Ecoregions of

85¡ 84¡ 83¡ 82¡ 81¡ Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial Charlotte framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems 67 and ecosystem components. Ecoregions are directly applicable to the immediate 66 35¡ needs of state agencies, including the development of biological criteria and water 68 Chattanooga A NORTH CAROLIN quality standards and the establishment of management goals for nonpoint-source TENNESSEE pollution. They are also relevant to integrated ecosystem management, an ultimate 35¡ 66j Greenville 67i 66j goal of many federal and state resource management agencies. 67h 67g 67f 66d The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological 67i 67f regions can be identified through the analysis of the spatial patterns and the 66g composition of biotic and abiotic phenomena that affect or reflect differences in 67f 67h 67g ecosystem quality and integrity (Wiken 1986; Omernik 1987, 1995). These 67f phenomena include geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, 68c SOUTH CAR wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from 67 Hartwell Lake one ecological region to another regardless of the hierarchical level. A Roman 67h 45 68 numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels of ecological Lake Sidney OLIN regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological 67h Lanier Gainesville Russell 67g Lake A regions. Level II divides the continent into 52 regions (Commission for Rome Columbia Environmental Cooperation Working Group 1997). At level III, the continental 67g 34¡ United States contains 104 ecoregions and the conterminous United States has 84 ecoregions (United States Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA] 2000). Level 67f 34¡ 67 67i 45a IV is a further subdivision of level III ecoregions. Explanations of the methods used Athens 45c to define the USEPA’s ecoregions are given in Omernik (1995), Omernik and others er 45c (2000), Griffith and others (2001) and Gallant and others (1989). 45d iv R ee h J. Strom Georgia contains barrier islands and coastal lowlands, large river floodplain , oc Anniston ho Thurmond rolling and plateaus, forested , and a variety of aquatic habitats. tta Lake 65 ha Ecological and biological diversity is enormous. There are 6 level III ecoregions and C

Augusta

28 level IV ecoregions in Georgia and most continue into ecologically similar parts

65p ALAB GEORGIA 65c of adjacent states.

Lake The level III and IV ecoregion map was compiled at a scale of 1:250,000 and depicts AMA 45b

Sinclair

revisions and subdivisions of earlier level III ecoregions that were originally compiled at a smaller scale (USEPA 2000; Omernik 1987). This poster is part of a collaborative project primarily between USEPA Region IV, USEPA National Health 45 33¡ and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (Corvallis, Oregon), Georgia La Grange Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR), and the United States Department of 65k 63 West Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Collaboration and 33¡ 65p 65p Point Macon Lake O consultation also occured with the United States Department of Agriculture- g e e Service (USFS), United States Department of the Interior-Geological Survey ch 45h ee (USGS)-Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center, and with other 65k O R c iv 65p o er Sa n va e n State of Georgia agencies. na e h

R R 75 i 65l i The project is associated with an interagency effort to develop a common framework v Statesboro v e 75f e of ecological regions (McMahon and others, 2001). Reaching that objective requires 65c r r Columbus recognition of the differences in the conceptual approaches and mapping 65p 75i 65k methodologies applied to develop the most common ecoregion-type frameworks, 65l including those developed by the USFS (Bailey and others, 1994), the USEPA 65p Vidalia 75i (Omernik 1987, 1995), and the NRCS (U.S. Department of Agriculture-Soil Savannah Conservation Service, 1981). As each of these frameworks is further refined, their 75f 32¡ differences are becoming less discernible. A regional collaborative project such as 65d Altamah this one in Georgia, where some agreement has been reached among multiple a River Hinesville resource management agencies, is a step toward attaining consensus and consistency 32¡ 65k O c m in ecoregion frameworks for the entire nation. 65 u 75j lgee River Troy 65l Literature Cited: 75i Walter F. 75h Bailey, R.G., Avers, P.E., King, T., and McNab, W.H., eds., 1994, Ecoregions and subregions of George Lake the United States (map) (supplementary table of map unit descriptions compiled and edited by Albany McNab, W.H. and Bailey, R.G.): Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service, scale 1:7,500,000. 65g Tifton n r e a Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997, Ecological regions of North iv R America - toward a common perspective: Montreal, Quebec, Commission for Environmental lint 75f e F Waycross Brunswick Cooperation, 71 p. Dothan c 65p 65h Gallant, A.L., Whittier, T.R., Larsen, D.P., Omernik, J.M., and Hughes, R.M., 1989, 75j O 31¡

