Editing St. Louis (section)

===Flora and fauna===
{{More citations needed section|date=December 2024}}
[[File:Tower Grove Park Scene 1.jpg|thumb|[[Tower Grove Park]] in spring]]
[[File:Missouri_Botanical_Garden_-_Seiwa-en.JPG|thumb|The [[Missouri Botanical Garden]]]]
Before the founding of the city, the area was mostly prairie and open forest. Native Americans maintained this environment, good for hunting, by burning underbrush. Trees are mainly [[oak]], [[maple]], and [[hickory]], similar to the forests of the nearby [[The Ozarks|Ozarks]]; common understory trees include [[eastern redbud]], [[serviceberry]], and [[flowering dogwood]]. [[Riparian]] areas are forested with mainly [[American sycamore]].

Most of the residential areas of the city are planted with large native shade trees. The largest native forest area is found in Forest Park. In autumn, the changing color of the trees is notable. Most species here are typical of the eastern woodland, although numerous decorative non-native species are found. The most notable invasive species is [[Japanese honeysuckle]], which officials are trying to manage because of its damage to native trees. It is removed from some parks.

Wildlife includes urbanized [[coyote]]s, [[white-tailed deer]], [[eastern gray squirrel]], [[cottontail rabbit]], and the nocturnal [[Virginia opossum]]. Large bird species are abundant in parks and include [[Canada goose]], [[mallard duck]], and [[shorebird]]s, including the [[great egret]] and [[great blue heron]]. [[Gull]]s are common along the Mississippi River; these species follow [[barge]] traffic.

Winter populations of [[bald eagle]]s are along the Mississippi River around the [[Chain of Rocks Bridge]]. The city is on the [[Mississippi Flyway]], used by migrating birds, and has a large variety of small bird species, common to the eastern U.S. The [[Eurasian tree sparrow]], an introduced species, is limited in North America to the counties surrounding St. Louis. The city has special sites for birdwatching of migratory species, including [[Tower Grove Park]].

Common frog species include the [[American toad]] and species of chorus frogs called [[spring peeper]]s, which are found in nearly every pond. Some years have outbreaks of [[cicada]]s or [[ladybug]]s. Mosquitoes, [[no-see-ums]], and houseflies are common insect nuisances, especially in July and August; because of this, windows are almost always fitted with screens. Invasive populations of [[Western honey bee|honeybees]] have declined in recent years. Numerous native species of pollinator insects have recovered to fill their ecological niche, and [[armadillos]] are throughout the St. Louis area.<ref>[http://herald-review.com/news/local/armadillos-finding-st-louis-and-surrounding-area-nice-place-to/article_3b52d19c-433c-53f0-a823-3da7776924ab.html "Warmer weather attracting Armadillos"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20131030095930/http://herald-review.com/news/local/armadillos-finding-st-louis-and-surrounding-area-nice-place-to/article_3b52d19c-433c-53f0-a823-3da7776924ab.html |date=October 30, 2013}}, accessed October 28, 2013</ref>