Are the west Texas rangelands barren?

Driving through west Texas, you would think that the windmills are all there is to see. Flat, desert-like landscape is not what you expect the highest producing region of beef cattle and cotton in the United States to look like. Through the years, producers in this region have found a way to create life despite …

What are alluvial soils?

Alluvial soils are soils deposited by surface water. You’ll find them along rivers, in floodplains and deltas (like the Mississippi Delta), stream terraces, and areas called alluvial fans. This last category results from larger floods, causing the soil to spread out in the shape of a triangle fan. These soils are formed differently than many …

Great American Prairies – the most endangered ecosystem on earth?

When people think about endangered or threatened ecosystems, often the Amazon rainforest or the Great Barrier Reef come to mind. And, they are important. There’s another, less well-known yet very important ecosystem that’s endangered – the Great American Prairie. Prairies and grasslands are some of the most endangered (and least talked about) ecosystems on earth. …