Piney Woods - Knowledge

4555: 4515: 3001: 4431: 4571: 2069: 4471: 1465: 4487: 1433: 1723: 1755: 4543: 1142: 1787: 3299: 1449: 4583: 1062: 4503: 3096: 4531: 4419: 1675: 4391: 2117: 1803: 2165: 2085: 1110: 4403: 1417: 1126: 1094: 4459: 1481: 2133: 1401: 1739: 1691: 4379: 4447: 1078: 2149: 1771: 4367: 1707: 2101: 4595: 2346: 3414: 2317: 765:) have also been extirpated from most areas; however, very rare sightings or remains are occasionally documented, likely representing wandering individuals rather than breeding populations. Stable populations of black bears occur in adjacent areas north and east of the Piney Woods and they appear to be slowly increasing in numbers and dispersing. As of 2020, however, the black bear is largely extirpated from most quarters, and rare in peripheral areas. With the clearing of forest and decline of the native predators (or competitors), the nine-banded armadillo ( 2438: 3478: 3540: 3401: 3270: 3083: 2988: 2851: 2601: 2333: 3474:

than other floodplains of the South Central Plains (ecoregion 35). In Oklahoma, The main crops are soybeans, grain sorghum, alfalfa, corn, and wheat; In Texas, soybeans, sorghum, wheat, and cotton; and in Louisiana, cotton, soybeans, corn, wheat, and rice, with some sugarcane in the southern portion. The Red River carries high silt loads and is almost continuously turbid compared to other rivers of the South Central Plains, although silt load has lessened in Louisiana with the construction of the river's lock and dam system.

36: 3553: 3624: 2614: 3335:, small hillocks that are abundant across the flats. On steep slopes, along streams and other areas where fire was less frequent, forests contained loblolly pine, sweetgum, white oak, southern red oak, willow oak, blackgum, and hollies. Although greatly reduced from its original extent, longleaf pine continues to characterize a significant portion of the area. Beech–magnolia was not extensive, occurring in narrow areas along some streams and mesic slopes. 2878: 387: 5453: 5417: 5359: 5315: 5237: 2874:. The broad flats and gently sloping stream terraces are lower and less dissected than the Tertiary Uplands (35a), but higher than the floodplains of 35b and 35g. Soils are typically well to poorly drained Alfisols and Ultisols with loamy and sandy surfaces. Loblolly pine and oaks are common and are adapted to the prevailing hydroxeric regime; pastureland and hayland are less extensive. 3032:(29g); alkalinity, hardness, and conductivity values are influenced by local springs, and increase westward. Streams in the eastern part of the Cretaceous Dissected Uplands drain the more rugged, lithologically distinct Ouachita Mountains (ecoregion 36); aquatic flora and fauna assemblages are influenced by the Ouachitas and are distinct from western streams. 3338:

This region is warmer, wetter, flatter, less dissected, and lower in elevation than the Tertiary Uplands (35a) and Southern Tertiary Uplands (35e) to the north, with a greater presettlement fire frequency. Streams are low gradient and sluggish. In the eastern part of the region near the boundary with

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Currently in the Red River Bottomlands, most of its natural woodland has been cleared for cropland and improved pasture, although some woodland still occurs in very poorly drained and frequently flooded areas. The broad, nearly level bottomlands are often dominated by agriculture, with more cropland

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The Red River Bottomlands contain the floodplain and low terraces of the Red River within the South Central Plains (ecoregion 35). The region occurs in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, and includes the highly meandering main channel of the Red River, oxbow lakes, meander scars, ridges, and

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This ecoregion once was dominated by longleaf pine flatwoods and savannas, but also supported other mixed pine–hardwood forest types. The longleaf pine community was characterized by longleaf pine over a great diversity of herbaceous species, with the structure and composition varying from the more

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Water quality in forested watersheds tends to be good, and is better than downstream of pastureland. Surface waters usually have lower total organic carbon values and slightly higher turbidity, total suspended solids, and hardness values than the Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces (35c). Streams lying in

