Alabama’s Biodiversity Alabama leads the nation in freshwater biodiversity Alabama has the 5 th most diversity overall in the nation Unfortunately, Alabama

Alabama’s Biodiversity

• Alabama leads the nation in freshwater biodiversity

• Alabama has the 5th most diversity overall in the nation

• Unfortunately, Alabama is 2nd in the number of taxa lost to extinction (Hawaii is #1)

• Alabama is 4th in number of at-risk taxa

Alabama Wildlife Species Status

• Extirpated/Conservation Action Underway

• Priority 1/Highest Conservation Status –

• Priority 2/High Conservation Status –

• Priority 3/Moderate Conservation Status –

• Priority 4/Low Conservation Concern –

• Priority 5/Lowest Conservation Concern –

Biodiversity Rankings

Rank Diversity Risk Endemism Extinction

1 California Hawaii California Hawaii

2 Texas California Hawaii Alabama

3 Arizona Nevada Texas California

4 New Mexico Alabama Florida Texas

5 Alabama Utah Utah Georgia

Rank by OrganismRank Plants Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibians Fishes

1 California California Texas Texas North Carolina Alabama

2 Texas Texas New Mexico

Arizona Georgia Tennessee

3 Arizona New Mexico Arizona New Mexico

Virginia Georgia

4 New Mexico

Oregon California Florida Tennessee Kentucky

5 Oregon Arizona Florida California Texas Mississippi

Citation:Bruce A. Stein. 2002. States of the Union: RankingBiodiversity. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe.

Class AL species Extinct Extirpated Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Total (% Imperiled) ______________________________________________________________________________________ Bivalvia 173 (11) 27 (9) 22 51 (2) 17 (0) 25 117 (68%)

14 E, 1 T 22 E, 1 T 1 E, 4 T 43 listed Gastropoda 174 (102) 42 (37) 4 15 (11) 13 (8) 71 74 (43%)

7 E, 1T 1 T 9 listed “Fishes” 317 (18) 2 (1) 9 21 (8) 26 (4) 33 58 (18%)

1 T 7 E, 4 T 2 T 14 listed Aves 420, 178 breed (0) 3 (0) 2 7 (0) 19 (0) 53 31 (7 %)

1 E 1 E 1 E 3 listed Reptilia 93 (2) 0 (0) 0 9 (1) 17 (1) 18 26 (28%)

4 E, 2 T 2 T 8 listed Mammalia 64 (1) 0 (0) 4 7 (1) 13 (0) 11 24 (38%)

2 E 5 E 7 listed Amphibia 73 (2) 0 (0) 0 6 (0) 8 (2) 11 14 (19%) 1 E 1 T 2 listed Crayfishes 74 12 T & E ______________________________________________________________________________________ (XX) is number of species endemic to Alabama or, for extinct snails, to Mobile Basin.

Alabama Wildlife Species Status

• Extinct – taxa that historically occurred in Alabama, but are no longer alive anywhere within their former distribution

• Extirpated – taxa that historically occurred in Alabama, but are no now absent; may be rediscovered in the state, or be reintroduced from populations existing outside the state

Reasons for Alabama’s Reasons for Alabama’s BiodiversityBiodiversity


Alabama River DrainagesAlabama River Drainages

• Tennessee River DrainageTennessee River Drainage• Mobile River DrainageMobile River Drainage• Gulf of Mexico DrainageGulf of Mexico Drainage

- Pascagoula River (Escatawpa)- Pascagoula River (Escatawpa)- Florida Panhandle rivers (Perdido - Florida Panhandle rivers (Perdido

to to ChoctawhatcheeChoctawhatchee- Appalachicola River (Chipola & - Appalachicola River (Chipola &

ChattahoocheeChattahoochee

Physiographic ProvincesPhysiographic Provinces

Reasons for Alabma’s BiodiversityReasons for Alabma’s Biodiversity


Reasons Why Alabama’s Reasons Why Alabama’s Biodiversity is ImperiledBiodiversity is Imperiled

• DamsDams


• SedimentationSedimentation

Turkey CreekJefferson Co., AL


PollutionPollution

Unnamed tributary to Turkey CreekJefferson Co., AL


Habitat alteration and destructionHabitat alteration and destruction Environmental ContaminantsEnvironmental Contaminants Invasive SpeciesInvasive Species DiseaseDisease ExploitationExploitation

Cave Crayfish – Orconectes austalis

Alabama Cave ShrimpPalaemonias alabamae

Alabama Cave Shrimp Distribution

Hering Cave

Hering Cave

Alabama CavefishSpeoplatyrhinus poulsoni

Typhlichthys subterraneusSpeoplatyrhinus poulsoni

Tuscumbia Cave ShrimpPalaemonias sp cf. alabamae

Tuscumbia Cave ShrimpPalaemonias sp cf. alabamae

Alabama Cave ShrimpPalaemonias alabamae

Hering Cave

Limrock Blowing Cave

Cave Crayfish – Orconectes australis

Documents

Alabama’s Biodiversity Alabama leads the nation in freshwater biodiversity Alabama has the 5 th most diversity overall in the nation Unfortunately, Alabama