A DIVERSE AND ENDANGERED AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM OF THE SOUTHEAST UNITED-STATES

We document the biodiversity and conservation status of an extraordina rily diverse and endangered ecosystem in the United States that has fa iled to attract the same attention as tropical ecosystems-the rivers a nd streams of Alabama and adjoining states Relative to North America a s a whole, Alabama is a highlight of aquatic diversity supporting 38% of native, freshwater fishes, 43% of native freshwater gill-breathing snails, 60% of native mussels, and 52% of native freshwater turtles. O f these 41%, 77%, 34% and 22% of the fishes, snails, mussels, and turt les, respectively, are endemic to Alabama and adjacent state. Like man y tropical systems of developing nations, this fauna is in an imperile d state, with 10%, 65%, 69%, and 43% of Alabama's fishes, gill-breathi ng snails, mussels, and turtles, respectively, considered either extin ct, endangered threatened, or of special concern. Unlike tropical syst ems, however, little effort has been made to protect the taxa and thei r habitats Only 40% of fishes, 1% of gill-breathing snails, 32% of mus sels, and 20% of freshwater turtles are formally listed as either thre atened or endangered via the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973; no c ritical habitat has been protected Clearly, the biodiversity crisis in not limited to tropical systems of developing nations Although the En dangered Species Act of 1973 helps to ensure a future of sustainable d iversity efforts must be made to hasten recognition, protection, and r ecovery of critical habitat particularly for hotspots such as the aqua tic systems of Alabama.