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Within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ecoregions scheme, the Piney Woods are known as the South Central Plains, a Level III ecoregion. Within the South Central Plains, eight Level IV ecoregions are identified: Tertiary Uplands, Floodplains and Low Terraces, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces,

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The Holocene alluvium associated with Red River deposition developed well to somewhat poorly drained Vertisols and Entisols with clayey and loamy, reddish-brown, neutral to calcareous surfaces. The lithology contrasts with the Pleistocene terrace deposits of Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces (35c), and

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or the division between Pleistocene and older Pliocene/Miocene formations to the north. Soils are poorly to moderately well drained Alfisols and Ultisols with mostly silt loam textures. They are generally more poorly drained than many areas of the Southern Tertiary Uplands (35e) to the north, and

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The Southern Tertiary Uplands ecoregion of Texas and Louisiana generally covers the remainder of longleaf pine range north of the Flatwoods (35f) on Tertiary sediments. The region of Tertiary geology is more hilly and dissected than the Flatwoods (35f) to the south, and soils are generally better

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Native vegetation is largely oak–hickory–pine forest. Today, woods and pastureland are common. Water quality in forested watersheds tends to be good, and is better than in pastureland. Streams generally have lower total dissolved solids values and much lower total organic carbon values than the

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are characteristic, but pastureland also occurs. Cropland is far less common than in the Red River Bottomlands (35g). Active, meandering alluvial river channels are dynamic systems, with erosion and deposition reworking the topography of levees, ridges, and swales. Overbank flooding, subsurface

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in the middle of the Holocene Epoch. By the late 18th century, the Blackland Prairie was a mosaic of woodland, savanna, and prairies. Today, the fertile soils of the Blackland Prairie are mostly used for pastureland, woodland, and hayland. Only a few prairie remnants still occur and are mostly

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The Red River historically carried high silt loads and was almost continuously turbid compared to other rivers of Ecoregion 35. With the construction of the lock and dam system throughout its extent in Louisiana, silt load has lessened. The Louisiana portion of the Red River Bottomlands shares

4514: 3328:, and, in some places, insectivorous plants and orchids. These wetland savannas are one of the rarest habitat types in Texas with only a few small fragments receiving any protected status. Other similar sites have been greatly modified or have become overgrown and less diverse. 2068: 3175:; this vegetation becomes more extensive in the Flatwoods (35f). Currently, the ecoregion in Texas and Louisiana has more pine forest than the oak–pine and pasture land cover more typical to the north in the Tertiary Uplands (35a). Large parts of the region are public 826:

With some species migrating through in the spring and fall, others nesting in the spring and summer months, and still others wintering in the region, well over 300 species of birds occur in the Piney Woods. A few of the many year round residents include the wood duck

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Tertiary Uplands (35a) and Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces (35c), although turbidity, total suspended solids, and hardness values are slightly higher. Longitudinal stream gradients and Ouachita Mountain influences are greater than in ecoregions 35a or 35c.

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to, in some areas, replacement with pine monoculture. Reservoirs have inundated large areas of this habitat and have altered downstream hydrology. The bottomland forests provide important wildlife habitat with a high diversity of species.

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The landscape is dissected by numerous small streams. Waters tend to be stained by organics, thus lowering water clarity and increasing total organic carbon and biochemical oxygen demand levels. Most streams have a sandy substrate and a

1165:) ranges throughout all but the northwestern most area of the region, however they are not particularly common in the forested habitat compared to their abundance in the open marshlands and prairies to the south. The Sabine map turtle ( 2897:

A vertical sequence of terraces occurs. The lowest terrace is nearly flat, clayey, and has extensive hardwood wetlands. Higher terraces become progressively older and more dissected; they are dominated by pine flatwoods, pine savanna,

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Managed under a multiple-use concept (by law), balancing between timber harvesting, grazing, minerals, soil and water, fish and wildlife, recreation, and public needs, with no single resource emphasized to the detriment of others.