Regionalization as a tool for managing environmental resources: Corvallis, Oregon, U.S. 75e

Environmental Protection Agency, EPA/600/3-89/060, 152 p. c i

Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., Comstock, J.A., Lawrence, S., Martin, G., Goddard, A., Hulcher, 31¡ t

V.J., and Foster, T., 2001, Ecoregions of Alabama and Georgia, (2 sided color poster with map, n

descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs): Reston, , U.S. Geological Survey, Valdosta 75g a

scale 1:1,700,000. Lake l

Seminole 65o t

Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., Comstock, and Foster, T., 2001, Ecoregions of Georgia: Corvallis, FLORIDA A Oregon, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 48 p.

McMahon, G., Gregonis, S.M., Waltman, S.W., Omernik, J.M., Thorson, T.D., Freeouf, J.A., 75e Rorick, A.H., and Keys, J.E., 2001, Developing a spatial framework of common ecological Tallahassee Jacksonville regions for the conterminous United States: Environmental Management, v. 28, no. 3, p. 293-316. 75 Omernik, J.M., 1987, Ecoregions of the conterminous United States (map supplement): Annals of 65 the Association of American Geographers, v. 77, no. 1, p. 118-125, scale 1:7,500,000. 75 Omernik, J.M., 1995, Ecoregions - a framework for environmental management, in Davis, W.S. and Simon, T.P., eds., Biological assessment and criteria-tools for water resource planning and 85¡ 84¡ 83¡ 82¡ 81¡ decision making: Boca Raton, Florida, Lewis Publishers, p. 49-62.

Omernik, J.M., Chapman, S.S., Lillie, R.A., and Dumke, R.T., 2000, Ecoregions of Wisconsin: 45 66 Blue Ridge 75 Southern Coastal Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, v. 88, no. 2000, p. 77- Level III ecoregion 103. 45a Southern Inner Piedmont 66d Southern Crystalline Ridges and Mountains 75e Okefenokee Plains Level IV ecoregion 45b Southern Outer Piedmont 66g Southern Metasedimentary Mountains 75f Sea Island Flatwoods State boundary U.S. Department of Agriculture-Soil Conservation Service, 1981, Land resource regions and 45c Carolina Slate Belt 66j Broad Basins 75g Okefenokee Swamp major land resource areas of the United States: Agriculture Handbook 296, 156 p. County boundary 45d Talladega Upland 75h Bacon Terraces U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000, Level III ecoregions of the continental United 45h Pine Ridges 75i Floodplains and Low Terraces States (revision of Omernik, 1987): Corvallis, Oregon, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- 67 Ridge and Valley 75j Sea Islands/Coastal Marsh National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Map M-1, various scales. 67f Southern Limestone/Dolomite Valleys and 65 Southeastern Plains Low Rolling Hills Wiken, E., 1986, Terrestrial ecozones of Canada: Ottawa, Environment Canada, Ecological Land 65c Sand Hills Classification Series no. 19, 26 p. 67g Southern Shale Valleys 65d Southern Hilly Gulf Coastal Plain 67h Southern Sandstone Ridges 65g Dougherty Plain SCALE 1:1 500 000 67i Southern Dissected Ridges and Knobs 65h Tifton Upland 15 10 5 0 30 60 mi 65k Coastal Plain Red Uplands 65l Atlantic Southern Loam Plains 68 Southwestern Appalachians 30 20 10 0 60 120 km 65o Tallahassee Hills/Valdosta Limesink 68c Plateau Escarpment PRINCIPAL AUTHORS: Glenn E. Griffith (NRCS), James M. Omernik (USEPA), Jeffrey A. 65p Southeastern Floodplains and Low Terraces 68d Southern Table Plateaus Albers Equal Area Projection Comstock (Indus Corporation), Steve Lawrence (NRCS), and Trish Foster (Mantech Inc.). Standard parallels 31¡ N and 34¡ N

