When people think about New York City, they think of skyscrapers, shopping, and business. Very few people know that this region is surrounded by nature which has a lot to offer.
(photo by: patashley)
Habitat
Forests were cut to make way for the city, but though this is one of the most crowded cities of them all, a lot of space is designed to be open.
A lot of people take the time to visit one of the largest undeveloped areas of the city, Central Park. The park opened in 1857 as a response to the need of people for recreational spaces. It is now made up by ponds, streams, swamps and woodland.
Species and diversity
Bird lovers come to the park to observe them in their natural habitat. Here you can see the rare peregrine falcon. Botanists also like the park because here they can find the American elm that was almost extinct because of the Dutch elm disease.
Although the city looks like a concrete jungle, you may be amazed of how many different species of plants and animals you can find there. The city is home to over 2,100 species of plants, that is more than the total number of species of Great Britain and some of them are pretty rare.
Unique plants
As an example Staten Island is home to the threatened Torrey’s mountain mint, which is now found in only about 20 locations of the world. The once abundant American chestnut can also be found in the region.
Staten Island is home to some other interesting species as well, such as blackjack oak, and if you take a walk here in the summer, you will see that although the region seems to be arid, it is abundant in blackberry trees. Queens is home to a tulip tree that is said to be 400 years old.
