Chapter 10: Southern Coastlands: On The Subtropical Margin

Finally, a chapter that directly relates to Florida!

For those of you who don't know what the Southern Coastlands consist of, here is a highlighted on the US map to give you a general idea.

 Source of picture: http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/GEO/



The Southern Coastlands is a humid, subtropical place that appeals to many visitors and attracts new residents regularly.

Key west, which is located in the Florida Keys, is the southernmost point, and it lies only 60 miles from the tropic of cancer.

The Following is an image of the Florida Keys:

 

Source of Image: http://www.findrentals.com

When it comes to agriculture in Florida, what is one of the first things that come to mind? You guessed it! Sweet, sweet citrus! As our textbook states, out of the seven major citrus fruits grown in Florida, oranges and grapefruit are the most important. In fact, in 1997, production reached up to 10 million tons. 

Image of Citrus Grove in Centeral Florida. Source: www.Fao.org

Florida's central highlights which lie about 30 to 46 meters above sea level, are under land by sandy soils with moderately poor to very poor water-retention capacity. 

Above is an image to help you better understand irrigation.

Citrus and vegetable growing areas yield annual output as much as ten times more valuable when crops are irrigated than when precipitation is the sole source of moisture.

Additional Sources:

-http://www.fws.gov/pacific
-Course Text (Regional Landscapes of United States and Canada 7th edition)