Texas

Ecoregions

1. Piney Woods

Location East Texas

Precipitation Regional Average Rainfall: 40-52 in./yr

Temperature

Characteristics *Thick forest of pines, bottomlands (swampy), hardwood trees*”Big Thicket” southern most regionHigh HumidityTimber and cattle productionSwamps are common

2. Oak Wood & Prairies

Location Extends northward into the Great Plains or eastward into the forests..sometimes called Cross-Timbers

Precipitation 28-40 inches

Temperature

Characteristics Gently rolling to hilly and elevations range from 300 to 800 feet above sea levelOak savannah, patches of oak woodland are interspersed with grassland Cattle ranching is a mojor ag industry

3. Blackland Prairie

Location Between Piney woods and Plains

Precipitation 28 to 40 inches

Temperature

Characteristics Rich, fertile soilsGently rolling landscape to nearly levelCrop ProductionCattle Ranching

4. Gulf Coast Prairies & Marshes

Location Gulf Coast—Gulf of Mexico

Precipitation 40-60 inches

Temperature

Characteristics Includes marshes, barrier islands, estuaries, and baysSlowly drained plains, less than 150 feet in elevationHigh humidity, warm temperaturesNative habitat has been lost to agriculture & urbanization but still provides habitat for migratory birds and spawning areas fro fish and shrimp

5. Coastal Sand Plains

Location Extends from Gulf Coast Plains to South Texas Brush County

Precipitation 24-28 inches

Temperature

Characteristics Most of the region is grazed by cattleTall grass prairie with live oak woodlands, mesquite savannah and salt marshes

6. South Texas Brush Country

Location Rio Grande Valley area

Precipitation 20-32 inches

Temperature

Characteristics Thorny bushes, mesquite acacia, prickly pear with areas of grasslandRich in wildlife and a haven for many rare species of plants and animalsLivestock grazing and crop production are the principal agland uses

7. Edwards Plateau

Location Central Texas-Hill Country

Precipitation 15-34 inches

Temperature

Characteristics Land of springs, stony hills and steep canyonsHome of rare plants and animalsThe limestone is honeycombed with thousands of cavesRanching is the primary ag industrySurrounds the Llano Uplift

8. Llano Uplift

Location Center of Edwards Plateau

Precipitation 24-32 inches

Temperature

Characteristics Central mineral regionHome to some of the oldest rocks in TexasEnchanted RockOak-hickory or oak-juniper woodlands, mesquite-mixed brush savannah and grasslandsRanching

9.Rolling Plains

Location Middle North, Between High Plains, Edwards Plateau and Blackland Prairie

Precipitation 20-28 inches

Temperature

Characteristics Mesquite-shortgrass SavannahSteep slopes, cliffs, and canyons comprise the Escarpment Breaks area-which is the transition area between High Plains and Rolling PlainsDrop and livestock production

10. High Plains

Location Most of the Panhandle

Precipitation 15-22 inches

Temperature

Characteristics Relatively level high plateauElevations are from 3000 to 4500 feetExtended droughts are normal Shortgrass Prairie, Juniper and Shinnery oak and Sand Sage are commonBuffalo and Pronghorn Antelope once populated the area, today mostly irrigated cropland and native vegetation

11. Trans Pecos

Location Extreme Western part of the state eastward of the Pecos River

Precipitation Less than 12 inches

Temperature

Characteristics Many vegetations types exist due to the diversity of soildand elevationsCreosote-tarbruch desert scrub, desert grassland, yucca and juniper savannahs, montane forests of pine and oakThere are various subregions that reflect the diversity of the Trans PecosRanching in a primary industry

12. Marine Evironment

Location Gulf Coast of Mexico

Precipitation Same as Gulf Coast Ecoregion

Temperature Same as Gulf Coast Ecoregion

Characteristics Salt water, beach, bays, estuaries