Texas Ecoregions: Our Amazing and Diverse State
Texas is made up of secen eco-regions. An ecoregion is an area defined by its environmental conditions, especially climate, landforms, and soil
characteristics.
EcoRegion
Water
Elevation /Geology /
Landforms
Vegetation
Weathering, Erosion, Deposition
Cities and
Landmarks
Gulf Coast
Rain: 30-50” per
year
Rivers: San
Jacinto, Trinity,
Brazos
Aquifer: Gulf
Coast, CarizzoWilcox
Less than 150 ft.
Flat plains
Tall grasses
Live oak
Mesquite
Erosion: Waves erode beaches along
coast unless vegetation present;
Deposition: Waves deposit sand in new
locations; Sandbars
Marshes formed by erosion and
deposition of sediment (sand)
Houston
Galveston
Corpus
Christi
Pineywoods
Rain:35-50”
Rivers: Sabine,
Cypress
Aquifer: CarrizoWilcox
Rain: Less than
12”
Rivers:
Rio Grande
Aquifer:
Hueco-Mesilla
Bolson
200-800 ft.
Flat and fertile
Big Thicket Swamp
Thick piney
wood forest
Red Maple
Pine
Oak
Mesquite
Cacti
Alligator
Juniper
Agave
Cottonwood
Erosion prevented by plant roots
Man-made dams prevent sediment from
flowing down river to form soil through
deposition
Texarkana
Nacogdoche
s
Big Thicket
Swamp
El Paso
Pecos
Big Bend
National
Park
Big Bend
Country
2,500-8,749 ft.
Desert, Mountain,
wetland biomes
Davis Mountains
Guadalupe
Mountains
Chihuahuan
Desert
Soil comes from the weathering and
erosion of the Guadalupe and Davis
Mountains
Erosion: Wind in Chihuahuan Desert
creates sand dunes; flash floods when
rainfall
EcoRegion
Water
Elevation /Geology /
Landforms
Plants
Weathering, Erosion, Deposition
Cities and
Landmarks
Hill Country
(Edwards
Plateau)
Rain: 23-35”
Rivers: Colorado,
Guadalupe, Nueces
Aquifer:
Edwards
600 – 3,000 ft.
Enchanted Rock
Limestone Caves
Plateau
Short
Grasses
and small
woodlands;
excellent
for vines
such as
grapes
Mechanical Weathering: Release of
pressure at Enchanted Rock and coarse
textured sand from weathered granite
Chemical Weathering: Limestone rock
formations on Edward’s Plateau
Austin
Enchanted
Rock
Edwards
Plateau
Panhandle
Plains
Rain: 15-22 “
Rivers: Red, Pecos,
Guadalupe, Brazos
Aquifers:
Ogallala, Seymour,
Nacotoch,
Alluvium,
Cenozoic, Pecos,
Edwards-Trinity
1,000-5,000 ft.
Low Plains: Flat
land
High Plains: Rolling
hills
Palo Duro Canyon
Caprock Canyons
State Park
Bur Oak
Prickly pear
cactus
Acacia
Palo Duro Canyon formed by
weathering and erosion of rock by river
Erosion: mostly caused by high winds
Amarillo
Abilene
Lubbock
Prairies and
Lakes
Rain: 26-40”
Rivers: Trinity,
Red, Brazos
Aquifers: Trinity
300-1500 ft.
Gently rolling hills
Prairies
Pecan
Sycamore
Burr Oak
Erosion: soil loss from heavy farming
through wind and runoff
Rivers weather and erode land forming
canyons
Deposition: sediment changes shape
of rivers
Dallas
Lake Forks,
Cedar Hill, and
Dinosaur State
Park
South Texas
Plains
Rain: 20”
Rivers: Guadalupe,
San Antonio,
Nueces, Lavaca,
Rio Grande
Aquifers: Edwards,
Trinity, CarrizoWilcox, Gulf Coast
300-1100 ft.
Grasslands
Rio Grande Valley
Erosion: caused by livestock overgrazing area; Rio Grande constantly
meanders through region
San Antonio
Alamo
Laredo
Brownsville
Shrubs and
short trees;
Known as
“Brush country