Download Columbian Plateau

Columbian Plateau
Alex Purdy, Emily Crowe, Michael
Aflleje
The Columbian Plateau
• The Columbian
Plateau is the largest
ecoregion in the
state. It is located
in eastern
Washington (#10)
Abiotic Factors
• Climate-The Columbian Plateau is inside of the rain shadow created by the Cascade
Mountain range, making this ecoregion the hottest and driest part of Washington state,
with less than 10 inches of annual precipitation in the driest locations and an average of
15 inches of annual precipitation. Summers are extremely hot and dry, with
temperatures around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and winters are cold and cloudy.
• Landforms-Palouse Hills, Channeled Scablands, the Pasco Basin, the Yakima Fold Hills
• Soil-Soil in the Columbian plateau region contains loess, an element of the soil that
makes the Columbian plateau one of the world's most productive wheat-producing
regions. The loess was deposited in the soil thousands of years ago when glaciers
scoured volcanic rock into fine silt. The glaciers retreating deposited this silt into the soil,
making it rich with nutrients.
•
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Hydrology Water is the most limiting factor for agriculture in the Columbian Plateau. The
richness of the soil accounts for the lack of rainfall in the region, making irrigation vital
for agriculture in this region.
Biotic Factors
• PlantsBluebunch Wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata)
Endemic to the area. The roots of the grass have a waxy layer that helps it
resist desiccation (extreme dryness) in dry soils
Indian Ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides)
Endemic to the area, adapted to grow in sand and clay.
• AnimalsChinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Have the ability to feed on insects when young.
Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
Develop a red belly when matured enough to mate.
Ecosystems
• The arid sagebrush steppe and grasslands of
the region are flanked by moister,
predominantly forested, mountainous
ecoregions on all sides.
• The Columbian river runs through the
Columbian plateau
Tourism
Davenport- Figge Art Museum, German American Heritage Center, Vander Veer
Botanical Park
Kennewick sailing, boating, waterskiing, swimming, fishing, windsurfing, bicycling,
bowling, hunting and outdoor sports
Moses Lake Potholes State Park, House of Poverty Museum
Pasco Franklin County Historical Society, Sacajawea State Park, Wahluke Slope
Pullman Washington State University, Kamiak Butte, Airway Hills Miniature Golf
Richland Hanford Nuclear Reservation, Barnard Griffin Winery, Bookwalter Winery
Spokane Manito Park, Green Bluff, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
Walla Walla Walla Walla Vintners, Gramercy Cellars, Wine Valley Golf Course
Yakima- hops, wine, apples, hiking, wine tasting, skiing, wildlife viewing
Goldendale Maryhill Winery, Maryhill Museum of Art, Goldendale Observatory
State Park
Threats and Issues
• Faces contamination from:
-Pesticides, herbicides, and other agricultural
chemicals
-Industrial effluents from pulp mills and aluminum
plants
-Radioactive wastes from the Hanford Reserve
• Salmon runs have declined to less than a tenth of
their former size due to the effects of dams,
diversions, over-fishing and upland habitat degration.
Conservation
•The CPCRC conducts research on soil and water conservation
issues in the Columbia Plateau and related land resource
areas.
Cites
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http://birdweb.org/birdweb/ecoregion/columbia_plateau
http://www.landscope.org/washington/natural_geography/ecoregions/columbia_
plateau/landforms/
http://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/summer-2005/blessed-soil-and-preciouslittle-water
http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=53-56-00-00
http://www.landscope.org/washington/natural_geography/ecoregions/columbia_
plateau/Impact/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Plateau_(ecoregion)