Omernik
Level III Ecoregions in the NYC
Source Water Areas
Text
from ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/us/useco_desc.doc
Ecoregions
Another way to categorize regions is by areas that have similar soils,
vegetation, climate, and physical geography. This ecoregion perspective
helps us understand why streams respond to various human disturbances
as they do and which management solutions might be applicable. Ecoregion
differences play a major role in determining which streams have been
affected or are susceptible to acidic deposition, mine drainage, and
nonpoint source problems.
Ecoregions have been developed
for the entire US. The map above shows "Level III" ecoregions.
Many of the boundaries of these ecoregions are transitional, and the
ecoregion map should be interpreted with that in mind. Ecoregion descriptions
follow and include differentiating criteria; their detail varies and
depends on available information.
58.
NORTHEASTERN HIGHLANDS - extends into NW Maine
The Northeastern Highlands comprise a relatively sparsely populated
region characterized by nutrient poor soils blanketed by northern hardwood
and spruce fir forests. Land-surface form in the region grades from
low mountains in the southwest and central portions to open high hills
in the northeast. Many of the numerous glacial lakes in this region
have been acidified by sulfur depositions originating in industrialized
areas upwind from the ecoregion to the west.
59.
NORTHEASTERN COASTAL ZONE
Like the Northeastern Highlands, the Northeastern Coastal Zone contains
relatively nutrient poor soils and concentrations of continental glacial
lakes, some of which are sensitive to acidification; however, this ecoregion
contains considerably less surface irregularity and much greater concentrations
of human population. Although attempts were made to farm much of the
Northeastern Coastal Zone after the region was settled by Europeans,
land use now mainly consists of forests and residential development.
60.
NORTHERN APPALACHIAN PLATEAU AND UPLANDS
The Northern Appalachian Plateau and Uplands comprise a transition region
between the less irregular, more agricultural and urbanized Erie/Ontario
Drift and Lake Plain and Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands ecoregions
to the north and west and the more mountainous and forested, less populated
North Central Appalachians and Northeastern Highlands ecoregions to
the south and east. Much of this region is farmed and in pasture, with
hay and grain for dairy cattle being the principal crops, but large
areas are in forests of oak and northern hardwoods.
62.
NORTH CENTRAL APPALACHIANS
More forest covered than most adjacent ecoregions, the North Central
Appalachians ecoregion is part of a vast, elevated plateau composed
of horizontally bedded sandstone, shale, siltstone, conglomerate, and
coal. It is made up of plateau surfaces, high hills, and low mountains,
which unlike the ecoregions to the north and west, was largely unaffected
by continental glaciation. Only a portion of the Poconos section in
the east has been glaciated. Land use activities are generally tied
to forestry and recreation, but some coal and gas extraction occurs
in the west.