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were most likely larger in the Flatwoods than in the Southern Tertiary Uplands (35e) and Tertiary Uplands (35a) to the north. The pine wetland savannas had scattered longleaf pine along with shrubs of sweetbay, wax myrtle,

1674: 1400: 1061: 4502: 4418: 3698:"...to assure the preservation, conservation, and protection of the natural, scenic, and recreational values of a significant portion of the Big Thicket area in the State of Texas..." Since the preserve's inception, the 2116: 4530: 1802: 1754: 5120:

Page, L. M. and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes: North America North of Mexico, Second Edition. Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, Massachusetts. xix, 663 pp.

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woodlands, but a variety of forest types were present, including shortleaf pine–hardwood forests, mixed hardwood–loblolly pine forests, and hardwood-dominated forests along streams. On more mesic sites, some

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Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History. x, 867 pp.

1956:), a species that has been widely introduced around the world and considered a pest in many areas, is a native in the Piney Woods. Just a few of the other small fish in the region include blacktail shiner ( 5001:

Dixon, J. R. 2013. Amphibians and Reptiles of Texas, with Keys, Taxonomic Synopses, Bibliography, and Distribution Maps. 3nd Edition. Texas A&M University Press. College Station, Texas. viii, 477 pp.

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is within this region. The area has a long history of modification, particularly by the lumber, railroad, and oil and gas industries that contributed to boom and bust cycles of development and occupance.

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Powell, R, R. Conant, and J. T. Collins. 2016. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, 4rd ed. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. xiii, 494 pp.

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considers the Piney Woods to be one of the critically endangered ecoregions of the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines most of this ecoregion as the

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Newly cleared forest in East Texas. Most mature trees have been cleared and the layer of leaf litter, with decaying matter enriching the soil, has begun to wash away with recent rains.

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the Tertiary sediments of the Tertiary Uplands (35a). Natural vegetation of the bottomland hardwood forests included trees such as water oak, sweetgum, willow oak, southern red oak,

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values are lower than elsewhere in the South Central Plains. Water quality in forested basins is better than in pastureland. Oil production has lowered stream quality in the south.

2906:). Streams tend to be mildly acidic and stained by organic matter. They have more suspended solids, greater turbidity, and higher hardness values than the Tertiary Uplands (35a). 2707:(ecoregion 73); it is unlike the oak–hickory–pine forest of the higher, better drained, and lithologically distinct Tertiary Uplands (35a) and Cretaceous Dissected Uplands (35d). 5137:

Thomas, Chad, Timothy H. Bonner, & Bobby G. Whiteside. 2007. Freshwater Fishes of Texas: A Field Guide. Texas A&M University Press. College Station, Texas. xiv, 202 pp.

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Watson, Geraldine Ellis (2006) Big Thicket Plant Ecology: An Introduction, Third Edition (Temple Big Thicket Series #5). University of North Texas Press. Denton, Texas. 152 pp.

3139:–beech–loblolly pine forests occurred. Some small, scattered prairies with many rare plants are associated with areas of calcareous clay soils. Some sandstone outcrops of the 2799:. Wetness and flooding present severe limitations for agriculture. A few of the higher terraces may have some pasture, but most of the region has deciduous forest land cover. 5641: 5915: 2549:

Timber production is the dominant land use, along with livestock grazing, poultry production, and oil and gas activities. Major settlements in the region include much of

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Terres, John K. 1996. The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds. Wings Books, a division of Random House Value Publishing, Inc.. New York. N. Y. 1109 pp.

3458:, red maple, green ash, and American elm. There are also some plant distribution differences between the floodplains of ecoregions 35g and 35b. Western species, such as 2364:, gently to moderately sloping, cover a large area in eastern Texas, southern Arkansas, and northern Louisiana. The rolling Tertiary Uplands are dominated by commercial 5977: 1268:). Snake diversity is relatively high in the Piney Woods for a temperate area of its size, with well over 30 species ranging into the region. The Louisiana pinesnake ( 4658:

Hoekstra, J. M.; Molnar, J. L.; Jennings, M.; Revenga, C.; Spalding, M. D.; Boucher, T. M.; Robertson, J. C.; Heibel, T. J.; Ellison, K. (2010). Molnar, J. L. (ed.).

