Inventory and Monitoring at Blue Ridge Parkway

Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a common target for poachers along the Parkway.

Photo by Gary Kauffman

The Blue Ridge Parkway has complex geology, topography and climate, including a 5,400-foot elevation range, high annual rainfall rates (100 inches-plus), and the long geologic stability of the Appalachian Mountains, which all contribute to its unusually high biodiversity. The parkway is home to 1,614 species of vascular plants, 45 amphibians (the highest number in any NPS unit), 24 globally rare plant communities, and numerous rare plant and animal species, including nine that are federally-listed as endangered or threatened.

Natural resource concerns at the parkway include invasive exotic species, resource theft (plants and minerals), unsustainable or inappropriate recreational use, habitat fragmentation, introduced forest pests and diseases, intensive development adjacent to park boundaries, and air quality (BLRI was the highest-ranked park in the country for acid deposition risk or impact, according to a 2011 NPS Air Resources Division report on sensitivity of National Parks to acidification from atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen deposition).

The network monitors water quality, exploited plants, and landscape change at the Blue Ridge Parkway.

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

Select a Park:

Blue Ridge Parkway

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

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Species attribute definitions

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