Inventory and Monitoring at Obed Wild and Scenic River

Cumberland rosemary (Conradina verticillata) is a federally-listed species in Obed Wild and Scenic River.

NPS Photo

The Obed Wild and Scenic River encompasses over 45 miles of free-flowing rivers, including the Emory River, Obed River and two of the Obed's tributaries, Clear Creek and Daddys Creek. The park is home to 1,080 species of vascular plants and vertebrate animals, including six federally threatened or endangered species and 29 species ranked as globally imperiled. For one of the federally-listed species, Cumberland rosemary (Conradina verticillata), this park protects 75 percent of all populations remaining in existence.

The park is also one of the last remaining refuges for several critically endangered freshwater mussels, including the Alabama lamp mussel (Lampsilis virescens), which occurs at only one other site in the world, and the purple bean (Villosa perpurpurea-known from only five streams range-wide), as well as the threatened spotfin chub (Erimonax monachus).

Natural resource concerns at the Obed include water quality and quantity, critically imperiled aquatic species, rare riparian and clifftop communities, invasive exotic species, introduced forest pests and diseases, as well as intensive development and resource extraction adjacent to park boundaries. The network monitors water quality and quantity, Cumberland rosemary, cobble bar communities, rare mussels, rare fish (spotfin chub), and landscape change at the Obed Wild and Scenic River.

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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.

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Species attribute definitions

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