CBD General Information

<A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/cbd_home.html"><IMG ALIGN=right SRC="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/pictures/cbdhome.gif"></A> <A NAME="top"><H1>Illinois Natural History Survey<BR></A> Center for Biodiversity<BR> General Information</H1> <HR SIZE=3> <P> <LI> <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/cbd_home.html">Go to the Center for Biodiversity Homepage</A> <HR SIZE=3> <P> <LI><A HREF="#bot"><B>Botany</B></A> (Plants, Algae, Fungi, and Bryophytes) <LI><A HREF="#oligo"><B>Oligochaetology</B></A> (Worms) <LI><A HREF="#ent"><B>Entomology</B></A> (Insects and related Arthropods) <LI><A HREF="#asta"><B>Astacology</B></A> (Crustacean Biology) <LI><A HREF="#mala"><B>Malacology</B></A> (Mollusks) <LI><A HREF="#ich"><B>Ichthyology</B></A> (Fishes) <LI><A HREF="#herp"><B>Herpetology</B></A> (Amphibians and Reptiles) <LI><A HREF="#mam"><B>Mammalogy</B></A> (Mammals)<P> <A NAME="bot"><HR SIZE=3></A> <P> <H2> Botany</H2> <TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=3> <TR><TD><IMG SRC="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/pictures/plant.gif"></TD></TR> </TABLE> <P> <P> Botany is the study of plants. Plants are classified into these major catagories: flowering plants, conifers, ferns and fern allies, bryophytes, algae, fungi, and lichens.<P> There are many ways to study plants. The modern science of botany developed out of medicine, beginning with the identification of plants used for medicinal purposes. The need to identify, describe, name, and classify plants, i.e., to catalog them, is basic to botany, because without this, one would not be able to communicate with others about specific kinds of plants. This aspect of botany is called taxonomy or systematics. The need to study and accurately describe the structure of plants led to the development of fields of morphology and anatomy. To understand how plants grow, reproduce, and live in their surroundings, botany has differentiated the disciplines of cytology, the study of the structure and reproduction of plant cells; physiology, the study of chemical and physical processes of plant life, such as photosynthesis, respiration, and differentiation; ecology, the study of relationships between plants and their environment; and plant geography, the study of the distribution of plants. Paleobotany is the study of fossil plants.<P> There are other fields of botany specializing in the study of particular plant groups. <B>Algology</B> or <B>phycology</B> is the study of algae, <B>mycology</B> of fungi, <B>bryology</B> of mosses and liverworts, and <B>pteridology</B> of ferns.<P> <P> For more information, see the <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/plants.html ">INHS Botanical Collection Page</A><P> <LI><A HREF="#top">Go back to top of the CBD General Info Page</A> <P> <A NAME="oligo"><HR SIZE=3></A> <P> <H2> Oligochaetology</H2> <TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=3> <TR><TD><IMG SRC="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/pictures/worms.gif"></TD></TR> </TABLE><P> "Oligochaete! Thou taxonomic pain! <BR> My mouth and mind and memory affirm, <BR> Twould be much less a stress upon the brain<BR> To designate you merely as a worm.......... <BR> The object of my study is to try<BR> To help both man and worm see eye to eye." <BR> - D. N. Howell (1976)<BR> <P> Oligochaetology is the study of worms - specifically, the Class Oligochaeta within the Phylum Annelida. Other classes in the Phylum Annelida, the true segmented worms, include the Acanthobdellae (bristle worms), Aphononeura (suction-feeding worms), Branchiobdellae (crayfish worms), Hirudinea (leeches), and Polychaeta (sand worms, tube worms, and clam worms). Over 15,000 species of worms have been described worldwide; we now recognize 2,450 species in North America north of Mexico. <P> Worms occur in virtually all habitats where water is present, even in areas that are only slightly moist. Numerous species also occur exclusively on land. Most annelids are free-living, but many species are parasitic, mutualistic, or commensal during part of or throughout their life cycle. <P> Worms are an important and often dominant group in aquatic systems, providing a valuable food source for many other aquatic organisms; 131 species presently are known to occur in Illinois. As early as Aristotle, aquatic worms have been recognized for their ability to thrive in organically polluted waters, often forming dense colonies that resemble red waving carpets. Recent works have noted the presence of aquatic worms in almost every habitat that is associated with water, including pristine springs, streams, wells, seeps, and lakes, as well as industrially polluted harbors, large rivers, and waste retention ponds. <P> Earthworms, although numbering only about 30 species in Illinois, play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter, mineral cycling, and the aeration, drainage, and root penetration of the soil; through this activity, they also provide suitable habitat for smaller soil fauna, particularly micro-organisms. It has been estimated that earthworms can 'move' up to 18 tons of soil per acre each year. Abundance estimates of earthworms have been as high as three million per acre.