiversity. Articles address the relationship of biodiversity to ecology, habitat destruction, and the effect of human interaction on the environment.
This 2003 updated edition contains 17 volumes incorporating more recent developments in the animal world as noted by prominent advisors and contributors from the scientific community since the original 1967 edition.
A four-volume set and one-stop resource for animal behaviour information, including perspectives from evolutionary biologists, physiologists, endocrinologists, neuroscientists and psychologists.
Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology - Vol 2 through 5 - online
A five-volume set covering Archaea (vol 1 - in print only); Proteobacteria (vol 2); Firmicutes (vol 3); Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes, Tenericutes, Acidobacteria, Fusobacteria, Dictyoglomi, Gemmatimonadetes, Lentispaerae, Verrucomicrobia, Chlamydiae, Planctomycetes (vol 4); and Actinobacteria (vol 5).
The Encyclopedia of Biostatistics has been folded into this comprehensive reference for statistics in all fields. Wiley StatsRef is regularly updated with new and revised content across more than 6,000 articles.
Encyclopedias of the Natural World - four-title series - online
This four title series includes the following titles: Encyclopedia of Theorectical Ecology, Encyclopedia of Biological Invasions, Encyclopedia of Islands, and Encyclopedia of Tidepools and Rocky Shores.
Encyclopedia of Fish Physiology - online
This in-depth resource is divided into three volumes: vol 1- Senses, Supporting Tissues, Reproduction, and Behavior; vol 2- Gas Exchange, Internal Homeostatis, and Food Uptake; vol 3- Energetics, Interactions and the Environment, Lifestyles, and Applications.
Handbook of Plant Biotechnology - online
“ … provides extensive coverage of the field including articles on plant genetic modification; applications of plant biotechnology to crop improvement in agriculture, production systems for pharmaceutical proteins, ethics and safety issues, public perception and public relations; scale-up, and testing and legislation”.
Encyclopedia of Entomology - online
Topics include life histories of individual species, pest control, various orders of insects, insect classification, and morphology.
Handbook of the Birds of the World - at Robertson Library REF OSZ QL78.H236
This 17 volume set is published in cooperation with the International Council for Bird Preservation. It is the "... first work ever to illustrate and deal in detail with all the living species of birds." There is also an associated website called the Internet Bird Collection which includes video and sounds.
Using the Biological Literature: A Practical Guide 4th ed. - online
For undergraduate and graduate students, this guide contains a comprehensive list of sources for all the main fields of the biological sciences, arranged by subject area and subdivided by form of material.
Online Reference Sources
The Encyclopedia of Life is a collaborative effort led by several leading scientific institutions to develop an online database of individual web pages for each of the 1.8 million known species on Earth.
Dictionaries, Taxonomy, & Abbreviations
Key Concepts in Life Sciences - online
A dictionary of concepts of major fields in life science: medicine, agriculture, ecology, and environment. Organized alphabetically for quick access.
International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (Madrid Code)
"Accepted by the Twentieth International Botanical Congress, Madrid, Spain, July 2024"
| Original Creator: Dawn Hooper, B.Sc., M.L.S. | Last Revision By: John Bayhi, MLIS | Date Last Revised: Sept. 2025 |