Nature may be found everywhere around us in Philadelphia. Natural landforms and habitats exist beneath the concrete and asphalt. Philadelphia is located in river valley. Except for the northwest, Philadelphia is flat city. The Delaware & the smaller Schuylkill rivers edge the city.
Landforms
The Atlantic Coastal Plain a the Piedmont Upland are the landforms found in Philadelphia & the Delaware Valley (map of physiographic landform of Pennsylvania).
The Coastal Plain Of The Atlantic
The majority of Philadelphia is built on this large, flat sandy plain. The majority of it is merely a few feet above the sea level. The elevation of City Hall is 30 feet above the water. Furthermore, some areas of Philadelphia particularly at South Philly near the airport are a some feet below sea level. Along the Delaware River, the Atlantic Coastal Plain stretches northward into Bucks County.
Upland Of Piedmont
The Piedmont Upland is characterized by red clayey soils and gently sloping hills. The city’s northwest part is built on rolling hills. This area includes the communities of East Mt. West Oak Lane, Chestnut Hill, Airy, West Mt. Airy, Germantown, Manayunk, & Roxborough. Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania are likewise partially or entirely surrounded by these upland hills.
Habitats
The Eastern Deciduous Forest is Philadelphia’s primary bioregion. The Northern Floodplain Forest , Oak-Hickory Forest, and Freshwater Tidal Marshes are all found inside this forest.
Eastern Evergreen Forest
The eastern half of North American continent is covered with a forest of hardwoods deciduous trees. Forests, broad grassy plains, marshes, and rivers break up the natural landscape. Softwood evergreens dominate in north, deciduous trees dominate in the middle, and tropical trees & evergreens dominate in the south. Different tree groups characterize various ecosystems.
The Hickory-Oak Forest
Oaks and hickories are the predominant trees in this forest, which lose their leaves in the autumn. Blue Jays, Chipmunks, Squirrels, Turkeys, & other nut-eaters abound in this nut-producing woodland. White oak, black oak, red oak, chestnut oak, & tulip tree are the major trees in Philadelphia’s Wissahickon Forest.
The Floodplain Forest Of The North
This woodland is situated beside rivers and waterways. The tree in this forest can withstand flooding caused by strong rains and runoff on a regular basis. It’s an ecosystem that’s hard to distinguish from a dry upland forest, and the plants that grow alongside the water can help you find it. Red Maples, Shagbark Hickory, eastern Sycamore, , River Birch, & Sweet Gum are among the forest’s trees.
Tidal Marsh With Freshwater
Soft-bodied emergent plants that grow partially in & partly out of the water make up this ecosystem. Tinicum in South Philadelphia is the greatest place to see this in Philadelphia. The water levels here increase and decrease due to the tide from Delaware River (& other human-made) systems.
Bill Cullina started as F. Otto Haas Executive Director of the College of Pennsylvania’s Morris Arboretum in July 2019, just months before the COVID-19 epidemic swept the globe and forced the closure of numerous public venues. Included are gardens and arboretums.
Cullina discusses the lessons learnt from the pandemic, such as a growing interest in nature in general, as well as how a future master plan will accommodate for global warming, new study programmes, and a stronger focus just on Arboretum as a social gathering place.
Ironically, During A Pandemic, The Arboretum Was Probably One Of The Better Place To Be.
I got into public gardening because I happily share my passion for plant in the natural world & gardens with others, but seeing how the community reacted to the Morris Arboretum & our record visitation, as well as all the comments, letters, and emails of gratitude, made me realize how critical our role is in community and society. That part has been quite fulfilling, and it will be interesting to watch what happens next, but I believe there is now a whole generation—or many generations—of people who value being outside & in nature as a safe haven, a place to relax, and to communicate. I believe there has been a resurgence of interest in what we do.
