| East Central Texas forests | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Northern Post Oak savanna,Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area | |
 East Central Texas forests (33) | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Nearctic |
| Biome | Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests |
| Borders | List |
| Geography | |
| Area | 52,600 km2 (20,300 mi2) |
| Country | United States |
| States |
|
| Climate type | Humid subtropical (Cfa) |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/endangered |
| Habitat loss | 75% |
TheEast Central Texas forests or East Central Texas Plains (33) is a smalltemperate broadleaf and mixed forestsecoregion almost entirely within the state ofTexas, United States.[1] The northern forests perimeter is partially within the southeastOklahoma border. The ecoregion is dominated by the Post Oak Savanna.[2]
East Central Texas forests are distinguished from the adjacentTexas blackland prairies andWestern Gulf coastal grasslands by their greater tree density. On the other hand, they are more open and have a greater concentration ofhardwoods than the forests of thePiney Woods.[1] The climate is hot and humid.[3]
The Post Oak Savanna subregions take up most of the area of this ecoregion.[2] Although the savanna receives 35 to 45 inches of precipitation as annual average, many areas look somewhat arid due to a claypan subsoil.Post oak andblackjack oak are most common and other oak species includesouthern red oak,bur oak, andchinkapin oak.Black hickory is abundant here and there;cedar elm,common persimmon,sugarberry andeastern red cedar are also conspicuous. As a transitional area between piney woods to the east and prairie to the west, the savanna hosts species from a variety of moisture regimes.Loblolly pine,wooly birch andred maple range in from more humid eastern regions, and there are evenpeat bogs. Plants characteristic of arid sites includehoney mesquite,prickly pear cactus and two species ofyucca.[4]
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 mostlyEocene andPaleocene-age formations with someCretaceous rocks to the north. Prairie openings containedlittle bluestem and other grasses and forbs. The land cover currently has more improved pasture and less post oak woods and forest than the Southern Post Oak Savanna. Some coniferous trees occur, especially on the transitional boundary with the Tertiary Uplands ecoregion.Loblolly pine has been planted in several areas. Typical wildlife species includewhite-tailed deer,eastern wild turkey,northern bobwhite,eastern fox squirrel, andeastern gray squirrel.[5]
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 oaksavanna, current land cover is a mix ofpost oak woods, improved pasture, and rangeland, with some invasive mesquite to the south. A thick understory ofyaupon andeastern redcedar occurs in some parts. The ecoregion is underlain byMiocene,Oligocene,Eocene, andPaleocene sediments. Sand exposures within these Tertiary deposits have a distinctive sandyland flora, and in a few areas unique bogs occur. The endangeredHouston Toad is associated with the deep sandy soils of this ecoregion.[5]
This ecoregion is a narrow, 100-mile long region occurring primarily on theEoceneCook Mountain Formation. Upland Alfisol prairies were dominated bylittle bluestem andyellow indiangrass and contained a different mix of grasses and forbs than the dark, clayey, more calcareous soils of the NorthernTexas 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.[5]
The small, disjunct areas of this ecoregion have a blend of characteristics from theTexas blackland prairies and the East Central Texas forests. The northern two outliers, north of theSulphur River, occur onCretaceous sediments, while south of the river,Paleocene andEocene formations predominate. A mosaic of forest and prairie occurred historically in this and adjacent regions.Burning was important in maintaining grassy openings, and woody invasions have taken place in the absence of fire. The tallgrass prairies includedlittle bluestem,big bluestem,yellow indiangrass, andtall dropseed. Current land cover is mostly pasture, with some cropland.[5]
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This ecoregion is an outlier of relictloblolly pine-post oak upland forest occurring on some dissected hills. It is the westernmost tract of southern pine in the United States. The pines mostly occur on gravelly soils that formed inPleistocene high gravel,fluvial terrace deposits associated with the ancestralColorado River, and sandy soils that formed inEocenesandstones (such as theWeches Formation). The Lost Pines are about 100 miles (160 km) west of the Texas pine belt of the South Central Plains and occur in a drier environment with 36 inches (910 mm) of average annual precipitation. In this area, the deep, acidic, sandy soils and the additional moisture provided by the Colorado River contribute to the occurrence of pines, which are thought to be a relict population predating the last glacial period. The largest population of theHouston Toad occurs in this ecoregion.[5]
This ecoregion contains floodplain and low terrace deposits downstream from theTexas blackland prairies and upstream from the Texas coastal plains. It includes only the wider floodplains of major streams, such as theSulphur,Trinity,Brazos, andColorado rivers. In addition, it covers primarilyHolocene deposits and notPleistocene deposits on older, high terraces. The bottomland forests containwater oak,post oak,elms,green ash,pecan,willow oak andbald cypress to the east, and to the west somehackberry andeastern 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.[5]
The forests are home to a rich wildlife includingVirginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana),North American least shrews (Cryptotis parva),North American beavers (Castor canadensis) and many species of butterflies and reptiles. Larger mammals that once lived here, includingjaguar (Panthera onca) andPlains bison (Bison bison bison), have now disappeared from the region.[1] Endangered fauna found in this ecoregion include theHouston toad (Bufo houstonensis) andAttwater's prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri).[3]
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.
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This article incorporatespublic domain material fromEcoregions of Texas poster, back(PDF).United States Geological Survey. Retrieved2016-02-06.
Media related toEast Central Texas Savanna-Woodland Ecoregion at Wikimedia Commons