Ecosystems
An ecosystem is made up of habitats, organisms, and abiotic factors (climate, nutrients, etc.). These elements are always interacting, shifting the scales, and rebalancing. Healthy ecosystems provide benefits that improve the quality of life for humans. In the 2025 Indiana State Wildlife Action Plan, 13 ecosystems were identified based on the unique habitats, plants, and wildlife found within their borders.
Explore Indiana’s ecosystems, online and in-person. The links below will guide you through unique habitats and species from each ecosystem, as well as the pressures and opportunities ranked most important by partners working in these systems.
- How Ecosystems Were Selected
Through the SWAP process, Hoosiers representing a wide array of conservation, education, and business groups identified natural elements that were important to the communities they served. These included habitats, species, ecological systems, and other conservation targets. From that list, 13 ecosystems were selected to represent unique natural areas that support diverse wildlife, face specific challenges, and offer great potential for continuing to improve benefits to humans through conservation actions.
- Healthy Ecosystems, Healthy People
The health and wellness of Hoosiers, habitats, and wildlife are woven together. Conservation benefits the health of all Hoosiers, as healthy wildlife and habitats improve access to clean air and clean water and reduce the prevalence of diseases harbored by wild and domestic animals in the state.
Places where fish and wildlife live also serve as wonderful places for recreation. They are an oasis for people to equitably access nature, find peace and quiet, see something new, and share time with others. Many cultures and studies have found that spending time in nature can produce beneficial results for people.
- Healthy Ecosystems and Resilient Communities
A healthy ecosystem can more widely distribute the negative impact of extreme weather. This means that when faced with extreme weather events, communities within healthier ecosystems receive less damage and can recover more quickly, staying resilient in the face of environmental change.
Indiana is experiencing changes in temperature and precipitation patterns over time. From 1895-2022, Indiana’s average temperature has warmed nearly 1.2 ºF (Indiana CCIA). In the same timeframe, Indiana has experienced a 5.6 inch increase in annual precipitation (Indiana CCIA). While we may not know what changes will continue to come, we can recognize that warming temperatures and increased precipitation are what the people, ecosystems, and wildlife of our state are experiencing today.
Change requires adaptation. Throughout the Indiana State Wildlife Action Plan, you will see how we have considered strategies to help fellow Hoosiers and the ecosystems we depend upon adapt to a warmer and wetter future.