Biodiversity Maps

The biodiversity of life on this planet is the main theme of the maps on this page. They are divided into two sections, the first showing the huge variety of life including vegetation, animals and insects.

The second section has physical maps showing the world color coded to feature different vegetable zones. Some of these maps are actual satellite images of the earth. 

Click on Map Titles that are Links to see a Picture of that map.

Maps Showing the Biodiversity of Life

1. Close-up USA- Florida with Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands  - November 1973 (35"x23")
Side B: The information on this map is more for someone on vacation to Florida, but this side does have some good illustrations of some of the birds that reside in this region. You can also get some information on the biodiversity of vegetation and wildlife from reading the information written on this side.

2.  Close-up USA- Maine with the Maritime Provinces - March 1975 (35"x23")
Side B: This map is also from the Close-up USA series of map. This side has some good illustrations of some of the fish that live in the waters off the Atlantic coast of this region. It also has a picture and little write-up on the Lobster, the most famous crustacean in these parts. 

3. Close-up USA- Alaska: Beauty and Beasts in a Last Frontier - June 1975 (35"x22.5")
Side B: This map has some beautiful illustrations of the bioiversity of flowers, birds and mammals that live in this northern region. The write-ups, even though written more for the tourist in mind,  have some good information to give you a feel of what it is like in this region

4. Close-up USA- Hawaii: Beguiling Isles - April 1976 (35"x22.5")
Side B: This map on Hawaii has some beautiful illustrations on a lot of the flowers that can be found in this region. There is a legend on the right side that has the names of all these flowers. All the maps in the Close-up USA and Canada series of maps will have little bits of info on the biodiversity of the region.

5. Great Whales, Migration and Range Map - December 1975 (30"x22")
Side A: This physical map has shaded areas distinguishing the home waters of six different species of great whales; the Fin, Humpback, Sperm, Grey, Bowhead and Right. Arrows indicate seasonal migration paths. There is information on the range, population and migratory habits of these six species, countries that engage in whale hunting, shore whaling stations, and floating factories catch and quotas for 1975 and 1976. There are also notes on tagging whales, whale watching and more.

6. Whales of the World Map - December 1975 (30"x22")
Side B: This supplement to the Great Whales map has beautiful paintings by Larry Foster on whales, and featuring an overview article about whales and information on each species.

7. Australia: Land of Living Fossils - February 1979 (29"x22.5")
Side A: This side has a beautiful physical relief map of Australia color coded to show you the rain forest, rain forest, brush land, grasslands and desert. All around this map are lots of  illustrations introducing the unique biodiversity of wildlife on this continent. The write-up on the bottom also has some good information on the landscape and wildlife.

8. Bird Migration in the Americas - August 1979 (36"x22.5")
Side A: This is a very educational map showing the migratory birds of the Americas. It has an abundance of information on migratory routes along with illustrations on 67 species of birds. It also contains insets on the mystery of migration and ocean migrants.

9. Pinnipeds Around the World - April 1987 (30"x21")
Side A: This side has a physical map of the world with illustrations of various pinnipeds laid out across the map in the normal locations that they would inhabit. Three families of creatures share the name of pinnipeds, true seals (phocids), sea lions and fur seals (otariids) and the walrus (odobenid). On the left side are notes covering each pinniped shown on the map.

10. Welcome to Yellowstone Country - February 1989 (20"x15.5")
Side B: The center of this side is taken up by a physical raised relief map of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National parks. The map is color coded to show the biodiversity of vegetation on the landscape with open grass/steppe,  scrub, tundra/alpine meadow and woodland, along with hydrothermal areas. There are lots of write-ups on the geography and geology of the area with illustrations of some of the mammals that live here. There is an inset included titled Egosystem Under Threat.

11. Alaska map - May 1994 (37"x22")
Side B: This side has a physical map of Alaska containing information on federal lands, wildlife and the Alaskan natives. It contains an inset map of Federal lands, a map showing native language groups and detailed illustrations of the Prince William Sound, the Chugach mountains and the Copper River delta and Bering Glacier. There are lots of illustrations of the wildlife of the region and a write-up on the Wildlife.

12. Indonesia - February 1996 (31"x20")
Side B: The whole center section of this side is filled with a beautiful physical map of the islands that make up Indonesia, colored to show the vast biodiversity of the vegetation of the landscape. It is a fantastic educational map with insets showing climate, rainfall, population and the economy. It has an abundance of information on the geography and wildlife of the region with lots of illustrations.

13.Millennium in maps: Physical Earth - May 1998 (31"x20")
Side B: This side is filled with a huge physical map of the world produced from satellite images . On it is shown all sixteen plates of the earth's surface. Also shown are the ocean currents, prevailing winds, and notable earthquakes and volcanoes. It also has four map inserts showing Antarctica, the Arctic ocean, the Earth's crust and the climate zones.

