Union of Concerned Scientists

Introduction
From the Appalachians in the north to the coastal plain in the south, Alabama is home to a variety of ecosystems. While it ranks 29th in the nation by size, the state is the fourth richest in terms of plant and animal species. In particular, Alabama exhibits incredible aquatic biodiversity. For example, the Cahaba River supports the greatest diversity of fish species for any river of its size on the continent and the state's relatively short coastline is host to over 500 species of marine mollusks. This abundance of freshwater and marine life is the base of the state's aquaculture industry. Alabama's forest ecosystems are equally important. Nearly two thirds of Alabama is covered by trees and with the second largest commercial forest in the nation, pulp and paper manufacturing are crucial to the state's economy.

Beyond economic value, the state's pine, hardwood, and mixed forests are home to many of the country's white-tailed deer and wild turkeys and are important habitats for sensitive species, such as the white-topped pitcher plant, the Wherry's red pitcher plant, and the Henslow's sparrow. The impacts of a changing climate could have significant effects on Alabama's natural systems and the goods and services they provide. Click on the links below to find out about future climate projections for Alabama and how these changes may impact Alambama's human health, agriculture and forestry, freshwater resources, biodiversity and land conservation, fisheries, and coastal development and infrastructure.

After you've learned about the threats a changing climate poses to Alabama, why don't you take a couple of minutes to tell policymakers to get busy tackling the problem? It's easy to do on our action pages.