Ecoregions of Texas

​PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES IN MATTER

• Physical change – change which alters the physical properties of a substance without changing its identity

• Chemical change – the formation of a new substance with different properties; cannot be undone by physical means

​PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES IN MATTER

• Possible examples of physical and chemical changes in matter:

  • Weathering

    • Physical (mechanical) – e.g., waves crashing against rocks

    • Chemical – e.g., acid rain reacting with rocks

  • Erosion

    • Physical – e.g., movement of sediment by streams

  • Deposition

    • Physical – e.g., river deltas

  • Effects of human activity on groundwater and surface water in a watershed

    • Physical – e.g., building and development in watershed

    • Chemical – e.g., pollution

​DIFFERENT TYPES OF CATASTROPHIC EVENTS IMPACT ECOSYSTEMS

• Events

  • Weather events

    • Floods

    • Hurricanes

    • Tornadoes

    • Drought

• Impacts of events on ecosystems

  • Beneficial and destructive changes in species / populations (e.g., flooding – removal of invasive species and destruction of crops)

  • Beneficial and destructive changes in landforms

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  • Geological events

    • Volcanoes

    • Earthquakes (tsunami)

    • Fires

    • Landslides

​THE EFFECTS OF WEATHERING, EROSION, AND DEPOSITION ON THE ENVIRONMENT IN ECOREGIONS OF TEXAS

• Ecoregions of Texas

  • Possible examples may include:

    • High Plains

    • Rolling Plains

    • Trans Pecos

    • Blackland Prairie

    • Llano Uplift

    • Edwards Plateau

• • ​

    • Oak Wood and Prairies

    • Piney Woods

    • South Texas Brush Country

    • Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes

    • Coastal Sand Plain

    • Marine environment

​THE EFFECTS OF WEATHERING, EROSION, AND DEPOSITION ON THE ENVIRONMENT IN ECOREGIONS OF TEXAS

• Effects on the environment in ecoregions:

  • Creation or loss of soil

  • Creation or change of landforms

  • Creation or change of water features

  • Negative or positive effects on vegetation

THE EFFECTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY ON GROUND WATER AND SURFACE WATER IN A WATERSHED

• Watershed – an area of land where all of the ground water and surface water from the area drains from higher areas to lower areas and into the same body of water

  • Ground water (underground)

    • Recharge zones

    • Aquifers

    • Springs

    • Wells

    • Water table

• • ​Surface water (above ground)

    • Rivers Streams

    • Ponds

    • Lakes

    • Gulfs

    • Wetlands

    • Estuaries

    • Swamps

THE EFFECTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY ON GROUND WATER AND SURFACE WATER IN A WATERSHED

• Effects of human activity

  • Water pollution

    • Surface water

    • Ground water

  • Possible examples of effects may include:

    • Surface runoff polluting lakes, rivers, streams, and aquifers

• Water use and conservation