{"id":769816,"date":"2026-01-29T06:45:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T14:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=769816"},"modified":"2026-02-02T15:40:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T23:40:55","slug":"alabama-biodiversity-hotspot-inventory","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/alabama-biodiversity-hotspot-inventory","title":{"rendered":"In the Nation\u2019s Biodiversity Hot Spot, a Geographic Approach Ignites Conservation Action"},"author":671,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"industry":[],"esri-blog-category":[478432,478412],"esri_blog_department":[478222],"class_list":["post-769816","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","esri-blog-category-biodiversity","esri-blog-category-wildlife","esri_blog_department-conservation-and-environment"],"acf":{"video_source":"","video_start":"","video_stop":"","short_description":"The state of Alabama uses GIS to map species, gather input, and streamline wildlife conservation decisions in its State Wildlife Action Plan.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Right","content":"GIS helps Alabama turn complex species data into clearer decisions that support biodiversity and guide future conservation efforts.\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Alabama\u2019s 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) uses GIS tools to collect expert input, map species locations, and organize data, making the ranking of species conservation priorities more efficient and collaborative.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>In Alabama, one of the most biodiverse US states, accurate tracking and conservation planning are critical and complex.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>By using GIS dashboards and data-rich maps, experts ensure fairer discussions and more informed conservation strategies.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does the Lord God Bird still hold court in the forests of Alabama? Doubtful, but not impossible. The last confirmed sighting of the bird, formally known as the ivory-billed woodpecker, was decades ago.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of the over 140 experts consulted on Alabama\u2019s new State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), one believes the Lord God Bird still reigns. Rather than labeling the bird \u201cextirpated\u201d (nonexistent) in the state, the expert believes this woodpecker species should receive Priority 1 status, the Alabama SWAP\u2019s highest conservation category.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lord God Bird is just one of around two thousand species the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources needs to consider as part of its SWAP. This time, the department has simplified the process by using geographic information system (GIS) technology to gather input, map species locations, and talk about the results.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Assessing Biodiversity in Alabama<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alabama hosts a special combination of habitats because it sits at the crossroads of major biogeographic regions. The Appalachian Mountains sweep down from the Northeast with cool, moist forests that are home to amphibians. The Gulf Coastal Plain spreads across the state\u2019s southern half with warm wetlands and longleaf pine savannas. The Tennessee River Valley cuts through the north, and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta is the second largest in the continental US.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This makes Alabama one of the most biodiverse states east of the Mississippi, and fourth in the country overall. Over 6,300 species live in Alabama, with the country's most diverse collection of freshwater fish (340 species), mussels, crayfish, snails, and turtles.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[769821,769820,769817,769825]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting a read on the health of each species across these distinctive ecosystems is no easy task.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2015, the last time Alabama compiled a SWAP, the state assembled eight \u201ctaxa\u201d teams\u2014mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crayfish, mussels, and snails\u2014each comprised of 15\u201320 experts in these fields. The teams met for three days, discussing and reaching consensus on species threats and necessary conservation actions.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To solicit further information, the agency sent spreadsheets to other experts. The data had to be cleaned up, collated, and considered alongside the teams\u2019 recommendations. The number of species reviewed jumped from 1,200 in 2015 to 2,100 in 2025, with experts ranking each one for its conservation priority. From there, officials would compile the SWAP report.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to the status of protected species, the report included information on the geographic distribution of species, the threats they face, and suggested conservation plans. The process was time-consuming, a marathon of classification that inevitably threatened to go into overtime.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s one thing to go through the mammal species in three days\u2014we only have about 70\u2014but it\u2019s another thing to go through 400 birds,\u201d said Ashley Peters, a GIS specialist with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources\u2019 State Lands Division.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[769826,769824,769822,769827,769823]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>A New Geographic Approach<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beginning in 2023, the department began a radical overhaul of how species information would be gathered for the 2025 SWAP, to improve the process and accuracy of the data. Peters worked closely with Katie Lawson, a GIS expert and professor in Auburn University\u2019s Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tool they developed uses a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/arcgis\/products\/arcgis-experience-builder\/overview\">GIS web app builder<\/a> to combine expert input and make it specific to a location prior to the ranking process. A drop-down menu within each taxa section lists all the species under review within that group.