Library Guides @ VIU: RMOT &amp; BNRP Research Guide: Background Info: Reference Materials

Reference materials consist of items such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, handbooks, manuals, and atlases that are referred to for general, overview information.

Here are some examples of searches to find general reference resources in the VIU Library:

Remember to use quotations to search a phrase with two or more words. Revisit the previous tab "How to Search" to learn more about Library Search Tips.

The following titles are examples of some of the online Reference Materials & Guides available in the VIU Library:

Alberta grizzly bear recovery plan 2008-2013, 2008
Applying the concept of stewardship responsibility in British Columbia, 2007 - (Biodiversity BC: Conserving the Variety of Life)
Birds of British Columbia - Nonpasserines : diurnal birds of prey through woodpeckers , v. 2 - Wayne Campbell
Birds of British Columbia - Nonpasserines: introduction and loons through waterfowl, v. 1 - Wayne Campbell
Birds of British Columbia - Passerines : flycatchers through vireos, v. 3 - Wayne Campbell
Birds of British Columbia - Passerines : wood-warblers through old world sparrows, v. 4 - Wayne Campbell
Birds of southwestern British Columbia - Richard Cannings
Ecology & Wonder in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site
FishBase
- a databse containing information on over 33,300 species, 291,100 Common names, along with pictures and references
Handbook, Canada and Cackling Geese : management and population control in Southern Canada
Identification manual to the small mammals of British Columbia
Identifying Wildlife, 2015 - (South Coast Conservation Program, BC)
"Here you will find introductory resources for general species inquiries, as well as information to help identify the amphibians, reptiles, snails, birds, and mammals found on the South Coast."
Major impacts to biodiversity in British Columbia (excluding climate change), 2007
Natural Resources Stewardship - (BC Government)
- has sections on consulting with First Nations, Natural Resources & Climate Change, Natural Resource Law Enforcement, Environmental Assessment, etc.
Science Hub - Search page
"ScienceHUβ is a global science and technology publisher and provides free access to research articles and latest research information without any barrier to scientific community. Our internationally recognized publishing program covers wide array of science and technology disciplines."
Special elements of biodiversity in British Columbia, 2007
- download pdf file to your computer to view
States of nature : conserving Canada's wildlife in the twentieth century, 2006
Stewardship Centre for BC
- "to promote advancement of stewardship education and to champion science-based best stewardship practices for land and water in BC. "
Wildlife Behavior and Conservation, 2012
- includes chapters on winter strategies, mate acquisition, olfactory communication, dispersal corridors, dominance hierarchies, spacing mechanisms, etc.
Wildlife Forensics: Methods and Applications, 2012
- "contains case studies throughout the text that take the reader from the field, to the lab analysis to the court room, giving a complete insight into the path of forensic evidence and demonstrating how current techniques can be applied to wildlife forensics."
Wildlife Stewardship Council - (British Columbia)
- "a not for profit society of First Nations and Guide Outfitters from Wildlife Management Regions across BC."

The following titles are examples of some of the print Reference Materials available in the VIU Library:

Backcountry bear basics : the definitive guide to avoiding unpleasant encounters
Call Number: QL 737 C27 S6 2006 Stacks
Bears by Charles Fergus
Call Number: QL 737 C27 F47 2005 Stacks
- includes species, feeding behaviours, territoriality, breeding & cubs, denning & hibernation, bears & humans
The Birds of British Columbia by Wayne Campbell
Call Number: QL 685.5 B7 B57 V. 1 - 4 Stacks (4th floor)
- also available online
Birds of coastal British Columbia and the Pacific northwest coast
Call Number: SWL 13 037 00 Powell River Campus
CITES identification guide : sturgeons and paddlefish : guide to the identification of sturgeon and paddlefish species controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora by Environment Canada
Call Number: CW66-203/2001 Government Publications - Canada (3rd floor)
Encyclopedia of Canadian fishes
Call Number: QL 626 C63 1995 Stacks
A field guide to hawks of North America
Call Number: QL 696 F3 C59 2001 Stacks
Field guide to the birds of North America
Call Number: QL 681 F53 2002 (2 copies) Stacks
A field guide to western birds : a completely new guide to field marks of all species found in North America west of the 100th meridian and north of Mexico
Call Number: QL 683 W4 P4 1990 Stacks
The fisheries of North America : an illustrated guide to commercial species, 2005
Call Number: SH 219 R63 2005 Stacks
Fish facts : an illustrated guide to commercial species
Call Number: SH 219 R57 Stacks
Grzimek's animal life encyclopedia
Call Number: QL 7 G7813 2003 V. 1 - 17. Stacks
Grzimek's Encyclopedia of ethology
Call Number: QL 751 G8945 Stacks
Grzimek's encyclopedia of mammals
Call Number: QL 701.2 G7913 V. 1 - 5 Stacks
An identification manual to the small mammals of British Columbia
Call Number: QL 721.5 B7 N33 2002 Stacks
Mammals of British Columbia, 2001
Call Number: QL 721.5 B7 E33 2001 Stacks
National Audubon Society field guide to fishes. North America
Call Number: QL 625 A93 2002 Stacks
Owls of the United States and Canada : a complete guide to their biology and behavior, 2007
Call Number: QL 696 S83 L96 2007 Stacks
A practical guide to the identification of commercial groundfish species of British Columbia
Call Number: SH 224 B7 G73 1996 Stacks
Skulls and bones : a guide to the skeletal structures and behavior of North American mammals
Call Number: QL 715 S43 1995 Stacks
Stream stewardship : a guide for planners and developers
Call Number: SH 224 B7 S88 1994 Stacks
The tracker's field guide : a comprehensive handbook for animal tracking in the United States
Call Number: QL 717 L69 2006 Stacks
Western bird songs [sound recording]
Call Number: QL 683 W4 P4 1992 CD Cabinet (3rd floor)
Wildlife and society : the science of human dimensions, 2009
Call Number: SK 355 S62 2009 Stacks