2902:, or a mixed forest of pine and oak; flatwood wetlands are less extensive than on the lowest terrace. The mid-level terrace is veneered with windblown silt deposits ( 5040:

Trauth, S. E., H. W. Robison and M. V. Plummer. 2004. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Arkansas. University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas. xviii, 421 pp.

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Reid, Fiona A. 2006. Field Guide to Mammals of North America North of Mexico, 4th ed., Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York. xx, 579 pp.

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Poole, Jackie M., William R. Carr, and Dana M. Price. (2007). Rare Plants of Texas: A Field Guide. Texas A&M University Press. College Station, Texas/ 640 pp.

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The Piney Woods cover a 54,400-square-mile (141,000 km) area of eastern Texas, northwestern Louisiana, southwestern Arkansas and the southeastern corner of

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though the lumber industry dramatically reduced the forest concentration in this area and throughout the Piney Woods during the 19th and 20th centuries. The

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Werler, J. E. and J. R. Dixon. 2000. Texas Snakes, Identification, Distribution, and Natural History. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas. xv, 437 pp.

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the Red River Bottomlands (35g), more loess occurs, the landscape becomes more dissected, and it supports a mixed hardwood–pine forest. Almost all of the

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in the state of Texas takes place in the Piney Woods region, which contains about 50,000 square kilometres (12,000,000 acres) of commercial forestland.

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Dundee, H. A. and D. A. Rossman. 1989. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. xi, 300 pp.

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Woods A.J., Foti, T.L., Chapman, S.S., Omernik, J.M., Wise, J.A., Murray, E.O., Prior, W.L., Pagan, J.B., Jr., Comstock, J.A., and Radford, M., 2004,

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Dodd, Jr. C. K. 2013. Frogs of the United States and Canada. Vol. I & II. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, Maryland. xxix, 982 pp.

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woods to the west. In Arkansas, loblolly pine is more common on the terraces than shortleaf pine, perhaps influenced by the seasonal wet-dry regime.

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Ernst, C. H. and L. E. Lovich. 2009. Turtles of the United States and Canada. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, Maryland. xii, 827 pp.

3611:. Protected areas include Terre Noire Natural Area Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Ozan WMA, Hope Upland WMA, Rick Evans Grandview Prairie WMA, and 2632:

The Floodplains and Low Terraces of Ecoregion 35 comprise the western margin of the southern bottomland hardwood communities that extend along the

668:), are uncommon, rarely seen, and in decline. Over a dozen species of bats occur in the region, some migratory like the Brazilian free-tailed bat ( 3283: 2870:

are nearly level, poorly-drained, periodically wet, underlain by Pleistocene unconsolidated terrace deposits, and often covered by pine–hardwood

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Mulroy, Kevin (Editor-in-Chief). 2002. Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 4th edition. National Geographic, Washington, D. C. 480 pp.

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portion of the Piney Woods region, currently consists of fourteen named, non-contiguous units scattered across a wide area bounded roughly by

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The nearly level to hilly Cretaceous Dissected Uplands ecoregion has a greater drainage density than other parts of the South Central Plains.

2914: 4621: 989:). Conversely, a different assemblage of birds migrate from the north to spend the winters months in the region, including the Canada goose ( 48: 3235: 505:

are common plants. Sloughs are shallow pools of standing water that most trees are not capable of growing in. Other species, such as the

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hangs in these trees, and floating aquatic plants often occur. On wet flats, backswamps, and swamp margins that are seasonally flooded,

5673: 783:) have expanded their ranges eastward into the region. Other species have been introduced into the region such as the nutria or coypu ( 5745: 5715: 4219:(Some Texas Wildlife Management Areas leased from the U. S. Forest Service and located within National Forest are not included here) 3744: 3183:. The Southern Tertiary Uplands ecoregion also covers the majority of Louisiana's longleaf pine range west of the Mississippi River. 4721: 3282:

The Flatwoods ecoregion occurs on mostly flat to gently sloping Pleistocene sediments. The northern boundary is generally along the

2917:(34j). The prairie has been converted to agriculture. Terraces are less extensive in Texas and Oklahoma, occurring mostly along the 5982: 5300:

Daigle, J.J., Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., Faulkner, P.L., McCulloh, R.P., Handley, L.R., Smith, L.M., and Chapman, S.S., 2006,

6032: 4059: 3832: 2832: 929:). Many additional species migrate from regions south and nest in the Piney Woods in the spring and summer, such as the anhinga ( 5068:

Petranka, J. W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C. xvi, 587 pp.

