States included in the Southwest Region are : New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arizona.
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usracecaldender (8:37 AM 10 October 2014). Southwest Running Clubs. Retrieved from http://www.usracecalendar.com/southwest-states
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Wikipedia (7 October 2014 at 03:33). Southwestern United States
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_United_States
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_United_States
- The major cities in this region are:
- Phoenix Arizona
- El Paso Texas
- Albuquerque New Mexico
- Tucson Arizona
- Mesa Arizona
- The Southwest is generally a region of wide open, sparsely populated spaces, a lot of which is desert, with a few densely populated cities.
- The geography of the Southwest includes deserts, mountains, plateaus, mesas, broad basins, and plains.
- The climate in this region of the US is basically semi-arid to arid; however areas in this region with a high elevation can get very cold and receive significant snowfall.
- Some of the common types of plants found in the Southwest Region of the US include yucca plants, sagebrush, barrel cactus, and saguaro cactus.
- This region is inhabited by many different types of animals; most of which have adapted to survival in the hot dry climate that dominates the region. Examples of some of these animals include the rattlesnake, coyote, bobcat, jackrabbit, gray wolf, prairie dog, American bison, Coral snake, and Elk.
- There is a large population of Hispanic Americans living in every major city in the Southwest.
- A large number of American Indian tribes use to inhabit the southwestern United States. When Europeans arrived in the region many of these Native Americans were pushed off their land or died from the many disease brought by the European settlers. These indigenous tribes include the Apache, Comanche, Ute, Navajo, and the Hopi.
- The construction of numerous dams on the Colorado and other rivers in this region have allowed once small towns such as Phoenix Arizona and Albuquerque New Mexico to thrive and become major cities.
The Southwest is the hottest and driest region in the United States, where the availability of water has defined its landscapes, history of human settlement, and modern economy. Climate changes pose challenges for an already parched region that is expected to get hotter and, in its southern half, significantly drier. Increased heat and changes to rain and snowpack will send ripple effects throughout the region’s critical agriculture sector, affecting the lives and economies of 56 million people – a population that is expected to increase 68% by 2050, to 94 million. Severe and sustained drought will stress water sources, already over-utilized in many areas, forcing increasing competition among farmers, energy producers, urban dwellers, and plant and animal life for the region’s most precious resource.
The region’s populous coastal cities face rising sea levels, extreme high tides, and storm surges, which pose particular risks to highways, bridges, power plants, and sewage treatment plants. Climate-related challenges also increase risks to critical port cities, which handle half of the nation’s incoming shipping containers.
Agriculture, a mainstay of the regional and national economies, faces uncertainty and change. The Southwest produces more than half of the nation’s high-value specialty crops, including certain vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The severity of future impacts will depend upon the complex interaction of pests, water supply, reduced chilling periods, and more rapid changes in the seasonal timing of crop development due to projected warming and extreme events.
Climate changes will increase stress on the region’s rich diversity of plant and animal species. Widespread tree death and fires, which already have caused billions of dollars in economic losses, are projected to increase, forcing wholesale changes to forest types, landscapes, and the communities that depend on them.
Tourism and recreation, generated by the Southwest’s winding canyons, snow-capped peaks, and Pacific Ocean beaches, provide a significant economic force that also faces climate change challenges. The recreational economy will be increasingly affected by reduced streamflow and a shorter snow season, influencing everything from the ski industry to lake and river recreation.
The region’s populous coastal cities face rising sea levels, extreme high tides, and storm surges, which pose particular risks to highways, bridges, power plants, and sewage treatment plants. Climate-related challenges also increase risks to critical port cities, which handle half of the nation’s incoming shipping containers.
Agriculture, a mainstay of the regional and national economies, faces uncertainty and change. The Southwest produces more than half of the nation’s high-value specialty crops, including certain vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The severity of future impacts will depend upon the complex interaction of pests, water supply, reduced chilling periods, and more rapid changes in the seasonal timing of crop development due to projected warming and extreme events.
Climate changes will increase stress on the region’s rich diversity of plant and animal species. Widespread tree death and fires, which already have caused billions of dollars in economic losses, are projected to increase, forcing wholesale changes to forest types, landscapes, and the communities that depend on them.
Tourism and recreation, generated by the Southwest’s winding canyons, snow-capped peaks, and Pacific Ocean beaches, provide a significant economic force that also faces climate change challenges. The recreational economy will be increasingly affected by reduced streamflow and a shorter snow season, influencing everything from the ski industry to lake and river recreation.