Forests and Plants

The Appalachian Trail passes through some of the largest and least fragmented forest blocks in the eastern United States; these forests shelter abundant wildlife and provide habitat for plants and insects. The A.T. offers a unique observatory to study common types of forests such as oak-hickory interspersed with fragile high-elevation communities such as the spruce-fir forests of the southern Appalachians and alpine meadows of the northeast.

Because of its 250,000-acre land base and the cross-section of vegetation types it passes through in its route across the continent, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail is the most diverse unit of the United States national parks. A.T. lands harbor more rare, threatened and endangered species than Yellowstone or Acadia national parks. These fragile species suffer from obvious threats such as habitat loss and more insidious threats such as pollution and invasive species.

Find out more about these topics and volunteer opportunities:

Rare species -- Learn about threatened plant species that the A.T. sustains and best practices protect them.

Invasives -- Track the spread of problematic plant species, and work collaboratively to eliminate targeted populations of invasives.  

Forest health -- Examine the overall condition of eastern forests and impacts from threats like air pollution, forest pests, and disease, to determine the best ways to preserve recreational opportunities and manage forest resources. 

Mountain Watch -- Monitor high-elevation plants to detect early impacts of climate change.