Land use: Most of this area is in farms, and about three-fourths is forest, principally pine and pine-hardwood. Much of the forest acreage is owned by large corporations, and lumber and pulpwood are the chief products. Cleared areas are used mostly for pasture, but some are used for crops. Rice, grain sorghum, corn, and soybeans are commonly grown. Many small subdivisions are being developed throughout the area.
Elevation and topography: Elevation ranges from 25 to 100 m. This area is nearly level to gently sloping and has a low local relief.
Climate: Average annual precipitation-1,175 to 1,400 mm, increasing from west to east. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year but is slightly greater in the east during winter. Average annual temperature-19 to 21 C. Average freeze-free period -260 to 280 days.
Water: Rainfall, perennial streams, and ground water provide an abundance of water. Most of the soils must be drained for optimum growth of general farm crops.
Soils: Most of the soils have a water table near the surface during at least part of the year. The dominant soils are Udalfs. They are deep and medium textured or moderately coarse textured. These soils have a thermic temperature regime, an udic moisture regime, siliceous mineralogy, and a weak fragipan or plinthite. Somewhat poorly drained Fragiudalfs (Splendora series), moderately well drained Paleudalfs (Segno and Hockley series), and poorly drained Ochraqualfs (Sorter and Acadia series) are dominant in Texas. Poorly drained Glossaqualfs (Caddo series) and Paleudults (Beauregard series) are dominant in Louisiana. Poorly drained Glossaqualfs (Waller, Wrightsville, Guyton, Aldine, and Ozan series) are in depressions. Moderately well drained Paleudults (Malbis series) and well drained Paleudults (Ruston series) are on some of the higher ridges. Fluvaquents (Mantachie series), Eutrochrepts (Marietta series), Haplaquepts (Urbo series), and Glossaqualfs (Guyton series) are on the bottom land of the streams. The entire area is underlain by unconsolidated sediments.
Potential natural vegetation: This area supports pine-hardwood forest vegetation characterized by longleaf pine. Sweetgum, blackgum, post oak, blackjack oak, and southern red oak are the principal hardwood species. Hawthorns, myrtle, and shining sumac make up the woody understory. Mid and tall grasses are dominant in open areas. Little bluestem, pinhole bluestem, big bluestem, switchgrass, and indiangrass are the principal grasses. Longleaf uniola, Virginia wildrye, Florida paspalum, beaked panicum, and several low-growing panicums and paspalums are the principal grasses in shady areas. Lespedezas, tickclovers, wildbeans, and several composites constitute the principal forbs of the area.
(From "Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United
States". United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service
Handbook 296. Dec. 1981. page 111 - 112.)