4900: 3826: 3490: 3467: 2836: 2704: 2411: 6012: 5735: 5344:

Griffith, G.E., Bryce, S.A., Omernik, J.M., Comstock, J.A., Rogers, A.C., Harrison, B., Hatch, S.L., and Bezanson, D., 2004,

5186: 5126: 5089: 4987: 4675: 4123: 4117: 3802: 3796: 3780: 3762: 3525: 2824: 2625: 439: 6017: 6007: 5875: 4335:(Sasquatch) sightings; with many legends dating back to pre European settlement. One such noted legend is the story of the 4053: 3921: 3774: 3239: 3223: 371: 117: 5855: 3814: 3786: 3768: 3750: 3521: 3481: 2828: 2820: 2578: 5438:

Woods, A.J., Omernik, J.M., Butler, D.R., Ford, J.G., Henley, J.E., Hoagland, B.W., Arndt, D.S., and Moran, B.C., 2005,

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Glenn Griffith, Sandy Bryce, James Omernik, and Anne Rogers. "Ecoregions of Texas." U.S. Geological Survey: 2007-12-27.

4345:. The area according to references lists this area to be the third highest in North America for these such sightings. 398:

The region has heavy to moderate rainfall, with some places receiving over 60 in (1,500 mm) of rain per year.

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drained over the more permeable sediments. Soils are Ultisols and Alfisols with silt loam to loamy sand textures. The

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Cretaceous Dissected Uplands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Flatwoods, Red River Bottomlands, and Blackland Prairie.

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Abbott, John C. 2015. Dragonflies of Texas: A Field Guide. University of Texas Press. Austin, Texas. xv, 448 pp.

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This article is about the Piney Woods ecoregion in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. For other uses, see

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Schmidly, D. J. 2004. The Mammals of Texas, 6th. Ed. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas. xviii, 501 pp.

5992: 5937: 5845: 5695: 3936: 3870: 3724: 3648: 3251: 3060: 3005: 1658:) ranges throughout Arkansas and Louisiana, but populations in east Texas intergraded with Woodhouse's toad ( 4800: 3560:

The level to rolling Blackland Prairie characteristically has dark soils derived from underlying Cretaceous

2913:, is a Pleistocene terrace with some similarities in soils and historical natural vegetation to that of the 6042: 5997: 5987: 5947: 5625: 4279: 4141: 4129: 4111: 4090: 3946: 3910: 3463: 2973: 20: 5557: 3311:

open forests of the wet savannas to the more closed forests of the dry flatwoods. Savanna wetlands on the

5805: 4285: 4263: 4017: 3975: 3858: 3255: 2582: 2345: 1185: 698:), a threatened species in Texas. Rodents found in the Piney Woods include the southern flying squirrel ( 355: 281: 97: 79: 4269: 3960: 3931: 2219: 1820:

The Piney Woods are rich in fish diversity. Fish occurring in the region include the chestnut lamprey (

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is another type of wetland found the Piney Woods and other forest of the Gulf Coast states in the USA.

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Liu, Changxiang; Jim A. Neal; Craig Scofield; Jane Chang; A. Kim Ludeke; Carl Frentress (2009-06-14).

3516:. Protected areas include Spring Bank Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Soda Lake WMA, John Franks WMA, 3143:

have distinctive barrens or glades in Texas and Louisiana that contain several rare species. Forested

2182:(threatened species: Federal++; State +: historical isolated Illinois population now extirpated = *). 1171:) is endemic: and among the many other turtles found in the region are the alligator snapping turtle ( 6037: 6002: 5683: 4341: 4102: 4084: 3985: 3886: 3691: 3573: 3227: 3180: 3099: 1636: 1606: 1570: 676: 242: 1514:), commonly growing 18 to 30 inches (46-76 cm.), and other species such as the Gulf Coast waterdog ( 40:

Satellite image of North America with the Piney Woods eco-region discernible in distinct dark green.

