Flora ( pl. : floras or florae ) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous ) native plants. The corresponding term for animals is fauna , and for fungi , it is funga . Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora as in the terms gut flora or skin flora .
21-620: Nissequogue River State Park is a 521-acre (2.11 km) state park located on the banks and bluffs of the Nissequogue River in Kings Park, New York . The park was opened in 2000, and established on the waterfront portion of the former Kings Park Psychiatric Center . The name of the park was originally assigned to what is today the Caleb Smith State Park Preserve . Nissequogue River State Park
42-526: A land lease from the U.S. government , while Mackinac National Park was handed down to become the first of the Michigan state parks . As with national parks, facilities at state parks are often leased to concessionaires to operate. Breaks Interstate Park is operated under an interstate compact by Virginia state parks , although it is also one of the Kentucky state parks , straddling both sides of
63-589: A few exceptions such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California, and Wood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska, the largest state park in the United States . In addition to preserving natural landscapes and providing recreational opportunities, many state parks also serve as important educational resources . They often offer guided tours, interpretive programs, and exhibits that help visitors learn about
84-504: A historic era as in fossil flora . Lastly, floras may be subdivided by special environments: The flora of a particular area or time period can be documented in a publication also known as a " flora " (often capitalized as "Flora" to distinguish the two meanings when they might be confused). Floras may require specialist botanical knowledge to use with any effectiveness. Traditionally they are books , but some are now published on CD-ROM or websites . Simon Paulli 's Flora Danica of 1648
105-699: A restaurant) for lodging at some parks. These typically use "Resort" in the name, such as "_____ Resort State Park" in West Virginia state parks and "_____ State Resort Park" in neighboring Kentucky state parks , which has 17 such resort parks, the most of any state. Other states use the Resort name inconsistently (like DeGray Lake Resort State Park , the only one out of three resorts in Arkansas state parks ), or have only one such park ( South Carolina state parks ' Hickory Knob State Resort Park ), or do not use
126-622: A state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential. There are state parks under the administration of the government of each U.S. state , some of the Mexican states , and in Brazil . The term is also used in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales . The equivalent term used in Canada, Argentina, South Africa, and Belgium,
147-413: Is provincial park . Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies. State parks are thus similar to national parks , but under state rather than federal administration. Similarly, local government entities below state level may maintain parks, e.g., regional parks or county parks . In general, state parks are smaller than national parks, with
168-604: Is probably the first book titled "Flora" to refer to the plant world of a certain region. It mainly describes medicinal plants growing in Denmark. The Flora Sinensis by the Polish Jesuit Michał Boym is another early example of a book titled "Flora". However, despite its title it covered not only plants but also some animals of the region, that is China and India. A published flora often contains diagnostic keys. Often these are dichotomous keys , which require
189-614: The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration . Flora The word "flora" comes from the Latin name of Flora , the goddess of plants , flowers , and fertility in Roman mythology . The technical term "flora" is then derived from a metonymy of this goddess at the end of the sixteenth century. It was first used in poetry to denote the natural vegetation of an area, but soon also assumed
210-738: The country's state parks. The NASPD further counts over 43,000 miles (69,000 km) of trail, 217,367 campsites, and 8,277 cabins and lodges across U.S. state parks. The largest state park system in the United States is Alaska State Parks , with over 100 sites encompassing 3.3 million acres. Many states include designations beyond "state park" in their state parks systems. Other designations might be state recreation areas , state beaches, and state nature reserves . Some state park systems include long-distance trails and historic sites . To encourage tourism in rural areas, several states have simple lodges, inns, hotels, or motels (usually with
231-478: The designation at all (such as the lodges of Georgia state parks ). The term "lodge" may also refer to a hiking lodge , essentially a large cabin for hikers rather than a large facility with private rooms and a restaurant. Other lodging may include yurts and tipis . Not all parks owned by a state are necessarily part of its state-park system, such as Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta. Some Texas state parks are
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#1732801722117252-493: The local flora , fauna , geology , and cultural history of the area. These programs are designed not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to promote conservation awareness and encourage responsible enjoyment of natural resources. There are 6,792 state park units in the United States, according to the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD). There are some 813 million annual visits to
273-593: The meaning of a work cataloguing such vegetation. Moreover, "Flora" was used to refer to the flowers of an artificial garden in the seventeenth century. The distinction between vegetation (the general appearance of a community) and flora (the taxonomic composition of a community) was first made by Jules Thurmann (1849). Prior to this, the two terms were used interchangeably. Plants are grouped into floras based on region ( floristic regions ), period, special environment, or climate. Regions can be distinct habitats like mountain vs. flatland. Floras can mean plant life of
294-500: The park office. Other notable buildings include York Hall (Building 80), the hospital's main auditorium and theater, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since October 23, 2023. (#100009455) State park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by
315-447: The park, with the primary purpose of protecting overwintering locations for waterfowl and migratory birds. The conservation area particularly aims to protect feeding and roosting habitat for wading birds such as egrets and herons . Several former Kings Park Psychiatric Center buildings remain standing in the park. Among those buildings that have been renovated is the former Veterans Administration Building (Building 125), which serves as
336-424: The property that included the hospital's former buildings remained to be cleaned up and redeveloped, however plans called for development to be consistent with the surrounding parkland. On May 17, 2010 New York State closed this park along with 55 other state parks due to budget cuts. However, the state reversed their decision on Nissequogue, and reopened the park on May 28, following passage of an $ 11 million deal in
357-474: The state line. Other multi-state parks are legally two separate parks with the same name and more informal cooperation between them. The title of oldest state park in the United States is claimed by Niagara Falls State Park in New York , established in 1885. Several public parks previously or currently maintained at the state level pre-date it. Indian Springs State Park has been operated continuously by
378-454: The state of Georgia as a public park since 1825, although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931. In 1864 Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were ceded by the federal government to California until Yosemite National Park was proclaimed in 1890. In 1878 Wisconsin set aside a vast swath of its northern forests as "The State Park" but, needing money, sold most of it to lumber companies within 20 years. Mackinac National Park
399-424: The state senate. Demolition of 18 former hospital buildings, as well as the hospital's large smokestack, took place in 2013. A second round of demolitions was scheduled for 2016. Recreational opportunities at the park include soccer, bird watching, fishing, canoeing/kayaking, hiking, biking, and guided tours. The park also includes a marina with seasonal boat slips. A bird conservation area has been established at
420-473: Was established in 1875 as the second U.S. national park before being converted to a state park in 1895. The first state park with the designation of "state park" was Itasca State Park in Minnesota , established in 1891. Many state park systems date to the 1930s, when around 800 state parks (and several national ones) across the country were developed with assistance from federal job-creation programs like
441-415: Was first established in 2000 on a 153-acre (0.62 km) portion of the former Kings Park Psychiatric Center property, which was closed in 1996. The remainder of the hospital's property remained available to development at that time. In 2007, an additional 368 acres (1.49 km) of former hospital property were added to Nissequogue River State Park. At the time of the transfer, 90 acres (0.36 km) of
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