FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE UNITED STATES: MAIN CHARACTERISTICS - BIOLOGY - 2024

Among the flora and fauna of the United States, the redwood and the Colorado fir stand out for plants, and the raccoon and alligator for animals.

The United States is a country with a large territorial extension, being the third largest in the world. Due to this, it is considered a very diverse country.

Redwood forest

In addition to being made up of the continental states, it also includes the Hawaiian archipelago, the state of Alaska and numerous islands in the Pacific and the Caribbean.

The United States has hundreds of government-protected natural areas and 58 national parks.

It houses numerous species of plants and animals. It has 17,000 species of plants, more than 400 species of mammals, 500 species of reptiles and 750 species of birds.

You may also be interested in the natural resources of the United States.

The 5 main representatives of the flora of the United States

One third of the United States is occupied by forests. The main tree species are conifers, which are the mainstay of the wood and paper industry.

1- Sequoia

This tree belongs to the species of conifers. California is home to the Sequoia National Park, which was created in 1890.

The giant sequoias stand out in the park, including the renowned General Sherman, the largest tree in the world. It is 84 meters high and 11 meters in diameter.

2- Colorado Fir

It is an arboreal spice of the Pinaceae family. It is native to the western mountains and is found at altitudes of 900 to 3400 meters above sea level.

There are 2 subspecies: the white Colorado spruce found in the Rocky Mountains, and the lowland Colorado spruce native to southern California.

3- Beech

It is a native species of the country. It is a tree that grows up to 35 meters in height and its bark is silver-gray.

The leaves are dark green and 6-12 cm long. Found in humid hillside forests.

4- Cypress

This tree is native to the eastern Mediterranean. However, it has been widely cultivated in many parts of the world.

The ideal zones are those with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters, as is the case in California.

5- Mosses

The flora of the north of the country is mainly composed of mosses, lichens and low shrubs. Mosses are small plants that do not have vascular tissue.

They need an environment saturated with water temporarily, in order to develop their life cycle.

The 5 main representatives of the fauna of the United States

1- Gray bear

The gray bear lives in the northwestern United States, although the largest population of gray bears is in Alaska.

It is a solitary animal, except for in the salmon season. At that time it meets with other bears in streams and coastal areas to feed. It is the third largest omnivore in the country.

2- Mink

It is a small carnivorous mammal. Its color is dark brown, it has short rounded ears and a small, broad head.

As an identifying feature, the mink has a white patch on the chin. It can be mistaken for an otter, although the mink is smaller.

3- Raccoon

It is a medium-sized mammal: it reaches between 40 to 70 cm in length and between 3.5 to 9 kg in weight.

Its fur is gray and dense, which insulates it from the cold. Two of the raccoon's most distinctive features are its face mask and highly dexterous front legs. They are known for their intelligence.

4- Moose

They live in cold environments. They have a large nose with abundant blood flow.

This helps them heat the air before it reaches the lungs. Males have antlers of varying shapes.

5- Cayman

This animal is distributed by the rivers and swamps of the southern United States and abounds in the state of Florida.

They can reach a maximum of 6 meters in length. The weight of the females ranges between 70 kg, and the males can reach 450 kg.

References

1. Fauna of the United States. (sf). Obtained from International Education: lae-edu.com
2. Flora and Fauna of the United States. (sf). Obtained from the United States: united-states.es
3. Flora and Fauna of the United States of America. (sf). Obtained from La Reserva: lareserva.com
4. The fauna United States. (sf). Obtained from Easy Viajar: easyviajar.com
5. Nature United States - The flora and fauna of the United States. (sf). Obtained from Costa Sur: usa.costasur.com