Extremely charming country of Japan! The nature of Japan is fascinating from the first minute. You can talk about her tirelessly - she is so diverse and beautiful. Sakura blooming in spring, an abundance of flowers in summer, bright maples in autumn, clear snow cover in winter - this is just a small piece of Japanese charm.
general review
Wildlife of Japan has formed taking into account the fact that the country has an island position. The state is located on the stratovolcanic archipelago, which is located off the Pacific coast of Asia, and belongs to the zone with four temperature seasons. The climate here depends on seasonal winds blowing from the continent in winter and in the opposite direction in summer.
The country of mountains and forests is Japan. The nature of Japan is rich in vegetation: coniferous trees predominate in the north, mixed forests prevail in the central part, and subtropical prevail in the south. Mountain and forest areas occupy more than two thirds of the state. Often they are unsuitable for living, farming and industrial development due to frequent landslides, typhoons, earthquakes. Although it should be noted that natural vegetation could well be preserved in densely populated areas. Artificial plantations occupy one third of the territory.
Flora
What vegetation is Japan remarkable for? The nature of Japan is very different. There are about 2750 species of all kinds of plants, of which many are endemic. In general, the flora of this country is similar to the vegetation of East China. On the island of Kosyu, evergreen subtropical forests reach almost the crests of the mountains, in the arboreal layer of which different types of oak stand out (Mirzinolistny, Holly, etc.), castanopsis, camellia, camphor laurel, pasanza, anise tree (anise tree), magnolia. The copious undergrowth mainly consists of ferns; it is rich in epiphytes and vines.
Description of the nature of Japan in its southern parts will not do without mention of tropical palm trees, which are very numerous here. There is also a cycad, arenga, lagopod, livistona, tree-like cyatea. On sandy soils you can see a dense pine.
The northern regions of the country are covered with coniferous forests, which are similar to our Far Eastern ones. Here mainly fir and spruce grow. When moving in a southerly direction, beeches, oaks, maples begin to appear, then pines and cypresses, then Japanese magnolias. On the mountain slopes of the southern islands and Hokkaido, artificial vegetation predominates. Here larch is found in places, Sakhalin fir and Hokkaido spruce are common.
In the very south of the country, evergreen multi-tier forests rich in endemic grow. There are many vines, ferns, you can see palm trees, banana trees and even ficuses.
The nature of Japan. Sakura
This is a favorite tree of the Japanese, the flowering of which every year all the inhabitants of the country admire during the Hanami festival. It takes place, as a rule, in early spring - in the middle-end of March (the celebration date is different each year). The celebration begins in the capital, Tokyo, and then continues in other cities and villages. People from all over the world come to this event to see with their own eyes how beautiful the nature of Japan is.
Photos and posters depicting sakura buds that have not yet blossomed are hung everywhere before the start of the festival. But Hanami is a very short pleasure: Japanese cherry blossoms only seven to ten days, after which the petals fall off.
Fauna
The animal kingdom of the country is also characterized by many species. In Hokkaido, sables, weasels, brown bears, and ermines are found. Also here, as on the island of Honshu, there are foxes, otters, wolves, raccoon dogs, hares, badgers. To the south of the Sangar Strait , Japanese macaques, gigantic salamanders, black bears, and antelopes live. South of the Togara Strait, tropical fauna prevails.
The nature of Japan is also rich in birds (photo below). There are tits, cranes, blackbirds, starlings, eagles, hawks, woodpeckers, swallows, black grouse, storks, owls. Along the ocean coasts are concentrated many sea birds. Lampreys, carps, eels, catfish are found in rivers and lakes, and salmon are artificially bred. In coastal waters there is an abundance of commercial fish: this is tuna, and Pacific herring, and flounder, and cod. Also there are shrimp, crabs, oysters.
Volcanoes and mountains. Japan
The nature of Japan is largely predetermined by a specific relief: about 71 percent of the entire land surface is occupied by mountains, and they are quite high: there are specimens more than three thousand meters high. Fujiyama, located between Shizuoka and Yamanashi, is deservedly considered the most famous mountain in the country. This peak reaches a height of 3776 meters, which makes it the highest point in Japan. Fuji is not just a mountain, but a sleeping volcano, but since it is still young, there is always a chance of awakening.
In general, many mountains of the country are volcanoes. There are about two hundred of them on the archipelago, of which 67 are active or sleeping. At present, such fiery mountains as Asama, Miharayama, Sakurajima and Asosan are notably active. The last of the listed volcanoes is located on the island of Kyushu. Due to the large number of eruptions (more than seventy) far beyond the borders of the Japanese state, fame spread about this fiery mountain.
Due to such mountain formations in Japan there are a lot of all kinds of mineral springs (including hot). Some tourists come to the Land of the Rising Sun just for their sake, because such bathing, such sources are a real panacea for many diseases.
Finally
Traditional Japan is foggy mountains, bodies of water with splashing carps, protected valleys hidden in dense forests. According to ancient paintings, prints and books, this country seems to be just that. Of course, modern Japan is largely different. But locals honor and protect the natural beauty of the country, considering it a valuable and important resource. New generations of Japanese are brought up in the spirit of ancient traditions, which means that this corner of the Earth will delight us with its unsurpassed beauty for a long time to come.