Environment in Texas Essay ⋆ Environment Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

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Texas is the largest of the continental 48 American states. It lies at the western end of the Gulf of Mexico and the Southern Gulf Coastal Plain. It is also at the southern end of the North American Great Plains. The state is 266,807 square miles (691,030 square kilometers) and it extends over 800 miles from the Texas state line with Louisiana near Beaumont to El Paso in the west, which is close to New Mexico. It extends 737 miles (1,186 kilometers) from its northern extreme near Dalhart in the panhandle to its southernmost point near Brownsville on the Rio Grande River, which separates it from Mexico.

The topography of Texas can be compared to four steps. Beginning at sea level at the Gulf of Mexico the land slowly rises until it meets the second step at the Edwards plateau, which holds the Texas Hill Country. The third step is the Stockton plateau and the High Plains. The fourth step is at El Capitan (8,751 feet or 2,667 meters), which is part of the Guadalupe Mountains and the Rocky Mountains in El Paso.

There are five land regions in Texas. The Gulf Coastal Plain includes the coast, which stretches 367 miles (591 kilometers) from Louisiana to Mexico. It is a region of marshes, coastal wetlands, bays, tidal flats, marshes, dunes, beaches, coastal prairies, and barrier islands. Texas’s barrier islands protect the mainland from tidal surges during the hurricanes that come every summer or so. These barrier islands, lagoons, and bay shores were the home of the Karankawa Indians at the time of the arrival of the Spanish and later European explorers. There are 17 barrier islands, five of which are major islands. These islands include Galveston, Padre, Mustang, and Matagorda. Much of Padre and Matagorda are still pristine preserves. The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, which includes part of Matagorda, is the winter home of the endangered Whooping Crane. The largest barrier island is Padre and the largest bay is Galveston.

The Gulf Coastal Plain extends northward up the Sabine River to near Shreveport. In its lower reaches the Sabine River is a petroleum-rich area of swamps and bayous separating Texas and Louisiana. The Big Thicket, an area rich in biodiversity, extends from Beaumont (site of the 1902 Spindletop oil gusher) northward. The northernmost part of the Gulf Coastal Plain is forested with pines, oaks, and other trees common to its more eastern parts. At Kilgore the great East Texas Oil Field began pumping in the 1930s. The southern part of the plain extends south to Mexico and west to about Del Rio. The southern part is less forested and more open. In South Texas the Gulf Coastal Plains extend from Corpus Christi to Brownsville and then west to the Edwards Plateau, the southern end of which is at Del Rio. The area is one of huge ranches including the famous King Ranch. Javelina (Peccary angulatus) or collared peccary are often hunted in the region. Along the Rio Grande from Laredo to Brownsville orchards of oranges and grapefruits are an important part of the economy.

The Gulf Coastal Plain joins the Prairie Plains that extend from Red River in the north to San Antonio. The two plains merge in the Cross Timbers, which is a long narrow strip of forest that extends from Oklahoma deep into central Texas. The trees are smaller post oaks, blackjacks, and other less valuable trees. This area is also rich in petroleum resources in the Austin Chalk Formation, around Luling, and elsewhere. The Prairie Plains end in central Texas at the Balcones Escarpment centered at Austin. The Balcones Escarpment is the eastern edge of the Edwards Plateau, a desiccated region covered by cedars and shrubby plants. Like much of western Texas it appears desolate; however, the high mineral content of the thin, rocky soils and the food value of shrubs and grasses support cattle, mule deer, and other forms of life such as black ground squirrels and road runners on ranches and in wild areas. Rainfall amounts decline to desert levels in the Trans-Pecos area into which the Chihuahuan Desert extends. There, the thorny plants increase and trees are replaced by shrubs. Ranchers in the area turn to the prickly pear cactus to support their cattle in times of drought. The spines are burned off with flame throwers, allowing cattle to eat the succulents for food and moisture.

The Prairie Plains turn into the Rolling Plains west of Fort Worth. The area is hilly with increasing shrubby plants and numerous cattle ranches. The Great Plains join the Rolling Plains in the Panhandle and they extend to the Rio Grande River. The southern end covers the Stockton Plateau, which is west of the Pecos River and extends to the east to about Del Rio. The Panhandle and the Rolling Plains are often referred to as the cap rock region because the rock is impermeable. The central area of the Great Plains includes the Monahans sand hills, a large dune area west of Odessa. It was described by Spanish explorers who also explored the Llano Estacado, a dry treeless area of the High Plains extending about 250 miles by 150 miles.

The Permian Basin is a large area of oil-rich sedimentary rock. For most of its geologic history Texas was under the ocean, and in the Permian geologic era the Permian Basin was surrounded by a vast coral reef. It became a trap for enormous quantities of oil and gas. The western part of the reef is now the Guadalupe Mountains, most of which lie in New Mexico and include the Carlsbad Caverns. However, the southern part of the Guadalupe Mountains extends into Texas and rises to 8,749 feet (2,667 meters) on El Capitan at the southern end. The land drops dramatically from El Capitan to salt flats at its base. The peak was used as a landmark by stage coaches of the Butterfield Overland Mail in pioneer days.

The region of far southwestern Texas is an extension of the Basin and Range Region of the Rocky Mountains. It includes the Fort Davis Mountains where in the upper elevations antelope mingle with cattle on the ranch lands. Other mountains are the Glass Mountains, the Santiago Mountains, and the Tierra Vieja Mountains. The southern portion of the area is rugged, isolated, and virtually uninhabited.

Along the Rio Grande River the area where the river turns north is called the Big Bend, much of which is now a National Park. The park is usually filled with visitors during the mild days of Christmas and New Years. The Big Bend region, high in elevation, is occasionally visited by jaguars at the northern end of their range and by mountain lions. The course of the Rio Grande River often passes through canyons of spectacular beauty.

El Paso is the largest city in southwest Texas. The area is arid and abounds with barrel cacti and other cacti. To the north of the city are the Hueco Tanks. The tanks are large natural rock formations that act as basins for trapping rain water. They supplied water to Native Americans and to travelers on stagecoaches, and were the site of one of the last Native American battles.

Bibliography:

Wayne H. McAlister, Matagorda Island: A Naturalist’s Guide (University of Texas Press, 1993);
Laurence Parent, Big Bend National Park (University of Texas Press, 2006);
Darwin R. Spearing, Roadside Geology of Texas (Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1991);
Gentry Steele, Land of the Desert Sun: Texas’ Big Bend County (Texas A&M Press, 1999);
Joe Truett and Daniel W. Lay, Land of Bears and Honey: A Natural History of East Texas (University of Texas Press, 1994).