1. Interior Plateau

6. Southern Coastal Plain

• Also called the Highland Rim region
• Northernmost ecoregion in Alabama
• Elevation ranges from 420 to 900 feet and is lower than the Appalachian ecoregions of Alabama
• Tennessee River runs through this ecoregion
• Characterized by flat plains with some hills
• Deeper valleys along larger streams or where limestone has been eroded away
• Rock cliffs in this region are some of the oldest in Alabama

• This region's rocks are primarily limestone, sandstone, and shale
• Limestone erosion leads to rich, red soils
• Limestone erosion also leads to a karst landscape (one in which limestone underneath has eroded away, forming caves, ridges, and sinkholes)

• Forests are mostly oak-hickory
• Includes areas with shallow soil where limestone bedrock can be exposed forms cedar glades
• Praries of little bluestem
• Other habitats include springs, sinks, seeps, caves, and rock shelters

• Canecreek Canyon Nature Preserve in Tuscumbia
• Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville

• In Alabama, the Swamp Metalmark butterfly and Bell's Roadside Skipper can only found in the Interior Plateau ecoregion. The population of the Tall Thisle plant serves as a host species where the Swamp Metalmark can lay its eggs.

• Also called the Cumberland Plateau region
• Landscape described as low mountains
• Flat topped plateaus with higher elevations are separated by either steep cliffs or more gradual valleys
• Elevation ranges from 500 feet in the southwest region up to 1,800 feet in the northeast section
• Characterized by more precipitation than other ecoregions and lower annual temperatures than surrounding ecoregions
• The northeast portion contains steep-sloped forests and streams

• Northeast region contains sandstone, siltstone, shale, and conglomerate (smaller sized rocks held together by a natural "cement")
• The central portion of this region is composed of rocks that contain layers of coal
• The southwest region has more shale and less sandstone than the other portions of this region
• Landforms are created as a result of erosion
  • Sandstone is resistant to erosion
  • Streams have carved valleys in softter limestone and dolomite rocks

• Habitats in this ecoregion contain well-drained and acidic soils
• Areas of higher elevations have mostly mixed oak forests
• Forests in valleys and gorges include American beech, tulip poplar, sugar maple, and buckeye

• Little River Canyon in Fort Payne
  • Largest canyon in the eastern United States
  • Tall sandstone canyon walls surround large waterfalls

• Bankhead National Forest in Double Springs
  • Public recreation and scenic wilderness area
  • Includes the Sipesy wilderness area
• Desoto State Park in Fort Payne
• Rickwood Caverns State Park in Warrior
• Lake Guntersville State Park in Guntersville
• Black Warrior River
• Tennessee River

• Characterized by long regions of tall, crested ridges and deep, steep valleys
• Ridges and valleys were created due to folding and faluting of the landscape
• Sometimes called the Coosa Valley after the broadest valley in the region

• Contains various rock types throughout the region including limestone, dolomite, shale, siltstone, sandstone, and marble
• Ridges are mainly made of sandstone
• Valleys are composed of shale, limestone, and dolomite
• Some areas contain higher amounts of iron or marble
• Soils are made from weathered rock types including shale, shale/limestone, and clay and can be acidic

• Ridges contain mixed hardwood or mixed oak and pine forests
• Valleys contain mostly mixed forests with species that are adapted to moist environments
• Natural springs and freshwater streams are abundant
• Caves are found in this region
• Freshwater fish diversity in this region is extremely high
  • Drained by the Coosa River, Cahaba River, and Black Warrior River System

• Red Mountain Park in Birmingham
  • A red iron-oxide mineral called hematite is responsible for the red color
• Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham
• Desoto Caverns in Childersburg
• Cahaba Lily
  • White flowers that reach three inches in width
  • Only grows in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina
  • Restricted to habitats with fast flowing water over a rocky surface
  • Require abundant sunlight

• Provides a transition between the mountainous reigions to the north and the flat coastal plain to the south
• Mostly rolling plains or hills with steeper ridges and higher elevations in the northern portion of the ecoregion
• Elevation where it meets the flat coastal plain is around 500 feet while upper sections are over 1,000 feet
• Cheaha Mountian, the highest point in the state, is in the upper section and reaches 2,407 feet