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Webb, R. G. 1970. Reptiles of Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma. vi, 370 pp.

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Experience Nature, Arts & Culture, History & Heritage Destinations in the Texas Pineywoods

3029: 5170: 4748:"Classification of Land Cover and Assessment of Forested Wetlands in the Cypress Creek Watershed" 4251: 4202: 4165: 4071: 3612: 3608: 3501: 3422: 3219: 2816: 2515: 2295: 1882: 1870: 1618: 1276: 1179: 1045: 1039: 979: 871: 447: 5705: 4875: 4193: 4008: 3880: 3509: 3489:

similarities in natural vegetation and other biota, hydrology, and land uses with parts of the

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Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Verifies Cougar Sighting in Northeast Louisiana

1664:), however some regard the east Texas populations as a distinct species, the east Texas toad ( 1498:

Over a dozen species of salamanders occur in the Piney Woods. The Louisiana slimy salamander (

5927: 5905: 5537:"16 U.S. Code § 698 - Big Thicket National Preserve | LII / Legal Information Institute" 5470: 4887: 4662:

The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference

4630: 4257: 4245: 3926: 3717: 3676: 3668: 3505: 3497: 3418: 3348: 3068: 3036: 3025: 2969: 2949: 2910: 2550: 2471: 2058: 1970: 1864: 1594: 1366: 1324: 1240: 1203: 1197: 1031:). A few species that once occurred in the region are now extinct like the passenger pigeon ( 1003: 670: 598: 284: 5885: 5515: 4177: 4171: 3845: 3672: 3660: 3413: 3368: 3203: 3199: 3052: 3044: 2941: 2937: 2930: 2483: 2277: 2259: 2250: 2210: 2046: 1994: 1976: 1946: 1940: 1846: 1840: 1630: 1624: 1546: 1510: 1246: 1167: 1021: 1015: 955: 919: 901: 767: 731: 688: 634: 622: 586: 556: 506: 288: 4633:

forest genetically related to the Piney Woods, over 100 miles to the west in central Texas

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Long-leaf pine uplands, Big Thicket National Preserve, Tyler County, Texas, (August 2020)

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has helped to increase the amount of protected acreage by 33,000 acres (13,000 ha).

3687: 3451: 3352: 3321: 3152: 3140: 2957: 2748: 2554: 2268: 2040: 2028: 1924: 1906: 1660: 1642: 1612: 1600: 1534: 1500: 1360: 1330: 1306: 1264: 1252: 1221: 1051: 967: 937: 883: 859: 853: 646: 475: 451: 62: 2437: 2316: 1574:). Anurans (frogs and toads) found in the Piney Woods include Blanchard's cricket frog ( 4660: 4233: 3604: 3592: 3459: 3447: 3316: 3187: 3008:, with pine–oak forest visible in background, in the Cretaceous Dissected Uplands (35d) 2953: 2945: 2760: 2697: 2665: 2633: 2621: 2618: 2574: 2534:. Many do not flow during the summer or early fall. However, in sandhills, spring-fed, 2511: 2286: 2201: 2052: 2022: 2016: 1958: 1900: 1828: 1648: 1522: 1372: 1312: 1270: 1191: 973: 779: 749: 718: 706: 682: 640: 574: 494: 5182: 5154: 5138: 5122: 5105: 5085: 5069: 5041: 5022: 5003: 4983: 4961: 4945: 4929: 4913: 4847: 4828: 4771: 4671: 4626: 4047: 3951: 3699: 3683: 3656: 3644: 3513: 3372: 3360: 3191: 3164: 3132: 3021: 2965: 2961: 2926: 2819:; typically these narrow and wet regions are less developed. Protected areas include 2796: 2732: 2562: 2450:

In many areas of Ecoregion 35a, commercial pine plantations have replaced the native

2000: 1930: 1912: 1894: 1834: 1582: 1552: 1348: 1300: 1280:) is nearly endemic. Five venomous snakes occur in the region, the Texas coralsnake ( 1215: 991: 925: 889: 877: 803: 628: 604: 568: 510: 455: 4548:

Long-leaf pine uplands, Big Thicket National Preserve, Polk County, Texas (May 2020)

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and are generally somewhat poorly drained to very poorly drained, clayey and loamy.

