Soil
The soil in Pennsylvania is one of
our most valuable natural resources.
That does not mean that our soil is
equally as good throughout the state.
Many of our mountains and plateaus contain
poor soil for farming. However, the
Piedmont
Region
contains some of the richest soil in the
United States. One-third of the land in our state is used for some kind of
agricultural activity. There also aremany areas along Pennsylvania rivers
that provide good soil for farming. In addition, the valleys in the
Ridge and
Valley Region
provide limestone and slate soil that is home tomany farms.
Much of the good soil in Pennsylvania consists of a brown
loam
. Loam
ismade up of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter. In addition to farming, our
soil is used to produce other products. The soil inmany parts of our state
consists of good quality clay. Clay is an important ingredient in the brick-
making industry. Pottery and dishes are alsomade from clay. At least 28 of
our 67 counties produce clay for the building industry. Do not forget that our
soil also is good enough to allow our forests to grow.
Forests
Even though Pennsylvania is a well-populated state, more than one-half
of our land is covered by forests. In some northern counties, such as Elk,
McKean, and Forest, 80 to 90 percent of the land is forested. We also have
20 state forests, 117 state parks, and the
Allegheny National Forest
located in our state. Thousands of people visit our state parks and state
forests for recreational purposes.
These forests provide Pennsylvania with various trees used in the wood
industry. Hardwoods and softwoods populate our forests. Our forests
consist of 85% hardwoods. Hardwood trees include cherry, maple, beech,
birch, oak, hickory, and walnut. Softwoods trees include pine and hemlock.
The wood from these trees is used to produce various products. These
include furniture, paper, lumber, and wood for cooking and heating. The sap
fromsugar maple trees is used tomakemaple syrup.
Forests also provide Pennsylvania’s wildlife population with a natural
habitat. Our state has abundant small game for hunting, such as rabbit,
pheasant, turkey, and ruffed grouse. Hunters also enjoy seeking larger game,
such as whitetail deer and bear.
Our forests are filled with diverse
wildlife, such as the whitetail deer.
Soil is one of our
most important
natural resources.
The rich soil of the
Piedmont Region
is home to a strong
agricultural
industry.
16
Understanding Pennsylvania
