Interior Plains Analysis

“The gentle green hills which on either hand enclosed the village, tufted here and there with magnificent trees, the village itself, straggling and wide, each cottage being far apart from its neighbors and each ornamented with flower beds and shrubberies; these with a lovely stream which would through the valley, formed, as far as my memory may be trusted, one of the most exquisite panoramas, on which it has ever been my good fortune to

Hess, D. (2011). Mcknight's Physical Geography; A Landscapes Appreciation. (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc

Most of the precipitation is around the Gulf Coastal region near Austin and Galveston Island because that is the farthest point of southeast in Texas. Most of the Great Plains will not get nearly as much rain as the Gulf Coastal region because the elevation is a bit higher. The Mountains and Basins region will get little if not no rain at all because of the elevation of that region. The population in North Central is higher than most regions because of the few major cities we have and the growing cities. The regions Gulf Coastal and Great Plains are related because the weather is alike and the population of both regions are close together. The Great Plains and the Mountains and Basins are close related because the Great Plains has big hills

The environmental issue in the Interior Plains is lumber/timber harvesting. Forest workers are cutting down trees to turn tree parts into lumber and timber.

Cole has no restrain in describing the beauty of all the elements found in the American scenery. He talks about the mountains, the sky, the streams, the sunset, waterfalls, all of which are overflowing in richness, full of magnificence, and unsurpassed by any other. For Cole the scenery and nature are subjects which must be present in the souls of every American. While he considers himself and even others underserving of “such a birthright”, he is thankful for the beauties given to us by nature. Cole suggests to his audience that the reason behind him painting natural scenes relates to the experiencing of a particular emotional response while doing so. This is a response which can only be compared to a “calm religious tone”, full of “tranquility and peace.” Witnessing the beauties of the American scenery, anywhere one goes, makes one realize how “the sublime and beautiful are bound together in an indissoluble chain. In gazing on it we feel as though a great void had been filled in our minds.” Cole places great emphasis on the importance for all members of society to learn how to cultivate “a taste for scenery.” This can be achieved by appreciating the physical beauty of nature and the ability of said beauty to provide mankind with a different perspective about life and with

The Coastal Plains of Texas is a large area that extends from the Atlantic Ocean to beyond the Rio Grande. This region can be divided into 5 distinct areas.

The major animals that live in the interior plains are wolves, mule deers, elks, antelopes and brown bears. These animals, with the exception of the wolves, feed on the vegetation that grow on the plains, which are mainly grasses. The native plant life in the interior plains consist mostly of different types of grasses, like blue stems, june grass and porcupine grass. The trees that grow in the plains include pine, spruce and fir

Turning down a sinuous two-lane road running alongside the Carmel River, they discover an Elysian plain basking beneath crystalline skies. Wildflowers stippled the orchards and quilted greenery at the base of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range.

The climate of the interior plains is continental, which basically means that the climate is relatively dry with extremely hot summers and cold winters. The weather is very diverse and may change quickly without warning. In the North of the physiographic region, the winters are long and the summers are short and cool whereas in the South, the the winters are harsh with little precipitation and long summers. Although the humid weather and the flat lands create an ideal place to grow crops like wheat and corn, the growing season itself is quite short, even in the southern region due to the lack of precipitation needed for diversified crops to flourish. The flat prairies east to the Rockies is a meeting ground for Arctic, Pacific and

The summers are warm and short. The winters are cold and long. Precipitation ranges from more than 500 mm per year in the north to less than 300 mm in the south of the Prairies. The winter mean temperatures for the coldest months vary from -9.4°C in Lethbridge and -18.3°C in Winnipeg. In contrast, the mean temperature for the warmest month in Winnipeg is 19.7°C. The grasses tend to have long roots which penetrate deep into the soil where they could find moisture. The northern edge of this ecozone marks the beginning of the transition into forest areas. Prior to agricultural settlement in the late 19th century, the Prairie ecozone was the home of millions of bison. Today, mammals of this ecozone include mule and white-tailed deer, coyote, pronghorn (south-central portion), badger, whitetail jackrabbit, Richardson's ground squirrel, northern pocket gopher and the prairie dog. Unique bird species include ferruginous hawk, greater prairie chicken, sharp-tailed grouse, American avocet, burrowing owl, great blue heron, black-billed magpie and Baltimore oriole. Plains grizzlies, swift fox and greater prairie chickens are a few of animals to disappear from the

