1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. Palo Duro Canyon

5. Galveston Beach

6. Guadalupe Mountains

7. Chihuahuan Desert

8. Hill Country

9. Daisetta Swamp

10. Big Thicket National Preserve

12. 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

13. Plants, animals

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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

18. 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

20. 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

22. 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

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

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. Small wave deltas form between the barrier islands
Small wave deltas form between the barrier islands

27. Sand dunes are a result of wind deposition

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

29. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. Location
Austin
San Antonio

34. Plants, animals

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

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

37. 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

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

39. 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.

40. 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

41. 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

42. Location
“Texas Panhandle”
Amarillo
Lubbock
Palo Duro Canyon

43. Plants, animals

44. 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.

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

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

47. 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

48. Location
El Paso
Presidio
Big Bend National Park

49. Plants, animals

50. 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.

51. 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.

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

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