Texas Ecoregions

Learn about the areas of Texas and how effects of weathering, erosion and deposition impact these regions.

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

bioregionSmaller than a biome

In the natural world, environments are characterized by:

Types of soil (abiotic)Precipitation (abiotic)Temperature (abiotic)Land features (abiotic)Vegetation (biotic)Wildlife (biotic)

Scavenger Hunt!

You will find each Ecoregion and place the information into a chart.

Use your time wisely, we only have today to do this! A quick look at the map first!

1. Piney Woods

Due to abundant precipitation and abundant vegetation that holds the soil in place, there is very little erosion.

Thick vegetation near rivers inhibits river erosion.

Use the map to describe where the piney woods are located –make sure to give location –such as east Texas, right on border of Louisiana, etc. – Let’s look at the next slide and tell me how you would describe it!

Piney Woods

2. Oak Wood & Prairies

Has gently rolling hills and lightly wooded plains.

This area generally receives a moderate amount of rainfall that helps shape the land.

Trees and grasses prevent large amounts of soil erosion due to water and wind.

Use the map to describe where the oak wood and prairies are located

3. Blackland Prairie These areas have nutrient-rich

soils and receive good amounts of rainfall through the year.

If the land is clear-cut of natural vegetation for construction, nutrients can easily be eroded.

If the land is used for farming and it is not managed well, nutrients will be quickly used up.

Use the map to describe where the Blackland prairies are located

4. Gulf Coast Prairies and marshes

Wave action, a cause of weathering, erosion and deposition, is constant along the Texas Coastline.

Sediments are weathered and eroded along beaches and carried out into the ocean to form sand bars and islands.

When rivers, like the Brazos enter the Gulf of Mexico sediment being carried by the river stop moving and get deposited causing a delta.

Use the map to describe where the gulf coast is located

5. Coastal Sand Plain 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.

Catastrophic events such as hurricanes can increase wave erosion and deposition.

Use the map to describe where the sand plains are located

6. South Texas Brush Country

The area is known as “Brush Country” due to the shorter trees and many shrubs.

Overgrazing of the land has allowed nutrient-rich topsoil to erode way.

Rocky, dry soil cannot support grasses, trees can thrive because of their deeper root system.

Use the map to describe where the brush country is located

7. Edwards Plateau

Erosion has left most of the region with very shallow soils (less than 10 inches) lined with limestone rock layers.

High amounts of rain in a short amount of time can cause flash flooding.

Rainwater mixes with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and soils to form carbonic acid, which acts to dissolve away limestone.

Use the map to describe where the Edwards plateau area is located

8. Llano Uplift The soil is not as prone to flooding

because it allows water to infiltrate very easily.

The region is described as rough, hilly terrain.

Enchanted Rock - Exfoliation has caused the rock to “peel” in sheets. This was caused by contracting and expanding during heating and cooling in the temperature.

The weathering of sedimentary rock has exposed the granite dome underneath

Other types of mechanical weathering present – plant roots

Use the map to describe where the Llano uplift is located

9. Rolling Plains

Soils in this area are most fertile and sought after for crop production.

Periods of drought and then sudden increase in rainfall causes large amounts of erosion and deplete the soil of nutrients.

Use the map to describe where the rolling plains are located

10. High Plains

“Texas Panhandle” Largest and most completely flat area of it size in the world!

The region extends to the Palo DuroCanyon-the nation’s 2nd largest canyon.

Palo Duro Canyon was formed by water erosion from the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River.

The water deepens the canyon by moving sediment downstream. Wind and water erosion gradually widen

Use the map to describe where the high plains are located

11. Trans Pecos

Rain does not fall evenly over the area. “Desert portion” of Texas.

The weathered bedrock in this area have a large amount of calcium. Erosion and deposition in the area creates soil which has high amounts of calcium called caliche.

Home of the tallest mountain in Texas, Guadalupe Peak. Elevation is 8,749 feet.

Pines and Oaks dominate the tree species.

Soils are shallow and rocky. Weathering continues to play a role in developing soil and will for thousands of years to come. Soils in the canyon bottoms and valleys are deeper as a result of deposition.

12*. Marine environment

Marine topography refers to the shape the land along coastlines, but they occur also in significant ways underwater.

The effectiveness of marine habitats is partially defined by these shapes, including the way they interact with and shape ocean currents.

Marine topographies include coastal and oceanic landforms ranging from coastal estuaries and shorelines to continental shelves and coral reefs.

Use the map to describe where the marine environments are located