Natural Resources

The state of Alabama is located in an excellent geographic location for a diverse academic and research program in aquatic biology. Aquatic biodiversity in Alabama rivals that in many tropical areas. In particular, fish, salamanders, turtles, snails, mussels, and certain families of aquatic insects are very diverse. This aquatic biodiversity is supported by a large number of streams, rivers, wetlands, and reservoirs as well as a major coastal embayment, Mobile Bay, located in an ancient and varied geological and physiographic landscape. The Mobile River basin, one of the largest in the US, includes many streams and rivers flowing through at least 4 physiographic provinces. In west-central Alabama, Tuscaloosa is along the Warrior River, at the Fall Line between the Coastal Plain and Appalachian Plateau physiographic provinces. The Interior Low Plateau, Valley and Ridge and Piedmont Plateau provinces are all within easy driving distance.

Faculty conduct research at many sites around Alabama and the southeast, as well as elsewhere in North and South America. Primary local research sites include:

Sipsey River- Located a few miles west of Tuscaloosa, the Sipsey River is a free-flowing 5th-order stream bordered by a wide lowland flood-plain forest. Rich in mollusks, fish and invertebrates, the river is now the focus of research by several faculty and at least 4 on-going Ph. D. students.

Cahaba River-Located in central Alabama, the Cahaba River is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America. It has been a focus of many systematics and ecological studies on fishes and invertebrates, as well as on water quality.

Talladega Wetland- One wetland and its associated stream has received considerable study by the faculty and students at UA. The Talladega Wetland Ecosystem, located approximately 30 min south of Tuscaloosa in the Talladega National Forest, was formed by a series of beaver impoundments on a second-order stream. The wetland lies within a 384 ha catchment dominated by mixed coniferous and deciduous second-growth forest. There are a variety of habitats present, and on-going studies have examined the microorganisms, plants, and animals inhabiting this ecosystem as well as its hydrological and climatological characteristics.

Bankhead National Forest - Located in northwest Alabama, streams in the Bankhead Forest flow through dense mixed deciduous and coniferous forests, and over high falls into deeply incised sandstone canyons. Large tracts of the forest are protected, such as the Sipsey Wilderness area, an old-growth forest containing a glacial remnant population of eastern hemlock. The Sipsey Wilderness is the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi and offers many opportunities for hiking, camping and horseback riding.