BUTLER/CUNNINGHAM

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Level 2

AL Ag Facts:

Geography

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Alabama geography, geology, physiography, and climate can be introduced through a series of clear maps, primarily from the University of Alabama series of maps on Alabama (see Handy Sites for the addresses). The topics are pretty much indicated by the labels on the buttons to the left. You need Adobe Acrobat (or other PDF reader) to view most of these maps.

Notice that Alabama mostly has poor, weathered soils, called "ultisols" in scientific terms, or "red clay" in common terms. In the north, it has sandy soils. Both types also do not support competitive agriculture. The best soils are found in the "Black Belt" and near Huntsville. See US Ag Facts for more information about soils.

Notice that there is almost four months difference in the average dates of last frost frm the north of the state to the south of the state. This kind of variability within the state also indicates variability at any one point in the state. It is hard to plan ahead, and to carry out competitive agriculture, with this much variability in a factor as basic as temperature. Even though Alabama has a longer than average growing season, this additional length is not more useful than the shorter but more reliable growing season of the Midwest.

Other factors, such as rainfall and damaging storms, show similar variability, and have a similar hard impact on the ability to plan and to carry out competitive agriculture.

Physical factors, together with major vegetation (forest) types, produce ecological types or ecological zones. The US EPA has created maps of the ecological zones of Alabama. The first map is of the major ecological zones, the Type 3 level. The second map is a of more detailed Type and Type 4 ecological zones.

Alabama divides into three large ecological zones:

1. Northern hill and valley, warm temperate, fairly high rainfall, similar to the Applachian region.

2. Large central plain; semi-tropical, hot, with high rainfall.

3. A belt along the coast that is nearly tropical, hot, with even higher rainfall.

All the zones suffer from extreme weather and poor soils, except for a small zone in the middle of the central plain with prairie-like dark soils (the "black belt").

All three major zones have considerable variability in them because of local differences in elevation, temperature, water holding capacity, and, especially soil type derived from underlying geology. Some of the variability is evident in the map of Level 4 Ecoregions.