The Southern Appalachian mountains escaped glaciation during the last Ice Age, so they have harbored plant and animal life continuously for as long as 200 million years longer than any other region in the United States. One major group of salamanders evolved, and still remains in our mountains. The Southern Appalachians host one of the world's greatest diversities of mussels and fish and more than half of all tree, fern, and flowering plant species found on the North American continent. Many of them are found nowhere else in the world.
Southern forests are critical songbird breeding habitat and migration flyway.
Southern Appalachian national parks and national forests are noted for their scenic beauty and are some of the most heavily used recreation areas in the country. These wooded, mountainous lands are popular areas for hiking, canoeing, hunting, fishing, camping, rock climbing, etc. Current public land management practices, most notably clear cutting and road construction pose a serious threat to regional biological diversity by destroying habitat, causing forest fragmentation, and degrading water quality. If you experience any difficulty with this site, please contact the site manager .