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Several of the larger carnivores that once occurred in the Piney Woods are entirely

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National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, Sam Houston National Forest: Management

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https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecoregion-download-files-state-region-6#pane-34

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https://gaftp.epa.gov/EPADataCommons/ORD/Ecoregions/tx/TXeco_Jan08_v8_Cmprsd.pdf

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https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecoregion-download-files-state-region-6#pane-41

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https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecoregion-download-files-state-region-6#pane-16

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https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecoregion-download-files-state-region-6#pane-03

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woodlands also occur. Grasses in the area include mid and tall grasses such as

2503: 2451: 2006: 1964: 1282: 865: 841: 435: 431: 411: 403: 67: 5495:"The Big Thicket - Big Thicket National Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)" 5348:(color poster with map, descriptive text, and photographs): Reston, Virginia, 4508:

Peach Creek, Lake Houston Wilderness Park, Montgomery County, Texas (May 2013)

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Big Cypress Bayou, Caddo Lake State Park, Harrison County, Texas, (April 2017)

3623: 3466:, were native to the Red River Bottomlands but were typically absent from the 2925:. In Texas, current land cover is mostly pine–hardwood forest, with post oak, 5971: 5795: 5688: 5457: 5421: 5363: 5319: 5241: 4352: 4336: 3899:(only two Ouachita N.F. units in southern Oklahoma are in the Piney Woods). 3675:

to the north. The preserve contains ten distinct ecosystems according to the

3364: 3215: 3211: 3207: 2922: 2708: 2237: 949: 907: 797: 773: 755: 743: 664: 658: 592: 562: 537:), an endangered species, grows in the sandy soils of longleaf pine forests. 533: 399: 378:. They receive 40–52 inches (1,000–1,300 mm) of precipitation annually. 291: 222: 209: 164: 4536:

Woodland pond, Big Thicket National Preserve, Polk County, Texas, (May 2020)

5612: 3664: 3455: 3443: 3172: 2804: 2800: 2768: 2661: 2570: 2519: 2192: 2078:) endemic to the Piney Woods, Saline River Drainage, Arkansas (March 2016). 1588: 1558: 791: 498: 459: 4524:), Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary, Hardin County, Texas (November 2019) 1532:) are entirely aquatic. Other salamanders include the spotted salamander ( 5815: 4611: 3380: 3340: 3332: 3303: 2864: 2788: 2724: 2689: 2479: 2455: 2443: 809: 737: 463: 407: 331: 5036: 5034: 3895:(1,800,000 acres in multiple discontinuous units), Arkansas and Oklahoma 3028:

watersheds often originate in, and share many aquatic species with, the

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Terre Noire Natural Area WMA, Arkansas, in the Blackland Prairie (35h)

1934:). A multitude of smaller fish inhabit the waters of the Piney Woods. 1862:). Some sport fish native to the Piney Woods include largemouth bass ( 819:) pose threats to native fauna and are serious conservation concerns. 5628: 5169:

Encyclopidea of Arkansas: McAllister, Chris T. and Henry W. Robison,

5031: 4480:), Sam Houston National Forest, Walker County, Texas (September 2020) 4464:

Sam Houston National Forest, San Jacinto County, Texas (October 2017)

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Acadiana Conservation Corridor Wildlife Management Area (2,285 acres)

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Potential natural vegetation is southern floodplain forest as in the

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Davy Crockett National Forest, Houston County, Texas, USA (May 2019)

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The Piney Woods Region of the four state area is a noted area for

2664:. Longitudinal channel gradients are low and are less than in the 2403:

rocks of the Cretaceous Dissected Uplands (35d) and the extensive

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