<P> <P> For more information, see the <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/annelid.html ">INHS Annelid Collection Page</A><P> <LI><A HREF="#top">Go back to top of the CBD General Info Page</A> <P> <A NAME="ent"><HR SIZE=3></A> <P> <TABLE BORDER=1 ALIGN=RIGHT><TR><TD> <IMG ALIGN=right SRC="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/pictures/monarch.gif"> </TD></TR></TABLE> <H2> Entomology </H2> <P> Entomology is a branch of Zoology that deals with insects. In other words, insects are animals. They differ from other animals in that they have three body parts, a head, thorax, and abdomen, on which are found three pairs of jointed legs. The insects have external mouth parts and are covered by a tough, waterproof exoskeleton. Most have wings.<P> In the entire world, there are about one and a half million animal species described. Of this number, about one million are insects.<P> Insects are bees, beetles, and butterflies. They are froghoppers, firebrats, and flies. They are also midges, moths, and mayflies. And there are more, so many more. Insects can be found in every type of habitat. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, treehole to tree canopy they occupy every land niche.<P> They are essential to our well-being. Insects are plant pollinators, scavengers eating decaying debris, a source of medicine, recyclers of nutrients, a source of food for other animals and even some plants. Many are aesthetically pleasing and all are a source of wonder in their architecture and engineering feats.<P> Entomologists continue to gather facts about these animals. Entomologists work in areas such as beekeeping; insect diseases; pest control; the effects of pesticides on insects, birds, and mammals; and classification and teaching; and in such areas of biological research as life history, ecology, behavior, physiology, and morphology.<P> For more information, see the <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/insect.html">INHS Insect Collection Page</A><P> <LI><A HREF="#top">Go back to top of the CBD General Info Page</A> <P> <A NAME="asta"><HR SIZE=3></A> <P> <TABLE BORDER=1 ALIGN=RIGHT> <TR> <TD><IMG SRC="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/pictures/crayfish.gif"></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <H2> Astacology </H2> <P> Crustaceans are invertebrate animals in the phylum Arthropoda, subphylum Crustacea, and include the barnacle, crab, crayfish, lobster, shrimp, water flea, and pill bug. Although largely aquatic, a few crustaceans are found in terrestrial habitats. Of the nearly 40,000 aquatic species of crustaceans, only about 10% occur in freshwater habitats. Crustaceans have evolved a variety of specialized body forms and behaviors to cope with both aquatic and terrestrial environments, however, all crustaceans share several characteristics: a hard exoskeleton; jointed, paired appendages; and three body regions (head, thorax, and abdomen). The head and thorax regions are sometimes combined into a cephalothorax.<P> Crustacean biologists are continuing to discover new species from around the world. These biologists are also investigating the phylogenetic relationships, ecology, behavior, and physiology of crustaceans. Several crustaceans of great economic importance, such as lobsters and shrimps, are also examined from a managerial perspective.<P> For more information, see the <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/crustacea.html">INHS Crustacean Collection Page</A><P> <LI><A HREF="#top">Go back to top of the CBD General Info Page</A> <P> <A NAME="mala"><HR SIZE=3></A> <P> <TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1> <TR> <TD><IMG SRC="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/pictures/clam.gif "></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <H2> Malacology </H2> <P> Malacology is the study of Mollusks. Malacology differs from Conchology which is the study of shells only. There are over 100,000 described living mollusk species and it has been estimated that another 100,000 are undescribed and await formal description. Mollusks are a diverse group consisting of the familiar clams (Bivalvia), snails and slugs (Gastropoda) and octopuses (Cephalopoda) and the not so familiar chitons (Polyplacophora), tusk shells (Scaphopoda), solenogasters (Aplacophora), Monoplacophorans, and Caudofoveatans. Man has used mollusks for various reasons including money, jewelry, decorations, and as tools. Many species are commercially important. The commercial harvest of freshwater mussels is a multi-million dollar industry in North America where shells are harvested and exported to Asia where they are made into nuclei for insertion into oysters to create cultured pearls. Many species of freshwater mussels and snails are threatened or endangered throughout the world which has sparked renewed interest in their study. If trends are not reversed and stream degradation and loss of habitat continues we will lose many of the interesting and beautiful shells from our nations waters. <P> For more information, see the <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/mollusk.html">INHS Mollusk Collection Page</A><P> <LI><A HREF="#top">Go back to top of the CBD General Info Page</A> <P> <A NAME="ich"><HR SIZE=3></A> <TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1> <TR> <TD><IMG