The South Texas Ecosystems

In south Texas there are several types of ecosystems one of those ecosystems are the dunes. South Texas dunes are found along the Texas coastline and the general abiotic conditions are sandy soil, high salt content, some fresh water, flooding in the occasion of severe storms and moisture from rain and waves. Sea Oats and Bitter Pancum are two types of plants that dominate the South Texas dunes. Bitter Pancum adaptation for living in this type of ecosystem is that they are tolerant to high salinity. Sea Oats are less tolerant to high salt but their adaptation is to grow rapidly. Some common animal species that live in the dunes are crabs, which are tolerant to high salt water, gulls, and terns feed on crabs and other species around the dunes. Dunes play a vital role in our first line of defense from flooding and storms by providing a protective barrier. Dunes also play an important role in our economy because they attract tourist to visit the local beaches in the South Texas coastline. Human activities pose a threat to dunes because they accelerate the natural damage that is happening as well destroying vegetative cover and help the development of breaches.
A second type of ecosystem in South Texas is the Seagrass beds. South Texas Seagrass beds are found along the coast in shallow saline waters and the general abiotic conditions are shallow saline waters, precipitation, soft muddy substrate, and temperature. Turtlegrass and Manateegrass are the two types of dominant plants in South Texas Seagrass beds. Manateegrass and Turtlegrass are dominant because of low rainfall that flows to the bay high evaporation as well their tolerance to salt. Some common animal species that live in the Seagrass beds are fish, sea turtles, shellfish, an...

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...est ecosystem. Both plant species are adapted to this ecosystem because they are tolerant to saline soil, droughts, and hot temperatures. Some common animal species that live in Thornscrub forest are birds, ocelots, trees and shrubs, and reptiles, and insects. Their adaptation to live in that ecosystem is that Thornscrub forest provides shelter, food, protection, and nesting ground. The ecological importance of Thornscrub forest provides a habitat to Ocelots, which are classified as endangered here in the South Texas region also decrease pollution by in taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The economic importance of Thornscrub forest is that the ecosystem attracts tourism to the local communities for bird watching. Human activities pose a threat to Thornscrub forest because of land clearing, overgrazing, human growth, agriculture, logging, and cattle grazing.