Rooted in the Southeast: Learning from Plants in Familiar Places

Inspiring the next generation of scientists at Everglades National Park. Middle school students experience hands-on field science, discovering how fire, water, and healthy ecosystems shape the landscape.

NPS / Omar Barrera

Southeastern National Parks: Biodiversity, History, and Public Enjoyment

Red Pitcher Plant. White Fringeless Orchid. Hollow Joe-Pye Weed. Eastern Spleenwort. What do they have in common—besides names that ignite the fires of the imagination? They are all recent plant discoveries in southeastern national parks in the United States. Even after decades of NPS stewardship, in one of the most biodiverse regions of the country, there is still much to learn.

National parks in the southeastern United States mean many things to many people. Some are world famous, like Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Everglades National park, encompassing large natural areas of exceptional biodiversity within the United States. Others are relatively small and dispersed, but they stand out as islands of native habitat or historical significance in a sea of human development. Some of these parks—like Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia and Gulf Islands National Seashore in Mississippi and Florida—include multiple barrier islands that provide rare opportunities to experience undeveloped beaches, while providing protection for the coastlines and communities during hurricanes and storm surges. Collectively, southeastern national parks inspire millions of visitors each year as places to recreate and learn about the region’s culture and history, contributing to local economies.

Ancient trails: Hikers on a sunken section of trail on the historic Natchez Trace Parkway. These well-worn paths through dense Mississippi forests allow visitors to step back in time and follow the steps of Indigenous people and early settlers.

NPS / Chris Adams

Yet on their own, these parks cannot take care of themselves. Preserving parks for the public’s long-term enjoyment requires careful stewardship, active management, along with sound scientific understanding. This is achieved through NPS’s long-term vegetation monitoring programs. NPS scientists collect, analyze, and share vital scientific data on plant life with park managers so they can manage and maintain the health and integrity of these treasured national resources for generations to come.

This article is part of a series of articles highlighting how long-term vegetation monitoring helps protect the natural resources that define southeastern parks. By focusing on plant communities, park scientists and managers gain insight into the health, resilience, and future of these diverse and dynamic landscapes.

The Science Behind the Stewardship

To support data-driven park management of natural resources and foster staff sharing and science coordination across parks that share similar ecosystems, NPS created the Inventory & Monitoring (I&M) Program. In the Southeast, this program is carried out by five regional networks that serve more than 40 national parks. They are the Gulf Coast Network, Southeast Coast Network, Cumberland Piedmont Network, South Florida/Caribbean Network, and Appalachian Highlands Network.

NPS Inventory and Monitoring networks across the southeastern United States. Each network encompasses several national parks where vegetation monitoring takes place.

NPS

By organizing parks into networks based on shared ecosystems and geography, NPS promotes scientific collaboration, staff sharing, and coordinated strategies that reach beyond park borders. These networks also enable broader-scale ecological understanding that no single park could achieve on its own.

Hidden Gems of the Southeast: Platanthera integrilabia, commonly known as the white fringeless orchid, was discovered by a forest monitoring crew at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in 2021. The discovery of this rare orchid was not only new to the park but also new to the central Appalachian region.

Geoff Call/USFWS

Each network collects standardized data on key ecosystem indicators—called “vital signs”—including vegetation composition, soil and water quality, climate trends, and invasive species. These long-term monitoring efforts help parks detect change early, adjust management strategies, and build resilient ecosystems for future generations to enjoy.

From the Caribbean coastlines to the Carolina mountaintops, from the Gulf to the Appalachians, NPS I&M Networks support parks of all sizes that are rich in biodiversity—some of it yet to be discovered. As we learn more about each park’s unique flora and fauna, we can also better understand the key challenges that park managers face in keeping these ecosystems healthy today and for generations to come.

To learn more about national parks in the Southeastern US—specifically their unique ecological challenges and why vegetation monitoring matters—read on!

Southeastern Plants: Ecosystem Anchors Under Threat

Shaping the Southeastern Park Experience: How Monitoring Plant Communities Makes a Difference

Southeast Vegetation Monitoring

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  Appalachian Highlands Network

  The Appalachian Highlands Network monitors rare plant communities called Cumberlandian cobble bars, or "river scour prairies."

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  Cumberland Piedmont Network

  Preserving forest vegetation communities is a priority for parks within the Cumberland Piedmont Network.

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  Gulf Coast Network

  Gulf Coast Network parks contain unique plant communities, from the diverse groundcover of pine savannahs to species-rich forests.

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  South Florida/Caribbean Network

  Forest communities are an important natural resource and cover a large portion of the park units of the South Florida/Caribbean Network.

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  Southeast Coast Network

  Over 3,000 plant species are found within 180 vegetation communities in the Southeastern Coast Network.