Adapting in Texas

How have people living in Texas adapted to the environment?

The people of Texas have adapted to their environment in many ways. With Texas having four distinctly different regions, people in each area must change how they live to deal with their environment.

Characteristics and Resources in Each Region:

Gulf Coastal Plains: Hilly forests, valleys, prairies, and rivers

Web banner of mature grasses in a late summer pasture in the South Eastern Coastal Plain with cattle grazing in the distance.

Resources: lumber production, oil fields, crops, iron deposits, cotton, irrigation, cattle, rice, industrial development, seaports

North Central Plains: Lowlands, rolling plains, and prairies

Resources: cattle ranches; agriculture: fruit and vegetable crops

Great Plains: High, flat land

Green farm fields line a gravel road in the flat lands of America's great plains.

Resources: wheat; grain; ranching: cattle, goat, sheep; petroleum; cotton; lumber: cedar, oak; electric power; minerals

Basin and Range Province: Mountain ranges and drainage basins

The Rio Grande as viewed from Big Bend National Park, Texas

Resources: cotton, recreational activities

How do people adapt to the environment in these regions? Study the slides to see how the people of Texas use resources to modify their environment to meet their needs.

Agriculture

a center pivot irrigation system in a corn field

Much of the land in Texas is ideal for agriculture. Areas with rich soil, mild weather, and plenty of water make the land perfect for growing crops and raising livestock. People have modified the land by building irrigation systems. These systems use water from natural resources to help supply farmers with enough water to raise crops and livestock. Texas has more farms than any other state, which has helped improve its economy.

Energy

Oil pump jack rocking with pipeline in the background.

People in Texas used to heat their homes using wood and coal from the environment. Electricity, oil, and gas now provide people with the energy they need for their homes and businesses. Drilling oil is one way Texas has modified the environment. Oil is used for transportation needs, along with energy production. Dams and wind farms have also been built to produce energy that can provide electricity to homes, cars, and businesses. Lakes built with dams not only supply water to drought-prone areas, but they also provide people with recreational activities, such as boating, fishing, and swimming.

Shelter and Clothing

Shelter and clothing are things that everyone needs to survive. People in Texas have long used the lumber from trees to build homes, and adobe bricks made from mud and dirt have also been used.

Clothing is made from the cotton grown throughout the state. These resources help meet the needs of people in Texas, as well as those throughout the U.S.

Transportation

A large red and white locomotive thunders past , crossing over an old, weathered trestle

Historically, people in Texas used horses, boats, and covered wagons to get from place to place. Later, railroads were built. Resources like coal, oil, steel, and land were used to create these systems.

Today, people mostly use cars, trucks, and planes to travel in Texas. As a result of all this traffic, more roads, highways, and airports have been built.