What Is An Ecoregion? Ecoregion - a major ecosystem with distinctive geography, characteristic plants and animals, ecosystems, and receiving uniform solar radiation and moisture Sometimes called an ecological region or bioregion Smaller than a biome

Focus Which feature on the list can be found and observed in Texas? a. Deserts b. Canyons c. Mountains d. Beaches e. Meadows of wildflowers f. Swamps g. Pine forests

Yes, we have them all in Texas! a. Deserts — Chihuahuan Desert b. Canyons— Palo Duro Canyon c. Mountains— Guadalupe Mountains d. Beaches— Galveston Beach e. Meadows of wildflowers— Hill Country/Central Texas f. Swamps—Daisetta Swamp, Liberty County g. Pine forests— Big Thicket National Preserve

Palo Duro Canyon

Galveston Beach

Guadalupe Mountains

Chihuahuan Desert

Hill Country

Daisetta Swamp

Big Thicket National Preserve

Region 1 Piney Woods Climate: average annual rainfall of 36 to 50 inches is fairly uniformly distributed throughout the year, and humidity and temperatures are typically high Soil: generally acidic and mostly pale to dark gray sands or sandy loams Elevation: ranges from 200 to 500 feet above sea level Geography: rolling terrain Vegetation: pine and oak tall hardwood forests with scattered areas of cropland, planted pastures, native pastures, and rich bottomlands

Plants, animals

Weathering, erosion, deposition The Piney Woods is the wettest region of the state. This allows for a high rate of plant decay to occur resulting in healthy, nutrient-rich soils. The topography is gently rolling to near flat throughout the region. Soils are somewhat poorly drained and streams are slow-moving.

The majority of economic activities involve the lumber industry and unless an area has been clear-cut of vegetation, the amount of trees and plants can prevent erosion.

Region 2 Oak Woods & Prairies Climate: Average annual rainfall averages 28 to 40 inches per year Soil: Upland soils are light colored, acidic sandy loam or sands. Bottomland soils may be light brown to dark gray and acidic with textures ranging from sandy loams to clays Elevation: ranges from 300 to 800 feet above sea level Geography: gently rolling to hilly terrain Vegetation: oak savannah, where patches of oak woodland alternate with grassland

Region 3 Blackland Prairies Climate: average annual rainfall ranges from 28 to 40 inches. May is the peak rainfall month for the northern end of the region; however, the south-central part has a fairly uniform rainfall throughout the year. Soil: soils are uniformly dark-colored alkaline clays interspersed with some gray acidic sandy loams. Elevation: ranges from 300 to 800 feet above sea level Geography: gently rolling to nearly level terrain Vegetation: food and forage crops

Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Region 4 Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Climate: annual rainfall varies from 30 to 50 inches per year, high humidity and warm temperatures Soil: acidic sands and sandy loams, with clays occurring in the river bottoms Elevation: nearly level, less than 150 feet above sea level, cut by streams and rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico Geography: barrier islands along the coast, marshes near bays and estuaries, and prairies Vegetation: salt grass, tallgrass prairies, live oak woodlands, mesquite and acacias, oaks scattered along the coast, and tall woodlands in the river bottomlands

Region 5 Coastal Sand Plains Climate: Average annual rainfall is 24 to 28 inches per year Soil: primarily sands Elevation: fairly level with elevations less than 150 feet above sea level Geography: windblown sands and unstable dunes with grasslands, stands of oak, and salt marshes Vegetation: tallgrass prairie with live oak woodlands, mesquite savannah, and salt marshes

Location Aransas Pass Beaumont Corpus Christi Galveston Houston Refugio Rockport South Padre Island Victoria Covers 1/3 of the land of Texas

Plants, animals The land along the Gulf Coast is very near sea level. It is hard for water to drain off the land, since there is nowhere lower for the water to go. Much of the coast of Texas is made up of marshes----wetlands where a variety of tall grasses grow.

Weathering, erosion, deposition Soil in the region is primarily sand-based. If there isn’t enough vegetation to keep the soil in place, rainfall received can cause severe erosion.

Small wave deltas form between the barrier islands http://texascoastgeology.com/passes/ccpass10-1-67c.jpg Small wave deltas form between the barrier islands

Sand dunes are a result of wind deposition

Catastrophic events such as tropical storms can increase wave erosion and deposition.