• Contains some of the oldest surface rock in the state
• Outcrops of metamorphic rock (rock that is created from older rocks that have been melted under extreme temperatures and pressures before cooling and hardening into new rock)
• Rock types include granite outcorps, quartz, mica, gneiss, marble, and schist
• Higher ridges are formed from quartzite (such as Mount Cheaha), sandstone, or conglomerate (smaller sized rocks held together by a natural "cement")
• Soils are mostly clay mixed with rocks and are well-drained and fertile

• Ridges are mostly pine forests or mixed forests
• Valleys are mostly hardwood forests
• The piedmont region was once cleared for cotton production but has been converted back to more natural forests

• Chewacla State Park in Auburn
  • Oldest rock known in Alabama is located in Chewacla State Park
• Cheaha State Park in Delta
  • Highest point in Alabama
• Wind Creek State Park in Alexander City

• The boundary between the Southeastern Plains and the four ecoregions in the northeast part of the state (Interior Plateau, Southwestern Appalachians, Ridge and Valley, and Piedmont) is called the fall line
• Visible change in landscape and elevation occurs at the fall line
• Northeastern part of the state is characterized by harder rock and higher elevation
• Southeastern and southern part of the state is lower in elevation and composed of softer rock and characterized by sand and gravel
• Rivers and streams that flow over the fall line result in waterfalls, white water rapids, and have a distinct change in elevation

• Largest ecoregion in Alabama
• Relatively flat with some rolling hills
• Gradual decline in elevation from the fall line to the coast
• Streams are characterized by having a low gradient (little change in elevation) with sandy bottoms

• Rock is mostly sedimentary including chalk, sandstone, limestone, and claystone
• Soils are composted of gravel, sand, silt, and red clay
• Blackbelt Region: a strip of land that runs horizontally through the state contains white chalk under the soil which interacts with the soil components to form a rich, black, fertile soil

• Mix of cropland, pasture, wetland, woodlands, and forests
• Forests include oak, hickory, and pine
• Wiregrass is the most common herbaceous plant that grows in this region
• Flatlands, swamps, and river bottomlands are abundant in low, flat areas
• Includes floodplains of Alabama River, Tombigbee River, and Black Warrior River
• Cedar trees grow in the fertile soils of the blackbelt

• The southern section of this ecoregion is home to many endangered species including the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, gopher tortoise, eastern indigo snake, and Florida pine snake.
• Longleaf pine was once the dominant tree species in the southern section of the southeastern plains
• Splinter Hill Bog in Bay Minette
  • Seepage bog community with some of the largest bogs of white-topped pitcher plant bogs
• Conecuh National Forest in Andalusia
• Sipsey River Swamp
  • Bottomland hardwood forests and swamps along the floodplain of the Sipsey River
• Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge in Eufaula
  • Includes wetlands, woodlands, fields, and open water areas that provide habitat for waterfowl (birds) and other wildlife

• Smallest ecoregion in Alabama
• Located near the coast
• Mostly flat with swamps, lakes, and marshes
• Warmer weather than other ecoregions
• Receives drainage from various rivers and is constantly taking in new sediment
• Often affected or altered by weather including hurricanes, floods, and erosion
• Includes white sand beaches and swamp lands

• Soils and sediments are younger/newer than other ecoregions in the state
• Flat, sandy areas
• Soils are made of coarse material

• Lagoons, bayous, wetlands, and swamps
• Estuaries and salt marshes
• Oak-gum-cypress forests
• Pine scrub, cordgrass, and saltgrass
• River swamp forests dominated by bald cypress
• Sand dunes

• Dauphin Island
  • Barrier Island
  • Migratory birds can be seen on the island in the spring and fall
• Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores
  • Area of undeveloped white sand beaches along with natural freshwater lakes

• Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Gulf Shores
  • Includes natural beaches, scrub forests, longleaf and slash pine forests
  • Provides habitats for the endangered gopher tortoise and nesting sites for the threatened loggerhead sea turtle
• Mobile Tensaw River Delta
  • North of Mobile Bay
  • 2nd largest delta in the U.S. and largest wetland in Alabama
  • One of the most diverse marsh ecosystems
  • Provides habitats for black bears and alligators

Alabama Butterfly Atlas

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service