Nature & Science

Intro

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park manages 2,040 acres of land. Within the park lies wildlife and scenery exemplary of Alabama’s rich biodiversity. Through it flows a section of the Tallapoosa River, with shoals just upriver and downriver from the park. The forest and the river together create a perfect habitat for many species.

The physical makeup of the region affects which plants and animals can thrive here. Some plants may want more or less acidic soil which the rocks around it play a large role.The park sits in Alabama’s piedmont region of the state at the very southern foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Geologically, this area’s rocks date back to the Paleozoic era-- that’s anywhere between 250-450 million years ago! The climate, geology, and topography of this region make it uniquely suited to support life here in the forest and river.

Explore this page to learn more about the natural world in Horseshoe Bend!

 

Woolly Beardgrass

SCA Intern, Teddy Laney

Alabama’s Biodiversity

With more than 6,350 species, Alabama ranks 4th among states in terms of species diversity and is first among states east of the Mississippi River. Alabama is consistently at the top of the list for most freshwater aquatic species. Of the U.S., Alabama ranks #1 for most species in the following freshwater taxa: fish, mussels, snails, crawfish, & turtles.

The Forest

Horseshoe Bend NMP resides in a Shortleaf / Loblolly Pine forest. Historically, these forests would have looked different at the time of the battle. Much of the land you see on your visit to the park was farmed shortly after the battle until the creation of the park. Today our maintenance staff conducts best practices for the health of the forest. Control burns are performed routinely to simulate natural fires the land would have experienced years ago, which many native plants need in order to thrive.

 

The Tallapoosa River near Griffin Shoals, upriver of the park's boat ramp

Teddy Laney, SCA Intern

The Tallapoosa River

The Tallapoosa River is roughly 258 miles long with its headwaters in western Georgia. It flows through Alabama until it meets the Coosa River to create the Alabama River. The breadth of the river is a combination of flat water and shoals with small rapids that only classify as “class 1” (easy) in the International Scale of River Difficulty. This makes it an easy approachable float for paddlers of all abilities.

The stretch flowing through Horseshoe Bend NMP is part of the Harold Banks Canoe Trail. This 25-mile stretch of the Tallapoosa River highlights all that the Tallapoosa has to offer, from public access points to flora and fauna. You can read more about the Harold Banks Canoe Trail by visiting the Alabama Cooperative Extension Services website.

On the Tallapoosa River, one can find many notable native species. Belted Kingfishers, Bald Eagles, Ospreys may soar overhead as you float down the river. Beside you could be found native River Otters, Beavers, Turtles, and more. Beneath you as you float atop the river, the Tallapoosa Redeye Bass is a species of bass that can only be caught in this river and its creeks and is often chased by anglers. Other fish of note include the Tallapoosa Darter, Channel Catfish, and Longear sunfish. In summer, the river has large blooms of Shoal Lilies, Water Willows, and Elderflower.

 

Two AmeriCorps crewmembers getting samples from a creek for the Dragonfly Mercury Project.

Piper Graham, AmeriCorps

Science & Research: Dragonfly Mercury Project

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park is a participant in the Dragonfly Mercury Project, a national project that’s powered by citizen scientists and community volunteers to monitor mercury levels of waterways through dragonfly larvae collection. In large quantities, mercury can be dangerous to humans and wildlife alike. This project helps resource managers better understand and fight mercury contamination.

 

Plants

Explore Horseshoe Bend's Plant Life

Animals

Discover the Animals of Horseshoe Bend

 

"Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too.
Talk to them, listen to them. They are alive poems."
- Joy Harjo

Explore our database below to discover what species of plants and animals are present in the park!

 

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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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Horseshoe Bend National Military Park

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Species attribute definitions

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