US States With the Most Biodiversity
Although the U.S. is a big country with lots of wildlife diversity from Maine to California, some states stand out as being great places to see a lot of species in one spot.
Alaska
Alaskan cruises are a great way to experience sea and sky wildlife as well as the local biology on land once you arrive.
While on the water, you can expect to see bald eagles above you and puffins on the nearby rocks. In the water, there will be orcas as well as humpback whales. Once on land, expect to be amazed by the sheer number of wildlife you’ll encounter.
Alaska’s land mammals include moose, which is their state animal, bears and wolves. Herds of reindeer, caribou and Dall sheep should put in an appearance too.
If you plan your cruise for spring or summer, you will also be able to study plants that thrive in Alaska’s brief warm season and nowhere else. They include delicious berries like Salmonberry and Nagoonberry as well as beautiful little flowers like northern grass-of-Parnassus.
California
California is a large state and it’s actually considered a biodiversity hotspot. That means that not only does it have more biodiversity than the other states, it also has more plant and animal species than most of the world.
The reason for all of this variety is the number of California’s habitats. It has everything from deserts to temperate rainforests and each habitat is home to a wide variety of species including 23 different species of bats and 42 types of salamander.
Texas
Texas boasts over 800 habitat types and hundreds of species that live in them are native only to Texas. This is your chance to study everything from armadillos to American badgers.
In addition to the abundance of native wildlife, if you plan your trip for late March, the Texas bluebonnets, also known as Texas lupines should be in bloom. As well as being the state flower, it is also beneficial to local butterflies and bees.
Arizona
With all of the deserts in the world, surprisingly Arizona’s Sonoran is the most biodiverse desert of them all. For example, this area alone is home to 1,000 bee species with over 3,000 plant species for them to choose from.
Some of Arizona’s notable plants are the treelike Saguaro cactus and the prickly pear cactus, which are both edible if you run out of supplies during your biology studies.
Arizona’s official mammal is the ringtail cat, which is actually in the raccoon family. The most famous bird from this area is the roadrunner. It doesn’t look much like its cartoon counterpart, but if you’re lucky, you will see one running past you.
Alabama
Alabama is the most biologically diverse state east of the Mississippi River. Its habitats include forests, wetlands and prairies. Notably, it ranks first in the nation for several types of animals including freshwater mussels, fish, snails, crayfish and turtles.
Interestingly enough, it is also first in the nation for its carnivorous plant biodiversity. Rather than absorbing essential nutrients from the soil, carnivorous plants rely on digested insects for most of their nutrition.
Alabama’s canebreaker pitcher plant is unique to Alabama and only grows in two of its counties. Its an attractive yellow-green color and forms “pitchers” with lids to keep out the rain. Insects that fall into the pitchers can’t climb out again and are digested by the plant. Although carnivorous plants get their energy from photosynthesis like other plants, they could not survive without their insect meals.
Alabama is definitely the place to be if your area of study is either freshwater creatures or carnivorous plants.
The United States can satisfy the study needs of any future wildlife biologist, whether you’re interested in large animals like moose or the tiniest wildflower. There’s no need for the expense and complicated travel arrangements to visit another country when the U.S. has so much biodiversity to offer.