When Stephen visits Sachi’s garden for the first time, he finds that “There were no trees, flowers, or water, only a landscape made of sand, stones, rocks, and some pale green moss . . . Sachi had created mountains from arranged rocks, surrounded by gravel and elongated stones flowing down like a rocky stream leading to a lake or the sea” (40). Unlike Matsu’s very green and tree-filled garden, Sachi’s garden is very dry, and simplistic, yet has a peculiarly admirable feeling when one is able to see the subtle details. Although it is very different from a typical garden, its components harmonize to create a new and beautiful pattern. At first, Stephen is overwhelmed by the unfamiliar concept of a dry landscape, but after taking it in, he says it is beautiful. This garden is has a fresh taste to it, leaving Stephen to decide the effect it has on him, whether it be positive or negative. When creating the garden, Sachi insisted that it should not have flowers. However, eventually, “between two large rocks grew a neat cluster of blooming flowers, startlingly beautiful, a splash of blue-purple . . . thriving among the muted, gray stones.” The way that the bright colors contrast against the dull gray shows that something unfamiliar and novel can appear beautiful in its own way. Since Sachi’s garden is filled with pebbles and stones, the dainty flowers stand out comely, and to

She became accustomed to the perception of a desert being portrayed as dull and lifeless (Being raised in Kentucky) until this trip. Throughout this scene, she expresses her fascination for nature, and uses a tone of awe and allurement while describing the attributes about the land with metaphors. This narration occurred following the first rainfall, when Mattie and Taylor decided to go to the desert. This passage which is distinctive of Kingsolver’s portrayal of the natural landscape shows her sudden awareness diverse atmospheres. By linking to the scenery to “the palm of a human hand”, the author uses the literary device of personification with the mountains and the town. Her phrase “resting in its cradle of mountains” associates the basin to a child, and the phrases “city like a palm”and“life lines and heart lines hints a grown-up. The terrain exemplifies a life from the beginning to end. Taylor describes the land my linking each attribute with lots of metaphors, which then confirms that the tone is “wonder and allurement” because it demonstrates that she is emotionally connected to the

The author utilizes words such as “flyover region that one must endure,” “easy inclines,” “square states”, and “farmable plains.” Marquart’s description characterizes the landscape as plain and dull. At the same time her diction recapitulates a landscape which is calm and serene. The upper Midwest has “easy inclines” and “farmable plains.” It is a place that is eye-catching to those who are farming, like her grandparents, who received an portion of land.

In chapter 5 of Mavericks, From Space to Territory Aritha van Herk writes about the West and its romantic appeal along with different men who were given the task of surveying and exploring the West where upon in turn they became captivated by its romantic appeal. In her writings about these men, and the West that they were tasked with “discovering”, there is a connection to regionalism, landscape and subsequently Plains identity. Regionalism refers to the unique characteristics of a geographic area, or to people’s perception and identification of that area. Landscape refers to that geographic area’s features that help form the characteristic qualities of a people in the region. Landscape also dictates how a region will develop over time. Plains identity follows as it is formed by regionalism and landscape. These three concepts can be found in van Herk’s writings in this chapter as she analyzes how people perceived the West.

California’s mild climate was one to provide great living conditions for settlers. Those in the Great Plains were used to constant and drastic changes of the weather. These changes were not gradual. One could experience blizzard, floods, earthquakes, and more in a short period of time. High and low temperatures were also record breaking. Winds were the culprits of the land that was blown away from locations. This became a frequent site as the conditions of the Dust Bowl headed down the wrong direction (“Dust Bowl Worst Weather of Century”). A settler stated, “Suddenly there appeared on the northern horizon a black blizzard, moving toward them; there was no sound, no wind, nothing but an immense boogery cloud” (Donald Worster). It has been