Vegetation and wildlife
The first European settlers in the eastern United States found a land covered in rich forest, including hardwoods such as hickory, oak and walnut. Relatively few of these trees now remain; most of the forest in the east is secondary growth, though a few elms, maples and beeches can still be seen. Conifers grow in the colder northern areas and on high ground.
About halfway across the Central Basin the tree cover gradually gives way to grassland, although much of the area concerned is now agricultural land. As rainfall decreases to the west, the long prairie grassland is replaced by shorter, thinner steppe grasses.
Alpine vegetation covers the western mountain ranges, with desert vegetation in the arid areas in between. Plant life here is surprisingly rich, with a wide variety of cacti and succulents. Westward again, on the coasts of Oregon and California, are Douglas firs and the last surviving strands of redwood, the world’s tallest tree. Redwoods can reach as high as 90 m, and some are thousands of years old.
Central and southern California is characterized by chaparral vegetation that is resistant to the long summer droughts. Palm trees are native to southern California and Florida, though they are also grown elsewhere.
Animal life in the United States shows the dramatic effects of human settlement. The first European colonists brought horses, cattle, sheep and other European species such as sparrows and starlings. Settlers moving west in the 19th century eliminated the huge herds of buffalo that once roamed the Great Plains. Today very few of these now protected survive, and even the Bald eagle, symbol of the United States, is in danger of extinction.
Mammals with a wide distribution include white-tailed deer, American black bears, bobcats, raccoons, skunks, opossums, beavers and muskrats. Moose, red foxes, otters and wolverines inhabit the northern coniferous forests. The forest rivers of the east and southeast support an abundance of fish species, and there are seven different species of salamander in the Appalachians. The deserts of southern California, Nevada and Arizona have many reptile species. The Great Plains are the home of prairie dogs, while the Rockies harbor marmots, Mountain goats and pikas.
Among marine mammals, seals are found on both coasts, but sea lions only in the Pacific, and the Florida manatee only in the larger rivers of the southeast.
The landscapes of the Unites States show startling contrasts between areas of man-made urban and rural wilderness and vast tracts of natural wilderness carefully conserved for future generations. When the first miners and hunters returned from the Rocky Mountains they brought back such marvelous tales of natural beauty that a group of scientists decided to test the truth of their stories. These skeptical scientists visited the Rockies in 1870, and their reports sounded more like fiction than fact. One night as the members of the party rested around their campfire they discussed ways of preserving the magnificent natural scenes. It was finally agreed that the whole area should be set aside as a great national park for all people to enjoy. This suggestion was accepted by the federal government and, two years later, the Yellowstone National Park came into being. Today some 9,000 square kilometers are preserved for millions of visitors to enjoy. Since 1872 the system of national parks has grown steadily; by 1981 there were 48 such areas set aside by the national government. State and local governments have added smaller regions. The land in the national parks belongs to the federal government which protects the plants and animals native to each national park area. Nobody can use its meadows, trees or wildlife, except under strict control.
The parks are under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service whose rangers protect the areas, guide visitors through the parks and lecture on the natural phenomena. Within the parks there are campgrounds, cabins and motels available. Some parks are famous for their scenery, others have special significance for students of geology or cultural anthropology. The Sequoia National Park, which has over 300 lakes and some of the highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada, contains a fine strand of giant sequoias. The Yosemite National Park includes Half Dome, a peak that has been sliced in half by a glacier. The other national parks include Mount Rainer in Washington, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the southern Appalachians, the Mesa Verde National Park, the Rocky Mountain National Park, the Grand Canyon National Park.
DISCUSSION
What is the location of the country? What is the area of the US?
How many states is the country made of? Are there any outlying territories which belong to the US?
What is the dominant characteristic of American landscape?
How did the great northern ice cap, which flowed over to the North American continent, determine the geography and history of the US?
What are the Atlantic shore geographic features?
What divides the Atlantic Coast from the Great Central Lowland?
Why have the Great Lakes been so important for the economic development of the country?
Where are the Great Plains located?
What is known as “the backbone of the continent”?
How can the territory lying west of the Rocky Mountains be described?
What is the highest mountain peak of the US?
Why was the Mississippi River nicknamed the Father of Waters?
What is the second largest river in the US? What do Americans mean saying “It is too thin to plow and too thick to drink”?
What is the Mississippi’s principal eastern tributary?
What is known as the Continental Divide?
What are the great rivers of the Pacific side?
What serves as the natural boundary between Mexico and the US?
Is the USA rich with mineral resources? What are the basic resources of the country and what parts of the US do they come from?
What can you say about the type of climate that prevails throughout most of the country?
What are the climatic conditions of the Pacific Coast?
Why does the central part of the US suffer the most violent extremes of temperature?
What parts of the US are most vulnerable to hurricanes?
How can the climatic features of the Northeast be characterized?
The first European settlers found a land covered in rich forest. Do these trees still remain in the eastern United States?
What can you say about the plant life of the western mountain ranges?
What species did the first European settlers bring to the New World?
Animal life of the US carries the dramatic effects of human presence in the New World. What are these traces?
What mammal species are widely spread in the country?
Who suggested setting up the first National Park in the US? What were the conditions?
What do we learn from the text about American National Parks?
GUIDED TALK
Develop the following points using the words given below.
The US is one of the leading nations in the world.
to owe the success to smth., plentiful natural resources, a rich cultural mix, a strong sense of national identity, a great diversity, a dominant characteristic, to stretch from smth. to smth., varied landscapes, to range from smth. to smth.
The five great lakes are vital for the country’s commerce.
to extend for , to be estimated to contain, to be navigable, to be drained by
The US is a land of many rivers.
a river system, to drain, a flood, in flood, to flood, a waterway, a branch, a tributary, to flow, a mighty stream, a man-made dam, to control the river, to pour, to wash away, to feed the ocean, to nourish the land, to be a vital source of life, an irrigation system, a flood control system
America is self-sufficient in mineral resources.
to supply basic industries, to be found in large quantities, a sufficient reserve, to be carried by pipelines, to be mined on a large scale
Great diversity is a dominant characteristic of climate in America.
to prevail, a broad range of temperatures, to benefit from smth., rainfall, moisture, humid air, weather conditions, a thunderstorm, a tornado, a hailstorm, a blizzard, a hurricane, to suffer the extremes of temperature, from season to season, continental climate
The landscapes of the Unites States show startling contrasts between areas of man-made urban and rural wilderness and vast tracts of natural wilderness.
to be concentrated, to give way to smth., prairie, vegetation, plant life, to be characterized by smth., to be resistant to smth., to eliminate, to be in danger of extinction, to inhabit, species, natural beauty