Geography of Oklahoma Page: 14
vii, 182 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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1,ooo feet elevation and most of the area east of this line is below i,ooo but
above 400 feet elevation. Two major exceptions of this latter characteristic
are the Ozark and Ouachita mountains (some elevations above i,ooo feet
are found in the Ozarks, and some over 2,500 feet are located in the Oua-
chitas). The general eastward slope of the state causes the major rivers to
flow rather directly from west to east. In climate terms this means that the
channels drain from drier areas to wetter areas. A consequence of this is that
the western portion of the state has a deficiency of water; the eastern section
has a surplus and this surplus drains away from the areas of deficiency.
The vegetation pattern of the state is partly a reflection of Oklahoma
climates. If one again uses the Ardmore-Oklahoma City-Ponca City line
of reference to separate Oklahoma into an east and a west, then it would be
possible to generalize the major vegetation zones as an eastern forest and a
western grassland. This is, of course, a gross generalization because there
are trees in the west, essentially along the moist stream channels and some
sandy upland areas which retain sufficient soil moisture for tree growth. The
east also cannot be considered as continuously forested because some of the
heavy clay soils in central and eastern Oklahoma tend to be droughty and
better adapted to grasses. However, in general, it is useful to think of the
Ardmore to Ponca City line as representing the western edge of the eastern
forest of the United States which stretch on to the shores of the Atlantic,
while the line also represents the east edge of the tall grass prairies of interior
North America. As one goes west from this line the grasses become shorter;
as one goes east from this line the trees become taller and are potentially of
greater commercial significance.
Likewise the soils of eastern and western Oklahoma differ in important
ways. The upland areas of the Ozarks and Ouachitas are covered by acidic
soils of high clay content, much like the soils of the subtropical southeastern
United States. The soils of the extreme western Panhandle are extremely
rocky and poorly developed, a characteristic of much of the arid western
United States. Between these extremes the remainder of the state with one
exception, is mantled by soils which have developed under predominately
grass vegetation-which means that decayed organic material is not abun-
dant within the soils. Since organic acids are not as available, the soils gen-
erally have a neutral pH. In fact, as soil pH is tested across the State, the pH
increases (soils are more neutral or basic) toward the west. The one major
exception to this central area is a region in the central part of the state where
thin, poorly developed soils occur in association with steep sandstone and
clay covered slopes. This area, the Crosstimbers, a scrub forest of oak and14
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Geography of Oklahoma (Book)
Historical book discussing the geography of Oklahoma, including the climate, physical environment, minerals composition, and the evolving cities and transportation system; the book also contain maps to illustrate the temperature ranges, population, etc. Index starts on page 175.
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Morris, John W. Geography of Oklahoma, book, 1977; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc862898/m1/24/: accessed May 4, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; .