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Do not fill this in! ===Flora and fauna=== [[File:Reminds me of the bridgestone commercial (2669256227).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[White-tailed deer]] in Indianapolis]] Indianapolis is situated in the [[Southern Great Lakes forests]] [[ecoregion]] which in turn is located within the larger [[temperate broadleaf and mixed forests]] [[biome]], as defined by the [[World Wide Fund for Nature]].<ref name="ecoregion">{{cite web |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/na0414 |title=Southern Great Lakes forests |publisher=World Wide Fund for Nature |access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref> Based on the [[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]]'s [[List of ecoregions in Indiana|alternative classification system]], the city is located in the [[Corn Belt|Eastern Corn Belt Plains]], an area of the country known for its fertile soil.<ref>{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/in/OHINFront.pdf |title=Ecoregions of Indiana and Ohio |publisher=U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |access-date=June 13, 2016}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> Much of the [[decidious]] forests that once covered 98% of the region were [[deforestation|cleared]] for agriculture and [[urban sprawl|urban development]], contributing to considerable [[habitat destruction|habitat loss]].<ref name="ecoregion"/><ref name="Holland, et al.">{{cite journal |vauthors=Holland, et al. |date=December 30, 2017 |title=Results of the 2016 Indianapolis Biodiversity Survey, Marion County, Indiana |url=https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/ias/article/view/23763/22907 |journal=Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science |volume=126 |issue=2 |pages=166{{hyphen}}167 |access-date=May 5, 2022}}</ref> Indianapolis's current urban tree canopy averages approximately 33%.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bonilla Muñiz |first=Leslie |date=September 30, 2021 |url=https://www.ibj.com/articles/thousands-of-new-city-trees-to-go-where-data-says-theyre-needed-most |title=Thousands of new city trees to go where data shows they're needed most |newspaper=Indianapolis Business Journal |publisher=IBJ Media |access-date=January 16, 2022}}</ref> A rare example of [[old-growth forest]] in the city can be found on {{convert|15|acres}} of [[Crown Hill Cemetery]]'s North Woods in the [[Butler–Tarkington, Indianapolis|Butler–Tarkington]] neighborhood.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bartner |first=Amy |date=May 5, 2017 |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2017/05/05/va-crown-hill-reach-agreement-save-old-forest/101339254/ |title=VA, Crown Hill reach agreement to save old-growth forest |newspaper=The Indianapolis Star |publisher=Gannett |access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref> The cemetery's {{convert|555|acres}} represents the largest green space in [[Center Township, Marion County, Indiana|Center Township]], home to an abundance of wildlife and some 130 species of trees.<ref>{{cite news |last=Higgins |first=Will |date=October 25, 2017 |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/life/2017/10/25/crown-hill-stop-hunting-deer-our-cemetery/789979001/ |title=Crown Hill: Stop hunting deer in our cemetery |newspaper=The Indianapolis Star |publisher=Gannett |access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref> Native trees most common to the area include varieties of [[Fraxinus|ash]], [[maple]], and [[oak]].<ref name="ecoregion"/> Several [[invasive species]] are also common in Indianapolis, including [[Ailanthus altissima|tree of heaven]], [[Euonymus fortunei|wintercreeper]], [[Lonicera maackii|Amur honeysuckle]], and [[Pyrus calleryana|Callery pear]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Ryan |date=September 8, 2021 |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/environment/2021/09/08/indiana-invasive-plants-lurking-your-backyard/5413743001/ |title=What happens if you don't remove these invasive plants lurking in your Indiana yard |newspaper=The Indianapolis Star |publisher=Gannett |access-date=January 16, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gibson|first=London |date=April 6, 2021 |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/environment/2021/04/06/council-considers-banning-invasive-bradford-pear-tree-indiana/6988023002/ |title=Bradford pear trees are highly invasive. This is why they aren't banned in Indiana. |newspaper=The Indianapolis Star |publisher=Gannett |access-date=January 16, 2022}}</ref> A 2016 [[bioblitz]] along three of the city's [[riparian corridor]]s found 590 [[taxon|taxa]].<ref name="Holland, et al."/> [[Urban wildlife]] common to the Indianapolis area include mammals such as the [[white-tailed deer]], [[eastern chipmunk]], [[eastern cottontail]], and the [[eastern gray squirrel|eastern grey]] and [[American red squirrel]]s.<ref name="ecoregion"/> In recent years, local [[raccoon]] and [[groundhog]] populations have increased alongside sightings of [[American badger]]s, [[North American beaver|beavers]], [[American mink|mink]], [[coyote]]s, and [[red fox]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Gibson |first=London |date=September 22, 2020 |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/environment/2020/09/22/indianapolis-urban-wildlife-might-surprise-you/5580839002/ |title=Scrub Hub: Indianapolis has a ton of raccoons and we're not sure why |newspaper=The Indianapolis Star |publisher=Gannett |access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Glusac |first=Elaine |date=May 2, 2017 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/02/travel/safari-city-guide-urban-wildlife-ecosystems-viewing.html |title=On Safari in the City: A Guide to Urban Wildlife Viewing |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=May 5, 2022}}</ref> Birds native to the area include the [[northern cardinal]], [[wood thrush]], [[eastern screech owl]], [[mourning dove]], [[pileated woodpecker|pileated]] and [[red-bellied woodpecker]]s, and [[wild turkey]].<ref name="ecoregion"/> Located in the [[Mississippi Flyway]], the city sees more than 400 migratory bird species throughout the year.<ref>{{cite web |year=2013 |url=https://www.amosbutleraudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/trailguide_2013.pdf |title=Indy Birding Trail Guide |publisher=Amos Butler Audubon Society |access-date=May 5, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gibson |first=London |date=September 24, 2019 |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/environment/2019/09/24/bird-watching-indiana-new-visitors-stopping/2286775001/ |title=Surprising birds are stopping in Indiana. Here's why — and where you can see them. |newspaper=The Indianapolis Star |publisher=Gannett |access-date=May 5, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Stacey |first=Madison |date=April 15, 2022 |url=https://www.wthr.com/article/life/animals/bird-migration-collisions-indianapolis/531-b3bf35ed-43d2-4955-933d-56f46b556259 |title=As hundreds of birds migrate through Indy, group draws attention to bird collisions throughout city |publisher=WTHR |access-date=May 5, 2022}}</ref> Some 57 species of fish can be found in the city's waterways, including [[bass (fish)|bass]] and [[Centrarchidae|sunfish]].<ref name="White River"/> Some federally-designated [[endangered species|endangered]] and [[threatened species]] are native to the Indianapolis area, including several species of freshwater [[mussel]]s, the [[Bombus affinis|rusty patched bumble bee]], [[Indiana bat]], [[Myotis septentrionalis|northern long-eared bat]], and the [[Trifolium stoloniferum|running buffalo clover]].<ref>{{cite web |date=March 9, 2020 |url=https://www.in.gov/dnr/nature-preserves/files/np_marion.pdf |title=Indiana County Endangered, Threatened and Rare Species List County: Marion |publisher=Indiana Department of Natural Resources |access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref> In recent years, the [[National Wildlife Federation]] has ranked Indianapolis among the ten most wildlife-friendly cities in the U.S.<ref>{{cite press release |last=Vecchio |first=Anna |date=March 12, 2019 |title=National Wildlife Federation Honors Indianapolis, Indiana as one of America's Top 10 Cities for Wildlife |url=https://www.nwf.org/Home/Latest-News/Press-Releases/2019/03-12-19-Indianapolis-Top-Ten |location=Merrifield, VA |publisher=National Wildlife Federation |access-date=May 5, 2022}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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