Historical Earthquake Records Associated with Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

Sam Houston National Forest: Mapping the Piney Woods Protected Landscape

Regional Geography of East Texas Protected Lands

Sam Houston National Forest is a 163,000-acre protected area in East Texas characterized by loblolly and shortleaf pine ridges. The geography features an intricate network of creeks, hardwood bottomlands, and designated wilderness areas like Little Lake Creek. Framed by Lake Conroe and Lake Livingston, the forest offers a complex look at Gulf Coastal Plains topography and long-standing Piney Woods ecological restoration efforts.

Area

659.82 km²

Established

1936

Relief

Lowland

Climate

Subtropical

Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve: A Texas Coastal Protected Landscape

Mapped estuarine habitats and regional coastal geography

Encompassing a unique mix of terrestrial and marine environments, Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve stands as a significant protected corridor on the Texas Coast. The landscape features deep-water bays, sheltered seagrass meadows, and open coastal prairie, offering a clear view of how riverine processes shape the complex shoreline of the western Gulf of Mexico.

Relief

Lowland

Climate

Subtropical

Access

Easy access

Scope

Mixed

Padre Island National Seashore: Protected Barrier Island Geography and Mapping

Coastal landscapes and hypersaline lagoon ecosystems in South Texas

Padre Island National Seashore serves as a critical protected landscape on the Texas Gulf Coast, characterized by seventy miles of undeveloped shoreline and the hypersaline Laguna Madre. This atlas entry provides geographic context on the barrier island terrain, including active dune fields, tidal flats, and the diverse habitats that support significant migratory bird populations and sea turtle recovery efforts.

Area

527.85 km²

Established

1962

IUCN

V

Visitors

573.3K annual

Kisatchie National Forest: Geographic Overview and Protected Landscapes in Louisiana

Mapping the state's largest expanse of protected forest and pine ecosystems.

Spanning over 600,000 acres, Kisatchie National Forest stands as the primary protected natural landscape within Louisiana. Its terrain ranges from ancient upland pine formations and sandstone ridges to complex hardwood bottoms and cypress-tupelo swamps. This area serves as a vital anchor for regional biodiversity, protecting rare hillside seepage bogs and calcareous prairies that have largely vanished from the surrounding southern landscape.

Area

2,440 km²

Established

1930

Relief

Upland

Climate

Subtropical

Kisatchie Hills Wilderness: Exploring Louisiana's Rugged Backcountry Protected Landscapes

Upland forest geography and preserved ridge terrain in Louisiana.

Kisatchie Hills Wilderness serves as a rare example of elevated, rugged terrain in Louisiana, offering a protected backcountry environment far removed from coastal marshes. This area provides a specialized map of forest-clad hills, ravines, and clear stream crossings that define a unique regional geography for those tracing Louisiana's diverse natural features.

Area

35.21 km²

Established

1980

IUCN

Ib

Relief

Upland

Homochitto National Forest: Mapping the Protected Landscapes of Southwestern Mississippi

Regional forest geography and landscape documentation.

Investigate the unique landscape of Homochitto National Forest, an extensive protected area in Mississippi defined by its loess-country topography and managed pine forests. This entry provides essential mapping context and geographic data for those examining the role of this forest within the broader Southeastern United States ecological network and its CCC-rooted heritage.

Area

776.34 km²

Established

1936

Relief

Upland

Scope

Terrestrial

Laguna Madre Wildlife Reserve: Geography and Protected Coastal Landscapes of Tamaulipas

Mapping the hypersaline lagoons and barrier island chains of Mexico

Laguna Madre represents a singular coastal ecosystem characterized by its extreme salinity, expansive seagrass meadows, and sheltered barrier island configuration. As a vital protected wetland, the area serves as a primary migratory flyway and habitat for diverse shorebirds and sea turtles, revealing a distinct arid coastal landscape along the Tamaulipas shore.

Area

5,728.08 km²

Established

2005

IUCN

VI

Relief

Lowland

Gulf Islands National Seashore: Mapped Landscapes and Protected Coastal Geography

Coastal terrain across Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Spanning diverse units across the Gulf Coast, Gulf Islands National Seashore preserves dynamic barrier islands and mainland reserves. This geographic profile traces the quartz-sand beaches, maritime ecosystems, and historic defense networks that form this protected landscape, providing context on its unique geologic and environmental evolution.

Area

548.179 km²

Established

1971

IUCN

V

Visitors

8.3M annual