Plant Life and Wildlife in Japan
Plant life in Japan
Plant growth in Japan is lush, rich and very varied. Over half of the land is forest covered. In central Japan, the forest boundary is around 2800 meters above sea level, and only the highest peaks rise above the forest. The pine forest is very widespread, it consists mostly of East Asian or especially Japanese species of pine, spruce and precious spruce, and also of larch and Japanese cedar.
Of the dwarf trees, for example, we find the dwarf pine species Pinus parviflora at the top of the Honshu mountains. In the deciduous forests, oak, ash, maple, beech and birch dominate in the north, while further south beyond cultivated areas are large, evergreen forests with holly, oak, laurel and magnolia. Farther south, both palm and bamboo grow, and on the Ryukyu Islands there are tropical mangrove forests. The flora is very species rich, with a variety of endemic (native) species.
Wildlife in Japan
Animal geographies belong to the Palarctic region of Japan. The fauna is similar to that found in Siberia, Male Jury and Korea.
Large mammals such as wild boar and the spotted sika deer still occur in remote forests. Southern hare, red fox, snowmobile and charcoal are common. The raccoon-like raccoon dog hibernate in the winter. The Japanese flavor is found in most of the islands except Hokkaido and is the northernmost monkey species in the world. It does well in snow, some monkeys bathe in hot springs in winter. Japanese hibernation, collar bears and woolly serpents or goat antelope are found in the mountain ranges. Hare,pipehare, common flycorn and brown bears are only found at Hokkaido.
More than 540 species of birds have been observed, of which approx. 230 in Japan, especially Hokkaido, have numerous species in common with Europe (seabirds, birds of prey, linerle, carnivores and more). Many ducks, finches and bush spruces from Siberia and Male Jury winter.
The reptile fauna includes freshwater turtles, lizards and a few poison snakes. The rare and primitive Japanese giant salamanders live in cold mountain streams. It is up to 1.5 m long and is protected.
Rivers and coastal waters are very fishy. Dolphins, porpoises and some seal species can be found in the waters around Japan. Havots live north of Hokkaido. The Ryukyu Islands have mangrove forests with features of South Asian fauna.
