Southeastern Great Plains Cliff
Geology
Often associated with steep bluffs forming along riparian corridors. The geology typically consists of Pennsylvanian and Cretaceous sandstones and Cretaceous limestones.
Landform
Steep cliffs and bluffs (slope greater than 100%) generally found along drainages, particularly the Brazos River and its tributaries.
Soils
Sandstone Hill, Steep Adobe, Steep Rocky are typical ecoclasses associated with this system.
Parent Description
This system can express itself as wooded or sparsely vegetated. When wooded, the system likely resembles the surrounding Crosstimbers slope forests. The overstory may be dominated entirely be deciduous hardwoods, or be dominated by Juniperus ashei (Ashe juniper) or Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar), or have canopy with a mixture of deciduous and evergreen components.
Ecological Mapping Systems
Central Texas: Wooded Cliff / Bluff
Cliffs or bluffs with significant overstory canopy resembling that of surrounding slope forest.
Distribution Map
Photos
Public Land Occurrence
Central Texas: Barren or Grassy Cliff/Bluff
Cliffs or bluffs lacking a woody overstory. These bluffs are typically so steep as to preclude the development of significant soils, making the herbaceous layer patchy or lacking. The majority of this system is mapped as this vegetation type. Distribution is less than one acre for the entire state of Texas, therefore, a distribution map was not created.
Photos
Public Land Occurrence
- None.