Chapter 12

The Great Plains and Prairies

The warm, moist air masses this area experiences from the south and cool, dry air from the north uninterrupted as they cross the treeless level causes extreme weather. Contrasting air masses clash and create thunderstorms and tornadoes. Louisiana also experiences similar extreme weather in the form of hurricanes and tornadoes.

 

March 2011, Rayne, Louisiana was hit by an EF2 (Enhanced Fujita scale rates the strength of tornadoes). The wind speed of an EF2 tornado has an estimated wind speed of 111 to 135 mph and it is classified as strong. 

Louisiana is the third largest producer of petroleum and supplies just over one-quarter of natural gas in the U.S. Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas are leading suppliers of natural gas and petroleum. Wyoming is also a major petroleum producer. Louisiana is not a major producer of cattle, wheat and sorghum like the states in the Great Plains and Prairies.

Sources:

http://blog.vivint.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/TornadoAlertsMappart11.jpg

http://media.nola.com/tpphotos/photo/9355490-large.jpg

http://doa.louisiana.gov/about_economy.htm

http://futurespress.com/imgndoc/LAF/Wheat%20-%20Regions.jpg

http://bioweb.sungrant.org/NR/rdonlyres/0BFF1FE5-E340-43B6-9CE3-B301465C913E/0/MiscFig5Sorghum.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywafhUZWmMEdV8ITcyJ1KEeQ_W6gkCw4yyE9JGduVRW9L2GGZMCsjuV8TodAC877n8IQnNtFBxGyWz2fJyHHVvpRjdpAZVAbxddp2fEukAWi-zjrUzki3D08W2ABX1M9rJahYFM7wMw0/s400/US+top+10+Beef+Cow+states.JPG

Chapter 11

The Agricultural Core

From the Appalachians to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic, the agricultural core makes up small-town rural America. The Agricultural core experiences more rainfall and the air is humid, much like Louisiana.

Louisiana and the Agricultural core benefit from the corn-soybean rotations down to 2 years from 3 & 4 year rotations. While the Agricultural core is the prime source for corn production, Louisiana yields 140 bushels per acre and the Agricultural core yields approximately 145 bushels per acre in 2010 according to the USDA. Soybean yields per acre in the Agricultural core were 42 per acre and 41 per acre in Louisiana in 2010.

Sources:
http://www.usda.gov/nass/PUBS/TODAYRPT/crop0911.txt

http://georgiamagazine.com/anonymous/upload/Gardens0304_Soybeans.jpg
http://kansasgrains.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/cornfield.jpg

Chapter 10

The Southern Coastlands: On The Subtropical Margin

The Southern Coastlands span from Texas (Rio Grande river) to North Carolina. The warm waters from the Gulf of Mexico gives the region a subtropical environment. Southern Louisiana's cities: Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Houma and New Orleans are part of the subtropical coastlands. Mild winter temperatures, hot summers, abundant precipitation and a long growing season (average 10 months) are an integral part of agriculture.

Louisiana and the other southern coastlands have been the most vulnerable places that have experienced hurricanes. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the second deadliest hurricane to hit Louisiana. 2,000 people died in the 1893 Number 10 hurricane. There were 1,577 deaths and $81 billion in damages from Hurricane Katrina. 

In 2010, Louisiana was the third largest exporter of rice ($333M). Sugarcane, soybeans and corn are other top crops. Louisiana is also a leading petroleum production state. It is the third petroleum producer and the second natural gas producer in the United States.

Sources:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vSdXlK7AH8Y/Ts_7bJ5ju6I/AAAAAAAAAEs/PSDFPAdy8NE/s1600/Southern+Coastlands+map.jpg

Regional Landscapes of the United States and Canada. Birdsall, Stephen; Palka, Eugene; Malinowski, Jon; Price, Margo.

http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/lahur.pdf

http://www.planetdiary.com/jpeg05/katrina3.jpg