1. South Carolina’s Flora and Fauna
Chapter 2 Section 4
South Carolina’s Flora and Fauna

2. Essential Question
How does SC’s plant and animal life vary throughout the state?

3. Terms I need to know
flora
fauna
extinct

4. Plant Life
over 70% of SC is covered with trees & other plant life
Forests
oak trees like cold temperatures of Blue Ridge forests
most common tree in Piedmont is short leaf pine
many Piedmont forests were destroyed during the 19th century in order to make land available for cotton
Sandhills and Coastal Plains have lots of pine trees in their forests; sometimes referred to as “the pine belt”

5. Coastal Zone doesn’t have many forests but does have abundance of a variety of trees
cypress trees are found in state swamps; oldest live cypress trees are found in SC (1700 years old)
forests contain valuable resources and some are protected by state or federal government

6. Other Plants and Grasses
sea oats are most important of all of SC’s flora because they protect sand dunes
kudzu is found all over SC; it was brought to SC by from Japan to help control erosion; now it presents problems by killing trees and other plants

7. Wildlife
Fauna (animal life) is abundant in SC
white-tailed deer - one of the most common animals
SC legislature passed laws to protect wildlife that was in danger of becoming extinct
wildlife refuges - created to protect animals
birds - plentiful in SC; bald eagle is largest bird of prey in the state - classified as threatened
fish – found abundantly in SC
loggerhead turtle – state’s official reptile