ENDEMIC SPECIES AND SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIA
Southern Appalachia is home to well over 15,000 known species of plants and animals. The region is an epicenter for aquatic life, rare plants, cave fauna, and more. Many of these species are endemic, or occur only here, sometimes on a single mountain or in a single cave! Regardless of the initiatives we pursue, these unique species and environments are at the center of what we work to protect.
We’ll cover different groups of endemic species and rare environments of Southern Appalachia every now and then.
We’ll start with…
The Salamander Capital of the World!
Did you know Southern Appalachia encompasses an area unique enough to be called The Salamander Capital of the World?
The cool high-elevation environments of Appalachia represent ideal habitats for a family of salamanders, called Plethodontidae. Species in this diverse group lack lungs and breathe through their moist, permeable skin. The Smoky Mountains, with its abundant moist forest, mountain streams, and high peaks that are isolated by low valleys, truly holds the title of The Salamander Capital of the World! The surrounding region also contains an unusually high number of caves and limestone karst, which likewise provide unique habitat for salamanders (and many other forms of biological life!). Check out a few of Southern Appalachia’s endemic salamanders below!
(Endemic: Those species or taxa that occur only in the Southern Appalachians are said to be endemic to the Southern Appalachians. Southern Appalachia is proud to have very high rates of endemism, or very high numbers of species that occur only here!)
Unfortunately, under climate change, disease, and other large-scale human influence, many of these species—which occur only here—are at risk. In addition to their reliance on relatively rare environments, their small size and permeable skin mean they can lack the ability to move long-distances to respond to changing conditions or to avoid catastrophic events such as wildfire. Of course, this also means that research/monitoring efforts for these animals can tell us a lot about the health of the surrounding environment. As we continue to learn how to combat the challenges that these unique animals face, we hope you can begin to appreciate them more.