Pennsylvania Wildlife, Plants, and Ecosystems.

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Introduction

Before I begin writing about the different animals and plants I have seen in my backyard, I wanted to briefly write about the native plant and animal life that call Pennsylvania home as well as write about the different ecosystems that can be found across Pennsylvania.   

Mammals

Currently, there are 66 mammal species that call Pennsylvania home. These can include common species like the white tailed deer, opossum, and grey squirrel, to endangered species like the Northern flying squirrel, Indiana bat, and least shrew. Sadly, Pennsylvania was also once home to some large extirpated species. An extirpated species is a species that has become extinct in a certain geographical area. This list includes: the wolverine, Canada lynx, grey wolf, cougar, and moose. Most of these animals were hunted to extinction in the 1800s for sport, or because they were a threat to livestock. The Pennsylvania state animal is the white-tailed deer.   

Birds

Pennsylvania is also home to 414 species of wild birds. These birds can range from very small and common, like the house sparrow, to the large and majestic, like the bald eagle. Some endangered birds that call Pennsylvania home are the peregrine falcon, great egret, and short-eared owl. “I am fortunate enough to have some of Pennsylvania’s most beautiful birds visit my backyard. The indigo bunting, bald eagle and pileated woodpecker visit my yard at least once a year. Even if it is just a quick flyby.” The Pennsylvania state bird is the ruffed grouse.

Reptiles and Amphibians

76 species of reptiles and amphibians call Pennsylvania home. Oddly enough when broken up the number is an even 38 species of amphibians and 38 species of reptiles. The reptile group includes: snakes, lizards, and turtles. The amphibian group includes: frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders. Out of Pennsylvania’s 76 species only 4 are considered dangerous or venomous. The Eastern massasauga, copperhead, and timber rattlesnake are the three species of pit vipers native to PA. The snapping turtle is another dangerous reptile species found in Pennsylvania. Although, not venomous these turtles have a powerful bite that can remove a human finger. The bellow graphs is a breakdown of the different types of amphibian and reptile species found in Pennsylvania.  

 Insects

The insects and arachnids that call Pennsylvania home come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some of these insects are small and colorful, like the ladybug and candy-striped leafhopper. Some are large terrifying hunters, like the praying mantis and wolf spider. Finally, some are just bizarre looking and weird, like the plume moth, and white-marked tussock moth caterpillar. There are a total of 502 insects, arachnids, and chilopoda native to Pennsylvania. Chilopoda is the animal class that centipedes belong to. The Pennsylvania state insect is the Pennsylvania firefly. The graph below is a breakdown of the different types of insects and arachnids native to Pennsylvania.

 Fish

Pennsylvania is home to around 160 different species of fish in 24 different families. Some of these fish families are bass, trout, catfish, and pike. These fish live in many different water habitats which can range from shallow and deep lakes, warm and cold bodies of water, clear or swampy lakes, or slow and fast moving streams.
According to the “Pennsylvania Department of Fish and Game” the actual number of fish species in Pennsylvania waters is not known. This is due to two factors. The first is non-native species of fish are stocked in fishing lakes or may be released into the wild. “In several large ponds I have seen large goldfish swimming around with the native fish.” The second factor is fish species that were once native to Pennsylvania may have gone extinct. In addition species of fish that were thought to have gone extinct from the state sometimes have been rediscovered. The Pennsylvania state fish is the brook trout.

 Plants

Pennsylvania is home to a large number of plant species. The number of wildflowers found across the state is more then 900. “My personal favorite Pennsylvania wildflower is the fire pink flower.” Around 134 native and 62 introduced tree species can be found in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is also home to many different species of shrubs, moss, and grass. The Pennsylvania state tree is the eastern hemlock, and the state flower is the mountain laurel.

 Ecosystems

An ecosystem is a biological community of different organisms interacting with their physical environment. Ecosystems can be water or land based. Pennsylvania has four common ecosystems: lakes, rivers, wetlands, and forests.

 Forests

58 percent of Pennsylvania’s land mass is covered by forests, which comes out to more than 16 million acres. There are currently 20 state forests across Pennsylvania. Most Pennsylvania forests have a wide range of different trees like oak, cherry, and maple. “In my yard I have a few maple and oak trees.” Many of the wildlife in Pennsylvania also call these forest ecosystems home. 

 Wetlands

The wetlands in Pennsylvania are important ecosystems to many different species of amphibians, water fowls, and fish. Most Pennsylvania wetlands are located in floodplains near streams and rivers. Pennsylvania has over 400,000 acres of wetlands across the state. The largest wetland in the state is the Tinicum Marsh wetland which is around 285 acres.

 Lakes

Across Pennsylvania there are around 2,500 lake ecosystems. However, many of these lakes are man made or large ponds. The largest lake in Pennsylvania is Lake Erie. Lake Erie also crosses into four other states New York, Michigan, and Ohio.
Pennsylvania lakes act as drinkable water sources for wildlife. Like wetlands, lakes also act as habitats for many different species of fish, water fowl, and amphibians. 

 Rivers

The Allegheny, Susquehanna, and Ohio rivers all flow through Pennsylvania. “I have lived near the Susquehanna and Ohio rivers. Both of which are amazing to drive across!” In total around 26 rivers flow through Pennsylvania covering 83,000 miles. The Ohio River has the most diverse freshwater ecosystem of any river in Pennsylvania. The Ohio River is also the longest river in Pennsylvania running at 981 miles. Sadly in Pennsylvania many of the river ecosystems have been damaged by human activities like coal mining and the creation of dams.

Conclusion

Throughout this blog I have covered some basic information on the different types of wildlife, plants, and ecosystems that are found in Pennsylvania. In the future I will cover each organism I have seen in my backyard on an individual level, and in greater detail. I hope you enjoyed the journey as we explore wildlife in my backyard, and other nature topics.   


Additional Resources and Reference Websites


DCNR. (N.D.). Common trees of Pennsylvania. Retrieved from
            http://www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20029752.pdf

Insect Identification. (2017). Bugs and Other Insects from the State of Pennsylvania. Retrieved from
https://www.insectidentification.org/insects-by-state.asp?thisState=Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania game commission. (2017). Wildlife in Pennsylvania. Retrieved from
http://www.pgc.pa.gov/WILDLIFE/WILDLIFESPECIES/Pages/default.aspx

Sothern, M. (2017). Four Ecosystems of Pennsylvania. Retrieved from
             https://bizfluent.com/list-7335832-four-ecosystems-pennsylvania.ht

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