COLLABORATORS AND CONTRIBUTORS: Hoke Howard (USEPA), Jim Harrison (USEPA), Bruce Pruitt (USEPA), Patti Lanford (GA DNR), Dave Melgaard (USEPA), Tom Loveland (USGS), Shannon Winsness (GA DNR), Bill Kennedy (GA DNR), Becky Blasius (GA DNR), Level III Ecoregions of the Conterminous United States Kristen Sanford (GA DNR), Dick Rightmyer (USFS), and Ron Stephens (USFS). 1 Coast Range 29 Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains 57 Huron/Erie Lake Plains 77 1 2 2 Puget Lowland 30 Edwards Plateau 58 Northeastern 15 41 42 3 Willamette Valley 31 Southern Texas Plains 59 Northeastern Coastal Zone REVIEWERS: Burchard Carter (Georgia Southwestern State Univ.), Pat O'Neil (Geological 10 49 4 Cascades 32 Texas Blackland 60 Northern Appalachian Plateau Survey of AL), Cliff Webber (Auburn Univ.), and Larry West (Univ. of GA). 48 82 1 3 5 Sierra Nevada 33 East Central Texas Plains and Uplands 4 11 42 6 Southern and Central 34 Western Gulf Coastal Plain 61 Erie Drift Plain 16 CITING THIS MAP: Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., Comstock, J.A., Lawrence, and Foster, T., 17 43 50 58 58 Chaparral and Oak Woodlands 35 South Central Plains 62 North Central Appalachians 51 2001, Ecoregions of Georgia: Corvallis, Oregon, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (map 9 46 50 7 Central California Valley 36 Ouachita Mountains 63 Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain 17 59 78 12 17 83 8 Southern California Mountains 37 Arkansas Valley 64 Northern Piedmont scale 1:1,500,000). 80 57 60 58 52 53 56 62 9 Eastern Cascades Slopes and 38 Boston Mountains 65 Southeastern Plains 18 62 Foothills 39 Ozark Highlands 66 Blue Ridge 44 47 To obtain additional copies of this map, the accompanying table of ecoregion characteristics, GIS coverages, 57 61 67 5 19 64 84 10 Columbia Plateau 40 Central Irregular Plains 67 Ridge and Valley or more information about Georgia or U.S. ecoregions, contact Glenn Griffith, USDA-NRCS, 200 SW 35th 13 54 11 Blue Mountains 41 Canadian Rockies 68 Southwestern Appalachians 55 70 Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, phone (541)754-4465, email [email protected], or see 21 40 63 1 7 20 25 12 Snake River Plain 42 Northwestern Glaciated Plains 69 Central Appalachians http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/ecoregions.htm. 27 66 13 Central Basin and Range 43 Northwestern Great Plains 70 Western Allegheny Plateau 6 72 69 28 40 14 Mojave Basin and Range 44 Nebraska Sand Hills 71 Interior Plateau 71 15 Northern Rockies 45 Piedmont 72 Interior River Lowland This project was partially supported by funds from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources through 14 39 8 16 Idaho Batholith 46 Northern Glaciated Plains 73 Alluvial Plain grants provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IV under the provisions of Section 22 68 65 26 38 66 17 Middle Rockies 47 Western Corn Belt Plains 74 Mississippi Valley Loess Plains 319(h) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act . 6 45 63 37 73 18 Wyoming Basin 48 Lake Agassiz Plain 75 Southern Coastal Plain 81 23 67 36 19 Wasatch and Uinta Mountains 49 Northern Minnesota Wetlands 76 Southern Florida Coastal Plain 25 20 Plateaus 50 Northern Lakes and Forests 77 North Cascades 79 23 29 21 Southern Rockies 51 North Central Hardwood 78 Klamath Mountains 74 27 32 35 65 22 /New Mexico Plateau Forests 79 Madrean Archipelago 24 33 23 Arizona/New Mexico Mountains 52 Driftless Area 80 Northern Basin and Range 30 73 24 Chihuahuan Deserts 53 Southeastern Wisconsin Till 81 Sonoran Basin and Range 25 Western High Plains 82 Laurentian Plains and Hills 34 75 Plains 83 Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson 31 26 Southwestern Tablelands 54 Central Corn Belt Plains 27 Central Great Plains 55 Eastern Corn Belt Plains Lowlands 76 28 Flint Hills 56 Southern Michigan/Northern 84 Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens Indiana Drift Plains Map source: USEPA, 2000