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When an animal is selected from the menu, the site provides an interactive map showing where that animal has been and where it is now. It also offers an ArcGIS Survey123 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/arcgis\/products\/arcgis-survey123\/overview\">GIS-powered survey<\/a> form, prompting respondents to note whether they believe the animal deserves protected status. If the answer is yes, respondents answer additional questions.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAt a quick glance, the experts could see when a species was last in an area,\u201d Peters said. \u201cIf the map was mostly yellow, then we had a lot of recent observations. If it was more red, then we had older observations. And so they could talk about whether these were accurate.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collected data is displayed on a dashboard. With charts and graphs, the dashboard serves as a way to crowdsource expert opinions regarding each species. Data was collected over a six-week period, then the taxa groups met for one day to discuss the results and make SWAP recommendations.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[769968,769969,769970,769971]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Efficiency improvements are obvious\u2014three days of fraught discussions reduced to a one-day meeting to discuss collected data. Just as important, the process facilitates a holistic approach to prioritization.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The completed SWAP contains additional maps of the entire state. These maps answer such questions as how to connect conservation areas via habitat corridors.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A species\u2019 conservation status has funding implications. \u201cThe funding source for species of greatest conservation need is the federal State Wildlife Grant Program,\u201d Lawson said. \u201cThat means that the ranking directly influences which species can receive financial support for conservation projects.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The Longleaf Pine Ecosystem<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GIS maps and analysis also make it easier to understand the health of Alabama\u2019s ecosystems. The state has one of the largest concentrations of longleaf pine land in the US. Over the last century, much of the nation\u2019s longleaf pine lands, one of the most species-rich ecosystems outside of the tropics, have disappeared.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among its major threats is the prevalence of fire suppression on developed land. Periodic fires are an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/tall-timbers-longleaf-pine-forest-prescribed-fire\">important way the ecosystem recharges itself<\/a>.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":700722,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SWAP analysis revealed some signs of improvement in that ecosystem. The pinewoods litter snake, for example, no longer needs extra conservation protection.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The eastern indigo snake is a keystone species, meaning it has an importance to the ecosystem\u2019s health disproportionate to its abundance. It relies on burrows dug by the gopher tortoise, itself a keystone species. Both species are still designated as needing priority conservation efforts.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data like this, visualized on GIS dashboards and maps, helps the state plan conservation efforts by revealing ways to expand the ecosystem. Habitat corridors, for example, can unite disconnected parts of the ecosystem. But building those corridors requires coordination with private landowners. The maps help determine where potential corridor lands are located and how they might be enlisted for ecosystem protection.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>A Fair SWAP<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One important improvement of the new GIS-based process over the previous method is the way it facilitates better communication and consensus.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As expected, the Lord God Bird, whose presence in Alabama is disputed among bird experts, required some discussion. \u201cIn the bird room, we had one person who feels like it\u2019s still here, and he didn\u2019t want to give up on it,\u201d Peters said.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dashboard made it clear to the holdout that his opinion was an outlier.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe room talked about it, and he wanted to give it Priority 1 status, but he finally said, \u2018I know I\u2019m the odd man out,' so we decided to call it extirpated,\u201d Peters said.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThat\u2019s one of the biggest impacts the dashboard has,\u201d Lawson added. \u201cFor a lot of those species where people disagreed, a pie chart displayed how many experts were recommending various priority levels.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The data democratizes the process, while ensuring that nobody dominates the conversation.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf four people recommend P1 and two people recommend P2, everybody\u2019s voice was in that pie chart, regardless of whether they were reluctant to speak up,\u201d Lawson said. \u201cBecause there are some shyer people, who have profound knowledge of these species, but are maybe more likely to go with the opinions of others.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond streamlining the ranking process, Alabama\u2019s GIS-based approach addresses a persistent challenge in conservation planning. SWAPs are typically contained on PDF documents. The static medium limits the underlying data that various partners\u2014land trusts, nonprofits, and executive branch implementation agencies\u2014need to inform conservation projects.