Natural Communities
Alabama’s rare species are closely connected to the habitats and ecosystems that support them. From forests and wetlands to prairies, caves, rivers and coastal landscapes, these natural communities are an important part of the state’s biodiversity.
At the Alabama Natural Heritage Program, we document selected natural communities across Alabama to better understand the landscapes that support rare plants, animals and ecological diversity. This work helps guide conservation planning, land management, environmental review and long-term stewardship.
What Are Natural Communities?
Natural communities are groups of plants, animals and environmental features that occur together in a particular type of habitat or landscape. They are shaped by factors such as soil, geology, hydrology, climate, fire history and land use.
Understanding natural communities helps us look beyond individual species and consider the broader ecological systems that support Alabama’s biodiversity.
We maintain information about selected natural communities in Alabama, including rare or sensitive habitats and ecosystems that may be important for conservation.
This work may include information about:
- Community type
- Location and extent
- Ecological condition
- Associated rare species
- Habitat features
- Landscape context
- Conservation significance
- Management considerations
Information is updated through field surveys, biological inventories, partner records, research and other verified sources.
Natural communities provide the foundation for many of Alabama’s rare plants and animals. Protecting these habitats can help support multiple species at once and preserve the ecological processes that keep landscapes healthy.
Information about natural communities can help identify important habitats, guide conservation priorities, support restoration work and inform land management decisions.
By documenting natural communities, we help connect species-level information with the larger landscapes that sustain Alabama’s natural heritage.
Natural community information supports a wide range of conservation, planning and research needs. This information may be used for:
- Conservation planning
- Environmental review
- Land management
- Habitat protection
- Restoration planning
- Biological inventories
- Research and education
- GIS mapping and spatial analysis
- Project planning and site assessment
Through data requests and environmental review services, we help project sponsors understand known records, potential conservation concerns and recommended next steps for a project area.
If you need information about selected natural communities, habitat data, GIS information, maps or an environmental review letter, you can submit a data request to ALNHP.
Because some locations and ecological resources may be sensitive, data may be shared at different levels of detail depending on the request, intended use and potential conservation concerns.
Rare Species
Learn how we track rare, threatened and sensitive plant and animal species across Alabama.
Biological Inventories
Explore how we conduct field surveys and inventories to document species, habitats and ecological conditions.
Environmental Review
Learn how we provide environmental review letters and project-specific biodiversity information.
