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Central Basin and Range Ecoregion: Chapter 20 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

This chapter has been modified from original material published in Soulard (2006), entitled “Land-cover trends of the Central Basin and Range Ecoregion” (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5288). The Central Basin and Range Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) encompasses approximately 343,169 km² (132,498 mi2) of land bordered on the west
Authors
Christopher E. Soulard

Colorado Plateaus Ecoregion: Chapter 21 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

The Colorado Plateaus Ecoregion covers approximately 129,617 km2 (50,045 mi2) within southern and eastern Utah, western Colorado, and the extreme northern part of Arizona (fig. 1). The terrain of this ecoregion is characterized by broad plateaus, ancient volcanoes, and deeply dissected canyons (Booth and others, 1999; fig. 2). The ecoregion is bounded on the east by the Wyoming Basin and Southern
Authors
Michael P. Stier

Southern California Mountains Ecoregion: Chapter 18 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

This chapter has been modified from original material published in Soulard and others (2007), entitled “Land-cover trends of the Southern California Mountains ecoregion” (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5235). The Southern California Mountains Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) encompasses approximately 17,871 km² (6,900 mi²) of land
Authors
Christopher E. Soulard, Christian G. Raumann, Tamara S. Wilson

Blue Mountains Ecoregion: Chapter 16 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

The Blue Mountains Ecoregion encompasses approximately 65,461 km² (25,275 mi²) of land bordered on the north by the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion, on the east by the Northern Rockies Ecoregion, on the south by the Snake River Basin and the Northern Basin and Range Ecoregions, and on the west by the Cascades and the Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills Ecoregions (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environ
Authors
Christopher E. Soulard

Central California Valley Ecoregion: Chapter 17 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

The Central California Valley Ecoregion, which covers approximately 45,983 km2 (17,754 mi2), is an elongated basin extending approximately 650 km north to south through central California (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). The ecoregion is surrounded entirely by the Southern and Central California Chaparral and Oak Woodlands Ecoregion, which includes parts of the
Authors
Benjamin M. Sleeter

Sierra Nevada Ecoregion: Chapter 15 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

This chapter has been modified from original material published in Raumann and Soulard (2007), entitled “Land-cover trends of the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion, 1973–2000” (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5011). The Sierra Nevada Ecoregion covers approximately 53,413 km² (20,623 mi²) with the majority of the area (98 percent) in California and the remainder in Nevada (fig. 1
Authors
Christian G. Raumann, Christopher E. Soulard

North Cascades Ecoregion: Chapter 14 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

The North Cascades Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) covers approximately 30,421 km2 (11,746 mi2) of predominantly steep, mountainous terrain, home to peaks rising more than 3,000 m, which are carved by valleys that drop below 150 m elevation (fig. 1). The unique topography in this geographically isolated ecoregion has been shaped by glacial processes, and its d
Authors
Tamara S. Wilson

Klamath Mountains Ecoregion: Chapter 13 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

The Klamath Mountains Ecoregion covers approximately 47,791 km2 (18,452 mi2) of the Klamath and Siskiyou Mountains of northern California and southern Oregon (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). The ecoregion is flanked by the Coast Range Ecoregion to the west, the Southern and Central California Chaparral and Oak Woodlands Ecoregion to the south, the Cascades and
Authors
Benjamin M. Sleeter, James P. Calzia

Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills Ecoregion: Chapter 12 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

The Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) covers approximately 57,329 km² (22,135 mi²) in the states of Washington, Oregon, and California (fig. 1). The ecoregion is bounded on the east by the Columbia Plateau, Blue Mountains, and Northern Basin and Range Ecoregions; on the south by the Sierra Nevada Ecoregion; on the west by th
Authors
Daniel G. Sorenson

Cascades Ecoregion: Chapter 11 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

The Cascades Ecoregion (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997) covers approximately 46,787 km2 (18,064 mi2) in Washington, Oregon, and California (fig. 1). The main body of the ecoregion extends from Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, in the north, to Hayden Mountain, near State Highway 66 in southern Oregon. Also included in the ecoregion is a small isolated section south of Bend, O
Authors
Daniel G. Sorenson

Wasatch and Uinta Mountains Ecoregion: Chapter 9 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

The Wasatch and Uinta Mountains Ecoregion covers approximately 44,176 km2 (17, 057 mi2) (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). With the exception of a small part of the ecoregion extending into southern Wyoming and southern Idaho, the vast majority of the ecoregion is located along the eastern mountain ranges of Utah. The ecoregion is situated between the Wyoming Bas
Authors
Mark S. Brooks

Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Ecoregion: Chapter 10 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

As the name suggests, the Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Ecoregion includes much of the mountainous regions of these two states, plus a very small part in the Guadalupe Mountains of northwestern Texas. Several isolated areas of higher terrain in Arizona and New Mexico are also included in the ecoregion, which occupies approximately 108,432 km2 (41,866 mi2) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protecti
Authors
Jana Ruhlman, Leila Gass, Barry Middleton