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alabama\u2019s online platform ensures that maps, data, and conservation priorities are accessible and updateable. A conservation partner can view exactly where a species has been documented, note current threats, and make informed decisions regarding where to focus restoration work or pursue land acquisition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn more about how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/conservation\/overview\">conservation professionals apply GIS to protect biodiversity<\/a>.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":303922,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":"<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Preserving E.O. Wilson\u2019s Legacy<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alabama\u2019s Mobile-Tensaw Delta begins where the Alabama River meets the Tombigbee River. It stretches south for 45 miles, flowing into Mobile Bay near the city of Mobile.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In between those two points lies the second-most biodiverse delta in the nation, and one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.org\/en-us\/magazine\/magazine-articles\/secret-south-alabama-waterways\/?en_txn1=s_lio.mag.eg.ec_rr\">most ecologically diverse regions in the world<\/a>. The famous naturalist E.O. Wilson, who grew up in Mobile, called Mobile-Tensaw \u201cAmerica\u2019s Amazon.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was the delta that spurred Wilson\u2019s love of the natural world. As early as age 12, he was exploring the area. (Carefully, no doubt, for he surely knew it was the nation\u2019s largest breeding grounds for black bears.) Throughout his life, he would describe the delta as one of the world\u2019s most special places.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Four years after Wilson\u2019s death, the E.O. Wilson Foundation is paying tribute to the delta he loved. The organization recently <a href=\"https:\/\/eowilsonfoundation.org\/news-posts\/the-nature-conservancy-announces-new-partnership-with-e-o-wilson-biodiversity-foundation\/\">announced<\/a> the formation of the Mobile-Tensaw Land Between the Rivers Preserve.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.org\/en-us\/get-involved\/how-to-help\/places-we-protect\/mobile-tensaw-delta-landscape-conservation-area\/\">partnership<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.org\/en-us\/newsroom\/eo-wilson-land-between-the-rivers-preserve\/\">The Nature Conservancy<\/a>, the foundation acquired eight thousand acres\u00a0\u00a0 of private land in the delta, shielding the area from planned industrial development. The preserve will help protect more than 700 land and aquatic animal species. The protected area is home to more than 500 plant species and one of Alabama\u2019s last patches of unprotected bottomland forests, a critical habitat for migratory birds.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The region also has important cultural significance. The land between the rivers was once home to the Naniaba tribe and served as a buffer zone between the Choctaw and Creek confederacies.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The preserve is part of the larger Half-Earth Project. The effort grew out of Wilson\u2019s belief that the way to preserve biodiversity was to devote <a href=\"https:\/\/eowilsonfoundation.org\/what-is-the-half-earth-project\/\">half of the planet<\/a> to human-free zones. Half-Earth uses <a href=\"https:\/\/livingatlas.arcgis.com\/en\/browse\/?q=half%20earth#d=2&amp;q=half+earth\">GIS<\/a> as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/announcements\/esri-partners-with-e-o-wilson-biodiversity-foundation-to-establish-half-earth-project-conservation-priorities\">key way<\/a>to <a href=\"https:\/\/map.half-earthproject.org\/\">explain and share<\/a> its efforts through interactive maps (including one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/map.half-earthproject.org\/aoi\/3?precalculatedLayerSlug=specific-regions-tile&amp;OBJECTID=3&amp;ui=%7B%22selectedSpecies%22%3A%22birds-416%22%2C%22aoiId%22%3A3%7D&amp;globe=%7B%22activeLayers%22%3A%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22mask-layer%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22graphic_layer%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22cities_labels_layer%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22landscape_features_labels_layer%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22protected_areas_vector_tile_layer%22%2C%22category%22%3A%22Protection%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22all-taxa-priority%22%2C%22category%22%3A%22Biodiversity%22%2C%22opacity%22%3A0.8%7D%5D%7D\">new preserve<\/a>) and <a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/4bea90b2700a438aba3f6da9c3a4c456\">ArcGIS StoryMaps stories<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Nature Conservancy initially used GIS to guide site selection for the preserve. Maps were layered with information like digital elevation models and data from remote sensing.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Nature Conservancy hopes the preserve will eventually become part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, giving it further protection. The organization also plans to preserve more of the delta, connecting it with protected lands that stretch from the Gulf Coastal Plain to the Appalachian Mountains.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E.O. Wilson would expect nothing less.<\/p>","snippet":""}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Inside Alabama\u2019s Overhaul of Wildlife Protection<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The state of Alabama uses GIS to map species, gather input, and streamline wildlife conservation decisions in its State Wildlife Action Plan.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/alabama-biodiversity-hotspot-inventory\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In the Nation\u2019s Biodiversity Hot Spot, a Geographic Approach Ignites Conservation Action\" \/>\n<meta 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