East Central Texas forests

East Central Texas forests
East Central Texas forests
	Nearctic
Biome	Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Geography
Area	52,600 km2 (20,300 sq mi)
Country	United States
States	Oklahoma; Texas;
Climate type	Humid subtropical (Cfa)
Conservation
Conservation status	Critical/endangered
Habitat loss	75%

The East Central Texas forests or East Central Texas Plains (33) is a small temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion almost entirely within the state of Texas, United States.^[1] The northern forests perimeter is partially within the southeast Oklahoma border.

Description

East Central Texas forests are distinguished from the adjacent

Texas blackland prairies and Western Gulf coastal grasslands by their greater tree density. On the other hand, they are more open and have a greater concentration of hardwoods than the forests of the Piney Woods.^[1] The climate is hot and humid.^[2]

Subregions

Northern Post Oak Savanna

The landscapes of this ecoregion are generally more level and gently rolling compared to the more dissected and irregular topography of much of Southern Post Oak Savanna. It is underlain by mostly

eastern fox squirrel, and eastern gray squirrel.^[3]

Southern Post Oak Savanna

This ecoregion has more woods and forest than the adjacent prairie ecoregions, and consists of mostly hardwoods compared to the pines to the east in the South Central Plains. Historically a post oak

Houston Toad is associated with the deep sandy soils of this ecoregion^[3]

San Antonio Prairie

This ecoregion is a narrow, 100-mile long region occurring primarily on the

Texas blackland prairies. Since the 1830s, settlement clustered along the Old San Antonio Road (Texas State Highway 21 in the south, Old San Antonio Road in the north) within this narrow belt of prairie land. Currently, land cover is a mosaic of woodland, improved pasture, rangeland, and some cropland.^[3]

Northern Prairie Outliers

The small, disjunct areas of this ecoregion have a blend of characteristics from the

tall dropseed. Current land cover is mostly pasture, with some cropland.^[3]

Bastrop Lost Pines

Anaxyrus houstonensis

) is an endangered species occurring in the East Central Texas forests.

This ecoregion is an outlier of relict

Houston Toad occurs in this ecoregion^[3]

Floodplains and Low Terraces

This ecoregion contains floodplain and low terrace deposits downstream from the

eastern cottonwoods. The northern floodplains tend to have more forested land cover, while in the south the Brazos and Colorado River floodplains are characterized by more cropland and pasture.^[3]

Fauna

The forests are home to a rich wildlife including

Attwater's prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri).^[2]

Conservation

This environment has been heavily altered by cattle ranching and clearance for farmland with only a quarter of the original habitats remaining, in fragmented patches and not in large blocks. There are no national forests in the region.

Gallery

Oaks trees (Quercus
) and wildflowers, Guadalupe County (October 2018).
Southern Post Oak Savannah habitat, Austin County, (March 2014).
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo
), Austin County (January 2014).
Southern Post Oak Savannah, Colorado County (January 2014).
Southern Post Oak Savannah, Colorado County, (January 2014).
Texas spiny lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus
) on a fencepost, Colorado County, (March 2017).
Lake Somerville State Park
. Lee County, (May 2017).
Lake Somerville State Park
, Lee County (May 2017).
Lake Somerville State Park
, Lee County (May 2019).
Nails Creek, Somerville Public Hunting Lands, Lee County (April 2017).
Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus
), male right, female left, Colorado County (March 2017).
Northern Post Oak Savanna, Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area, Anderson County (April 2017).
Northern Post Oak Savanna, Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area, Anderson County (April 2017).
Little Bear Creek, Hays County (October 2010).
Signs of beaver (Castor canadensis
) activity, gnawed tree trunk and burrowing in stream bank. Madison County (March 2010).

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "East Central Texas forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
^ ^a ^b World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "East Central Texas forests". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f This article incorporates public domain material from Ecoregions of Texas poster, back (PDF). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2016-02-06.

[WWF-1] "East Central Texas forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2010-10-20.

[WildWorld-2] World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "East Central Texas forests". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-10-20.

[TexasPosterBack-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f This article incorporates public domain material from Ecoregions of Texas poster, back (PDF). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2016-02-06.

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