Ecological Regions Of The United States

One of the world's largest countries by land area, the U.S. has a varied geography housing considerable biodiversity.

Ecological Regions of the United States

The US is a federal republic comprising 50 states and is the third largest country in the world with a total area of 3,676,476 square miles. The population of the country is 323,425,550, making it as one of the most populous countries in the world. The country is characterized by varied geographical features including different climatic types, significant natural features like mountains, forests, hills, and deserts among others are common in the country. Alaska is the highest peak in the country at an elevation of 20,310 feet above the sea level. The country is home to a wide range of biodiversity. There are over 17000 species of plants, 428 mammal species, over 300 species of reptiles and 91 species of insects. The country is divided into several ecological regions covering the 50 states.

Alaska Peninsula Montane Taiga

Alaska Peninsula Montane Taiga covers the Northern part of America. The climate in the area is dominated by high precipitation and moderate temperatures. Precipitation ranges from 600mm to 3300mm. The temperatures vary from -11 degrees centigrade during winter and 15 degrees Celsius during summer. Though the region is highly glaciated, it is free from frost due to the maritime climate. The major activities in Alaska Peninsula Montane Taiga include fishing, mining, and hunting. The ecological region is home to waterfowl, moose, squirrel, and the hare. Alaska Peninsula Montane Taiga has not suffered any significant destruction. The ecological region is still mostly intact. There are also protected areas within this ecological region that help protect it from human activities.

Alaska-St. Elias Range Tundra

Alaska-St. Elias Range Tundra is characterized by rugged mountains from the Alaska Peninsula to Alaska Range. This ecological region covers an area of 169091 square kilometers and experiences an annual precipitation of 400mm and a temperature range between -34 to 22 degrees centigrade. The region is also characterized by permanent ice while glaciation is common especially during summer. Alaska-St. Elias Range Tundra has not suffered much habitat loss or degradation. Damages to this region are attributed to the entrance to Denali National Park. Coal mining has also contributed to the loss of some habitat. Some of the protected areas in the region include Denali National Park, Lake Clark National Park, Denali State Park, and Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. The government puts emphasis on the conservation of this ecological region.

Allegheny Highlands Forests

Allegheny Highlands Forests consist of two species of trees beech and hemlock accounts for more than 60% of all the trees in this ecological region. Other trees making up the region include sugar maple, white ash, white pine and black cherry. Most of these species came after the wind throw fires. Less than 1% of Allegheny Highlands Forests remains intact as a result of the deforestation and agriculture practiced in the region.The few blocks of habitat are also facing continued threat of destruction.

Conclusion

Other important ecological regions in the US include Appalachian Mixed Mesophytic Forests, Appalachian-Blue Ridge Forests, Arctic Coastal Tundra, Arctic Foothills Tundra, Arizona Mountains Forests, Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens, Beringia Lowland Tundra and Beringia Upland Tundra. The major terrestrial biome includes Boreal Forests and Taiga, Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests and Tundra.

How Much Biodiversity is There in the United States?

In the United States, there are over 17000 species of plants, 428 mammal species, over 300 species of reptiles and 91 species of insects. The country is divided into several ecological regions covering the 50 states.

Ecological Regions Of The United States

Ecoregion	Terrestrial Biome
Alaska Peninsula Montane Taiga	Boreal Forests and Taiga
Alaska-St. Elias Range Tundra	Tundra
Allegheny Highlands Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Appalachian Mixed Mesophytic Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Appalachian-Blue Ridge Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Arctic Coastal Tundra	Tundra
Arctic Foothills Tundra	Tundra
Arizona Mountains Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Beringia Lowland Tundra	Tundra
Beringia Upland Tundra	Tundra
Blue Mountains Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
British Columbia Mainland Coastal Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Brooks-British Range Tundra	Tundra
California Central Valley Grasslands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
California Coastal Sage and Chaparral	Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Shrub
California Interior Chaparral and Woodlands	Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Shrub
California Montane Chaparral and Woodlands	Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Shrub
Canadian Aspen Forests and Parklands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Cascade Mountains Leeward Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Central and Southern Cascades Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Central and Southern Mixed Grasslands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Central Forest-Grasslands Transition	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Central Pacific Coastal Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Central Tall Grasslands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Central U.S. Hardwood Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Chihuahuan Desert	Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Colorado Plateau Shrublands	Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Colorado Rockies Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Cook Inlet Taiga	Boreal Forests and Taiga
Copper Plateau Taiga	Boreal Forests and Taiga
East Central Texas Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Eastern Cascades Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Eastern Forest-Boreal Transition	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Eastern Great Lakes Lowland Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Edwards Plateau Savanna	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Everglades	Flooded Grasslands and Savannas
Flint Hills Tall Grasslands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Florida Sand Pine Scrub	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Great Basin Montane Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Great Basin Shrub Steppe	Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Hawaiian Tropical Dry Forests	Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Hawaiian Tropical High Shrublands	Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Hawaiian Tropical Low Shrublands	Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Hawaiian Tropical Rainforests	Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Interior Alaska-Yukon Lowland Taiga	Boreal Forests and Taiga
Interior Yukon-Alaska Alpine Tundra	Tundra
Klamath-Siskiyou Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Middle Atlantic Coastal Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Mississippi Lowland Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Mojave Desert	Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Montana Valley and Foothill Grasslands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Nebraska Sand Hills Mixed Grasslands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
New England-Acadian Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
North Central Rockies Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Northeastern Coastal Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Northern California Coastal Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Northern Mixed Grasslands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Northern Pacific Coastal Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Northern Short Grasslands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Northern Tall Grasslands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Northwestern Hawaii Scrub	Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Ogilvie-MacKenzie Alpine Tundra	Tundra
Okanogan Dry Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Ozark Mountain Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Pacific Coastal Mountain Icefields and Tundra	Tundra
Palouse Grasslands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Piney Woods Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Puget Lowland Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Sierra Madre Occidental Pine-Oak Forests	Tropical and Subtropical Coniferous Forests
Sierra Madre Oriental Pine-Oak Forests	Tropical and Subtropical Coniferous Forests
Sierra Nevada Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Snake-Columbia Shrub Steppe	Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Sonoran Desert	Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
South Central Rockies Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
South Florida Rocklands	Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Southeastern Conifer Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Southeastern Mixed Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Southern Great Lakes Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Tamaulipan Mezquital	Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Texas Blackland Prairies	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Upper Midwest Forest-Savanna Transition	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Wasatch and Uinta Montane Forests	Temperate Coniferous Forests
Western Great Lakes Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Western Gulf Coastal Grasslands	Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Western Short Grasslands	Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Willamette Valley Forests	Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Wyoming Basin Shrub Steppe	Deserts and Xeric Shrublands

About the Author

Benjamin Elisha Sawe
Writer

Benjamin Elisha Sawe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Statistics and an MBA in Strategic Management. He is a frequent World Atlas contributor.