The Houston, Texas metroplex and 24 surrounding counties possess striking natural beauty, unique biodiversity, and globally important ecological resources.
This book highlights the variety, cultural importance, and global value of the natural environment found within the Houston Wilderness project area. Written by a consortium of authors in conjunction with the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) and Houston Wilderness, the "Houston Atlas of Biodiversity" focuses on habitats, animal and plant communities, and broad multi-county ecoregions. It demonstrates how local parks and preserves are part of an interconnected, diverse natural world that transcends traditional city or county jurisdictions. The atlas details each of the ten ecoregions in the Houston Wilderness area: Bayou Wilderness, Big Thicket, Coastal Marshes, Coastal Prairies, Columbia Bottomlands, Estuaries and Bays, Gulf of Mexico, Piney Woods, and Trinity Bottomlands.