SRC="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/pictures/erythrogaster.gif "></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <H2>Ichthyology</H2> Ichthyology is the study of fishes. Fishes are aquatic, cold-blooded animals that have backbones and have fins and gills throughout life. This definition covers a wide variety of species and, consequently, a great diversity of forms and habits. Currently recognized as valid are about 25,000 extant species of fishes divided into 57 orders and 482 families. The number of species of fishes exceeds all other species of vertebrates combined. Although over 97% of the surface water on earth is saltwater, about 41% of all species of fishes live in freshwater. The large number of freshwater fishes is a product of the propensity for populations in freshwater bodies to become isolated, and then to differentiate and, eventually, speciate. <P> For more information, see the <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/fish.html">INHS Fish Collection Page</A><P> <LI><A HREF="#top">Go back to top of the CBD General Info Page</A> <P> <A NAME="herp"><HR SIZE=3></A> <TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1> <TR ALIGN=CENTER> <TD><IMG SRC="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/pictures/turtle2.gif"></TD> </TR> <TR ALIGN=CENTER> <TD><IMG SRC="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/pictures/spotsala.gif"></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <H2>Herpetology </H2> "These foul and loathsome animals are abhorrent because of their cold body, pale color, cartilaginous skeleton, filthy skin, fierce aspect, calculating eye, offensive smell, harsh voice, squalid habitation, and terrible venom; and so their Creator has not exerted his powers to make more of them."<BR> - Carolus Linnaeus (1758)<P> Herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles. The two groups are included under a single discipline because historically, they were considered "lower forms" and not worthy of detailed investigation. With further study came the realization that, although they share generalized morphological and physiological similarities, there are important differences between the class Amphibia and the class Reptilia. Chief among these is the relationship to moisture. Amphibians are constrained to wet or moist environments because their skin and egg membranes are permeable to water. Reptiles, on the other hand, are less dependent on water because they have a scaly waterproof skin and their eggs are protected by a thick shell.<P> Amphibians and reptiles account for almost half of extant tetrapod species. Within this group exists an incredible diversity of ecology, behavior, morphology and physiology. Currently recognized are over 4,500 extant species of amphibians divided into 41 families in 3 orders, and over 6,500 extant species of reptiles; 50 families in 4 orders.<P> For more information, see the <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/herps.html"> INHS Amphibian and Reptile Collection Page</A><P> <LI><A HREF="#top">Go back to top of the CBD General Info Page</A> <P> <A NAME="mam"><HR SIZE=3></A> <TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT BORDER=1><TR><TD> <IMG ALIGN=right SRC="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/pictures/bunny.gif"></A> </TD></TR></TABLE> <H2> Mammalogy </H2> <P> Mammalogy is the branch of zoology that deals with animals belonging to the class Mammalia. Two of the characteristics that distinguish mammals from the other vertebrates are the presence of hair on at least part of their bodies and the fact that females nourish their young with milk secreted by their mammary glands. About 4600 species of living mammals, divided into 26 orders and 135 families, are currently recognized. The larger mammals, such as carnivores and ungulates, are among the most familiar and charismatic of animals, although the majority of mammal species are small rodents or bats that go largely unnoticed by most people. Mammals possess morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations for an amazing variety of habitats and lifestyles. Some mammals spend most of their time underground or in trees, some are completely aquatic, some live in extremely arid deserts, and some can even fly. Mammalogists tend to specialize in the study of the systematics, anatomy, physiology, ecology, or behavior of a particular taxonomic group or assemblage of mammals, such as bats, canids, or desert rodents. <P> For more information, see the <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/mammal.html"> INHS Mammal Collection Page</A><P> <LI><A HREF="#top">Go back to top of the CBD General Info Page</A> <P> <HR SIZE=3> <LI>Go to the <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/main/cbd_home.html">Center for Biodiversity</A>.<P> <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/"> <IMG ALIGN=bottom SRC="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu:80/general.icon/surveyicon.gif"></A> <A HREF="http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/">Illinois Natural History Survey</A><p> Please report any problems with this page to: <BR> <I><A HREF="mailto:kompare@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu">kompare@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu</A></I><BR>