South Texas Brush Country Region 6 South Texas Brush Country Climate: average annual rainfall of 16 to 35 inches increases from west to east. Summer temperatures are high, with very high evaporation rates Soil: alkaline to slightly acidic clays and clay loams and shallow caliche soils Elevation: ranges from sea level to 1000 feet Geography: flat plains to gently rolling terrain Vegetation: thorny shrubs, trees, and cactus scattered with patches of palms and subtropical woodlands

Region 7 Edwards Plateau Climate: average annual rainfall ranges from 15 to 34 inches Soil: usually shallow with a variety of surface textures, underlain by limestone Elevation: ranges from slightly less than 100 feet to over 3,000 feet above sea level Geography: many springs, stony hills, and steep canyons and caves; several river systems dissect the surface, creating a rough and well-drained landscape Vegetation: grasslands, juniper/oak woodlands, and plateau live oak or mesquite savannah

Region 8 Llano Uplift Climate: averages about 24 to 32 inches per year Soil: coarse textured sands, produced from weathered granite over thousands of years Elevation: ranges from 825 to 2,250 feet above sea level Geography: some of the oldest rocks in Texas, the region contains unique minerals and rock formations and large granite domes; hilly to rolling landscape Vegetation: oak-hickory or oak-juniper woodlands, mesquite-mixed brush savannah, and grasslands

Location Austin San Antonio

Plants, animals

Weathering, erosion, deposition The shape of the hills in this region is rounded due to increased precipitation and chemical weathering.

Erosion by streams and rivers above ground has left most of the region with very shallow soils (less than 10 inches).

Central Texas' Flash Flood Alley is one of the most flood-prone areas nationwide. When rocks and soil can absorb no more rainfall, it gets carried off into a stream or at the bottom of a lake

Erosion below ground caused by water seeping through the porous limestone. It contribute to the recharge of the Edwards Aquifer

The Llano Basin gets its name from the granitic rock that is uncovered at the surface. There are several large thin sheets of rock that slough off. This is a form of mass movement (erosion)called exfoliation.

Region 9 Rolling Plains Climate: average annual rainfall is 20 to 28 inches; dry summers with high temperatures and high evaporation rates Soil: vary from coarse sands along outwash terraces by streams, to clays and shales Elevation: ranges from 800 to 3,000 feet above sea level Geography: gently rolling hills and broad flats are cut by several rivers and their tributaries Vegetation: mesquite and shortgrass savannah; various hardwood species along streams, juniper on steep slopes along rivers

Region 10 High Plains Climate: extended droughts have occurred several times this century Soil: surface texture of soils ranges from clays in the north to sands in the south; Caliche underlies these surface soils at depths of two to five feet Elevation: ranges from 3,000 to 4,500 feet above sea level Geography: relatively level high plateau Vegetation: mostly irrigated cropland; native vegetation includes mesquite and juniper

Location “Texas Panhandle” Amarillo Lubbock Palo Duro Canyon

Plants, animals

Weathering, erosion, deposition Largest and most completely flat areas of it size in the world. It is subjected to high wind speeds. Higher elevation because the rocks don’t wear down easily.

Weathering, erosion, deposition Catastrophic events such as tornados can increase wind erosion

Poor land management, drought, and high wind speeds contributed to the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s

Region 11 Trans Pecos Climate: 9-15 inches of rain; semi-arid, warm, dry winters Soil: generally shallow, saline, and unproductive Elevation: 2,000 feet to mountain ranges, highest peak is 8,751 feet above sea level Geography: salt basins, sand hills, rugged plateaus, mountain slopes Vegetation: desert grassland, desert scrub, coniferous and mixed hardwood forests at mountain peaks

Location El Paso Presidio Big Bend National Park

Plants, animals

Weathering, erosion, deposition The weathered bedrock in this area has high amounts of calcium As a result of erosion and deposition in the area, the soil has high amounts of calcium called caliche.

Weathering, erosion, deposition It is the hottest and most arid (driest) region of the state. Hot days, cool nights contribute to physical weathering of rock.

Alluvial fans of rubble, sand, and gravel build at the base of the mountains

Weathering, Erosion, Deposition This region also has salt flats, dunes and windblown sand.