Editing Oklahoma (section)

===Flora and fauna===

{{see also|List of fauna of Oklahoma}}
[[File:Tallgrass Prairie Nature Preserve in Osage County.jpg|thumb|Populations of [[American bison]] inhabit the state's prairie ecosystems.]]

Due to Oklahoma's location at the confluence of many geographic regions, the state's climatic regions have a high rate of biodiversity. Forests cover 24 percent of Oklahoma<ref name="TravelOK"/> and [[prairie|prairie grasslands]] composed of shortgrass, mixed-grass, and [[tallgrass prairie]], harbor expansive ecosystems in the state's central and western portions, although [[Agricultural land|cropland]] has largely replaced native grasses.<ref name="ecology"/> Where rainfall is sparse in the state's western regions, shortgrass prairie and [[shrubland]]s are the most prominent ecosystems, though [[pinyon pine]]s, red cedar ([[juniper]]s), and [[Pinus ponderosa|ponderosa pines]] grow near rivers and creek beds in the panhandle's far western reaches.<ref name="ecology"/> [[Southwestern Oklahoma]] contains many rare, [[Disjunct distribution|disjunct species]], including [[Acer saccharum|sugar maple]], [[Acer grandidentatum|bigtooth maple]], [[nolina]], and [[Quercus fusiformis|Texas live oak]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile?symbol=QUFU|title=USDA Plants Database|website=plants.usda.gov}}</ref>

[[Marsh]]lands, [[cypress]] forests, and mixtures of [[Pinus echinata|shortleaf pine]], [[Pinus taeda|loblolly pine]], [[sabal minor|blue palmetto]], and deciduous forests dominate the state's [[Kiamichi Country|southeastern quarter]], while mixtures of largely [[Quercus stellata|post oak]], [[elm]], red cedar (''[[Juniperus virginiana]]''), and [[pine]] forests cover [[Green Country|northeastern Oklahoma]].<ref name="forests 1">{{cite web|year=2003|url=http://www.odl.state.ok.us/almanac/2005/3-inbrief.pdf|title=Oklahoma in Brief|publisher=State of Oklahoma|access-date=August 4, 2007|archive-date=August 8, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808074222/http://www.odl.state.ok.us/almanac/2005/3-inbrief.pdf}}</ref><ref name="ecology"/><ref name="OK forests">{{cite web | url=http://www.ok.gov/~okag/forestry-okforestshome.htm | title=Oklahoma Ecoregional Maps | publisher=Oklahoma Department of Agriculture | access-date=August 2, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013192154/http://ok.gov/~okag/forestry-okforestshome.htm | archive-date=October 13, 2007 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

The state holds populations of [[white-tailed deer]], [[mule deer]], [[Pronghorn|antelope]], [[coyote]]s, [[Cougar|mountain lions]], [[bobcat]]s, [[elk]], and birds such as [[quail]], [[Columbidae|doves]], [[northern cardinal|cardinals]], [[bald eagle]]s, [[red-tailed hawk]]s, and [[pheasant]]s. In prairie ecosystems, [[American bison]], [[greater prairie-chicken]]s, [[badger]]s, and [[armadillo]] are common, and some of the nation's largest [[prairie dog]] towns inhabit shortgrass prairie in the state's panhandle. The [[Cross Timbers]], a region transitioning from prairie to woodlands in Central Oklahoma, harbors 351 [[File:Scissor tailed flycatcher- Oklahoma’s State Bird.jpg|thumb|Scissor tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) is Oklahoma’s State Bird]][[Vertebrate|vertebrate species]]. The Ouachita Mountains are home to [[American black bear|black bear]], [[red fox]], [[gray fox]], and [[North American river otter|river otter]] populations, which coexist with 328 vertebrate species in southeastern Oklahoma. Also in southeastern Oklahoma lives the [[American alligator]].<ref name="ecology">{{cite web |year=2005 |url=http://www.travelok.com/about/StudentGuide.pdf |title=A Look at Oklahoma: A Student's Guide |publisher=State of Oklahoma |access-date=August 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230052128/http://www.travelok.com/about/StudentGuide.pdf |archive-date=December 30, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>