Editing Latvia (section)

=== Biodiversity ===
[[File:White wagtail female first summer.jpg|thumb|The [[white wagtail]] is the national bird of Latvia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rianova.narod.ru/inf/latinst.html|title=Латвийская более или менее официальная символика|website=rianova.narod.ru|access-date=26 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211184655/http://rianova.narod.ru/inf/latinst.html|archive-date=11 February 2015}}</ref>]]
Approximately 30,000 species of flora and fauna have been registered in Latvia.<ref>{{cite book|title=Latvijas enciklopēdija|volume=3rd volume|year=2005|publisher=Valērija Belokoņa izdevniecība|location=Riga, Latvia|language=lv|isbn=9984-9482-3-4|page=695}}</ref> Larger mammalian wildlife in Latvia include [[Roe deer|deer]], [[wild boar]], [[moose]], [[Eurasian lynx|lynx]], [[Brown bear|bear]], [[Red fox|fox]], [[Eurasian beaver|beaver]] and [[Gray wolf|wolves]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://latvijas.daba.lv/scripts/db/saraksti/saraksti.cgi?l=en&s=en |title=List of species |publisher=Nature of Latvia |access-date=7 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060207045022/http://latvijas.daba.lv/scripts/db/saraksti/saraksti.cgi?l=en&s=en |archive-date=7 February 2006 }}</ref> [[List of non-marine molluscs of Latvia|Non-marine molluscs of Latvia]] include 170 species.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Rudzīte |last2=Boikova2 |last3=Dreijers |last4=Jakubāne |last5=Parele |last6=Pilāte |last7=Rudzītis |date=2018 |title=The New Red List of the molluscs of Latvia |url=https://eeb.lu.lv/EEB/201803/EEB_XVI_Rudzite.pdf |access-date=6 June 2024 |website=Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia |archive-date=29 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229014514/https://eeb.lu.lv/EEB/201803/EEB_XVI_Rudzite.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Species that are endangered in other European countries but common in Latvia include: black stork (''[[Ciconia nigra]]''), corncrake (''[[Crex crex]]''), lesser spotted eagle (''[[Aquila pomarina]]''), white-backed woodpecker (''[[Picoides leucotos]]''), Eurasian crane (''[[Grus grus]]''), Eurasian beaver (''[[Castor fiber]]''), Eurasian otter (''[[Lutra lutra]]''), European wolf (''[[Canis lupus]]'') and European lynx (''[[Eurasian lynx|Felis lynx]]'').<ref name="Nature and Environment in Latvia" />

[[Phytogeography|Phytogeographically]], Latvia is shared between the Central European and Northern European provinces of the [[Circumboreal Region]] within the [[Boreal Kingdom]]. According to the [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]], the territory of Latvia belongs to the [[ecoregion]] of [[Sarmatic mixed forests]]. 56 percent<ref name="Forestry – Key Indicators" /> of Latvia's territory is covered by forests, mostly [[Scots pine]], [[birch]], and [[Norway spruce]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 20 Most Common Trees in Latvia |url=https://www.picturethisai.com/region/tree/Latvia.html |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=PictureThis |language=en |archive-date=6 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240606111356/https://www.picturethisai.com/region/tree/Latvia.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It had a 2019 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 2.09/10, ranking it 159th globally out of 172 countries.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|display-authors=1|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Several species of flora and fauna are considered national symbols. [[Oak]] (''[[Quercus robur]]'', {{langx|lv|ozols}}), and [[Tilia|linden]] (''[[Tilia cordata]]'', {{langx|lv|liepa}}) are Latvia's national trees and the [[Leucanthemum vulgare|daisy]] (''[[Leucanthemum vulgare]]'', {{langx|lv|pīpene}}) its national flower. The white wagtail (''[[White wagtail|Motacilla alba]]'', {{langx|lv|baltā cielava}}) is Latvia's national bird. Its national insect is the [[Adalia bipunctata|two-spot ladybird]] (''[[Adalia bipunctata]]'', {{langx|lv|divpunktu mārīte}}). [[Amber]], fossilized tree resin, is one of Latvia's most important cultural symbols. In ancient times, amber found along the Baltic Sea coast was sought by Vikings as well as traders from Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire. This led to the development of the [[Amber Road]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latvia.lv/library/national-symbols-latvia |title=National Symbols of Latvia |publisher=Latvian Institute |access-date=17 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926092241/http://www.latvia.lv/library/national-symbols-latvia |archive-date=26 September 2012 }}</ref>

Several nature reserves protect unspoiled landscapes with a variety of large animals. At [[Pape Nature Reserve]], where [[European bison]], wild horses, and [[heck cattle|recreated aurochs]] have been reintroduced, there is now an almost complete [[Holocene]] [[megafauna]] also including moose, deer, and wolf.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lhnet.org/lake-pape-latvia/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150604151729/http://www.lhnet.org/lake-pape-latvia/|title=Lake Pape – Latvia|archive-date=4 June 2015}}</ref>