Sipsey Wilderness Research Paper

The Sipsey wilderness fits two of the ten UNESCO criteria for international heritage status. It fits criteria nine and ten. “(ix) to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. And (x) to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation (The Criteria for Selection.)” The Sipsey wilderness contains a varied and amazing number of different location and environments, unique forest
The Sipsey area is home to many types of creatures including a unique and large population of mussels. With 37 different species recorded in the Sipsey's river ways and streams. “ This represents one of the best remaining and most intact mussel communities left in the United States. These mussels have interesting names, such as the southern fatmucket, yellow sandshell, and Alabama orb. Freshwater mussels thrive in free-flowing riverine habitats with clean water and gravel bottoms. These conditions remain on the Sipsey River because there are no major dams. Also, many areas of the Sipsey retain their swampy bottomland forest floodplains. Such areas help remove silt and pollutants from runoff during rain events and maintain good water quality in the river (Sipsey
It is host to the black warrior waterdog, necturus alabamensis, a medium-sized perennibranch salamander. Who's habitat is restricted to the black warrior river basin where it gets its name. The definition of an endangered species by the IUCN is, ''A. Reduction in population size, B. limited Geographic range, C. Population size estimated to number fewer than 2,500 mature individuals, D. Population size estimated to number fewer than 250 mature individuals and E. Quantitative analysis showing the probability of extinction in the wild is at least 20% within 20 years or five generations (The