14. Millennium in maps: Biodiversity - February 1999 (31"x20")
Side A: The center has a  beautiful physical map of the world color coded to show the global forest distribution. The write-up which accompanies this map titled "Earth's Forest: Have we Overdrawn our Account" asks questions about the destruction of the worlds forest. Many other articles and illustrations are included on this side talking about the threats to the biodiversity of this land and the work being done on conservation and research. The map has many beautiful illustrations..

15. Millennium in maps: Diversity of Life - February 1999 (31"x20")
Side B: This side has a huge physical map of the world color coded to show fifteen different vegetation zones like tundra, desert and dry shrub, mountain grassland, etc. All around the map are notes and beautiful  illustrations of the biodiversity of wildlife and insects that inhabit different regions. There are also two inset maps of the world titled Plant Productivity July through September and January through March. The maps are color coded to show plant production during these times. 

16. Africa's Natural Realms - September 2001 (31"x20")
Side B: Most of this side is covered by a huge physical map of Africa, which is unusual because of the way the continent is divided up. It is divided into 121 areas of land defined by communities of plants and animals, environmental conditions and ecological dynamics. On the top is an inset of  a satellite image of Africa from space, and on the bottom are three inset maps of Africa showing freshwater bioregions, climate zones and land use. On the left side are beautiful illustrations of the wildlife that live on this continent.

17. Bird Migration: Eastern Hemisphere - April 2004 (31"x20")
Side A: This side contains a huge physical map of the Eastern Hemisphere showing the migration routes of 50 plus birds. The colors were coded to show generalized flyways by bird groups - land birds, waterfowl, shore and wading birds, seabirds and birds of prey. On this map are beautiful illustrations of these birds and the map is covered with notes filled with information.

18. Bird Migration: Western Hemisphere - April 2004 (31"x20")
Side B: This side has a huge physical map of the Western Hemisphere also showing the migration routes of 50 plus birds. The routes are also color coded by bird groups - land birds, waterfowl, shore and wading birds, seabirds and birds of prey. Beautiful illustrations also show the birds of this hemisphere with lots of notes filled with information fill the page.

Physical World Maps Showing Biodiversity of Vegetation Zones

1. Physical World Map - November 1975 (35"x24")
Side B: This physical map shows the splendor and natural look of the earth with beautifully portrayed major vegetable zones that easily visualize everything from the densest forests to most barren deserts. It includes insets of ocean currents, wind currents, food production and vegetation, and the earths crust. A fantastic map showing the biodiversity of vegetation on this world.

2. Portrait USA map - July 1976 (42.5"x29.5")
Side A: This is a spectacular satellite image of the 48 contiguous United States. This was a benchmark for all the other satellite images that were to follow.

3. Heart of the Grand Canyon - July 1978 (35"x22")
Side B: This is a striking topography of the Grand Canyon with details of park facilities, trails, campgrounds and more. It shows ranger stations, picnic areas, campgrounds, ruins, emergency telephones and buildings.

4. Australia Continental Odyssey - February 1988 (27"x20")
Side B: This is a computer-enhanced satellite image showing Australia's physical features and vegetation. The coloring shows zones of desert, dry seasonal pasture, woodland scrub and short grass, high elevation forests or mallee land and intense agricultural development or tropical rain forest. The water around the continent is color coded for temperature levels. It has inset maps showing Australia's growth and movement from 125 million years ago to the present. 

5. The New Europe - December 1992 (28.5"x22")
Side B: This side of the map contains a beautiful physical map of Europe color coded to show the biodiversity of vegetation here. It also features a wealth of notes, map insets and illustrations on the population, immigration, languages, resources and industry, land use, agriculture, transportation and technology of this continent. 

6. World Physical Map - February 1994 (43"x30")
Side A:  Here is a beautiful physical map of the world which has major vegetation zones to easily visualize everything from the most barren desert to the densest forest. It has ocean floor topography to show the underwater features. Included are insets of the vital Earth statistics, the Earths crust, ocean currents and wind currents. A chart shows the calculated area for the world, continents, major islands and largest lakes.

7. United States: The Physical Landscape - October 1996 (31"x20")
Side B: This is a beautiful map which shows the physical forces that have shaped this country. It is color coded to show evergreen forest, tall grass prairie, shrub or desert, mixed or deciduous forest, short grass prairie and tundra. It has insets of Hawaii and Alaska along with descriptions of the natural forces that formed the landscape.

8. Africa: A Storied Landscape - July 2005 (24"x22")
Side A: Here is a beautiful physical map of Africa derived from satellite images which shows in great detail how the land of this great continent is made up. All clearly laid out are the deserts, the breadbaskets, the dense forest, the woodlands and shrublands, and the grasslands. Orange and red shading show the areas of heavy population. All along the outside of the map are informative notes to help give more understanding of what is shown on the map.

9. Mexico & Central America: The Dividing Link - June 2007 (31"x20")
Side B: This side has a huge physical map of Mexico and Central America color coded with relief shading to show evergreen forest, deciduous forest, woodland, grassland, cropland, shrubland, bare ground, roads and population. You will find notes all around this map supplying information on different locations of this landscape and coastline. On the right side  are three insets showing the birth of a land bridge between North America and South America.

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