NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



481 



in Muscatine, Delaware and Hardin 

 counties. The paper birch (Betula pa- 

 pyrifera) has a similar distribution. 

 The cherry or gray birch (Betula lutea) 

 is less abundant but with nearly the 

 same distribution. The balsam fir 

 (Abies balsamea) also occurs; there are 

 a few groves in Allamakee and Winne- 

 shiek counties. The dwarf juniper 

 (Juniperus communis) occurs in north- 

 eastern Iowa covering limestone rocks, 

 Savin juniper (.7. horizontalis) the 

 rarest conifer on a little knoll near 

 Rockford, the Canadian yew (Taxus 

 canadensis) chiefly in northeastern Iowa, 

 to Linn County. 



There are no strictly alpine plants 

 in the state though such boreal plants 

 as the white violet (Viola blanda), 

 buck thorn (Rhamnus alnifolia) and 

 aconite (Aconitum noveboracense) are 

 associated with the balsam fir. South- 

 ern plants creep up into the state and 

 occur at Muscatine and in Fremont 

 County. Papaw (Asimina triloba), 

 meadow beauty (Rhexia virginica), beech 

 fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptera) , redbud 

 (Cercis canadenis) and sassafras are not 

 common, only occurring in southeastern 

 Iowa. 



Western Iowa along the Missouri 

 contains the Missouri loess with its 

 typical Nebraskan flora like the western 

 blazing star (Liatris squarrosa), woolly 

 thistle Cirsium caneseus, Aplopappus 

 spinulosus, Yucca glauca and Gaura 

 coccinea. Of the important prairie 

 plants mention may be made of the Iowa 

 thistle (Cirsium iowense), prairie roses 

 (Rosa setigera and R. pratincola), 

 prairie clover (Petalostemum), wild lic- 

 orice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota), Turk's-cap 

 lily (Lilium superbum, L. Farlowii) 

 slough grass (Spartina michauxii), and 

 needle grass (Stipa comata). The allu- 

 vial lakes of the Missouri and Mississippi 

 abound with the American lotus (Ne- 

 lumbo lutea}, also an abundance of the 

 white lily (Castalia} and spatter dock 

 (Nymphaea advena) . The white lily and 

 spatter dock as well as occasionally the 

 water shield (Brasenia Schreberi} also 

 occur in the inland lakes, the latter 

 rarely as in Little Wall Lake. 



The streams of the state as well as 

 the border streams, the Mississippi 

 and Missouri abounded in catfish, 

 pickerel, sunfish and bass. The carp 

 is an invasion and occurs in all of our 

 lakes and streams. The streams for 

 the most part are very much polluted. 

 There are some trout in a few of the 

 streams like the Maquoketa River. 

 Wild geese and ducks of various kinds 

 still abound, the former in migrations 

 becoming rare. Ducks still breed in 

 quantities. At one time wild turkey, 

 prairie chicken, ruffed grouse and quail 

 occurred in great quantities. The prai- 

 rie chickens are now largely migratory. 

 Red fox is still common in southeastern 

 and northeastern Iowa. There are 

 some wolves, probably mostly coyote. 

 The cotton-tail rabbit was and is com- 

 mon everywhere. The western jack 

 rabbit has moved eastward to central 

 Iowa just as has the western meadow- 

 lark. The raccoon, opossum, and sev- 

 eral species of squirrel, chipmunk, 

 flying-squirrel and pocket-gopher, are 

 some of the other animals. Virginia 

 deer were once common but have become 

 extinct. There is a naturalized species 

 in Pottawattamie County. Beaver oc- 

 curred in this state as late as the early 

 seventies but are now exterminated. 

 Elk occurred in all parts of the state 

 but are also now extinct. Bison were 

 once common on the prairies of north- 

 western Iowa. They were shot as far 

 east as Dallas County as late as 1857 

 and also at Clear Lake, and in Kossuth 

 County. Fine skulls have been found 

 in Story and Clayton Counties. Black 

 bear also occurred in Iowa at one time. 

 The turtle dove is common and the wild 

 pigeon was common in the late seven- 

 ties. Vultures are not uncommon in 

 southern Iowa. Many song birds like 

 the meadowlark, eastern and western 

 brown thrasher occur in abundance. 



III. NATURAL AREAS (L. H. P.) 



Gitchie Manito Park. In the area 

 (40 acres) is a pool of clear water known 

 as Jasper Pool. There are a few trees 

 like the green ash, basswood, elm, box 

 elder, and on the Big Sioux river, cot- 



