Restoring Appalachia’s Rare Ecosystems
Red spruce forests once covered more than 500,000 acres of West Virginia’s high country. Now less than 10 percent of the red spruce ecosystem is left in the state, after years of logging and mining. That remarkable habitat is home to over 300 rare plant and animal species. Because of this exceptionally high biodiversity, red spruce forest and wetland communities are among the highest global conservation priorities.