Final answer:
The Great Plains of Texas are drier with less productive soil, leading to wheat cultivation, while the Coastal Plains have more diverse agriculture due to humid climate and richer soils. The Dust Bowl highlighted the Great Plains' ecological fragility, which did not affect the Coastal Plains similarly.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Great Plains of Texas differ from the Coastal Plains in several significant ways. The Great Plains are characterized by their flat to rolling terrain, primarily composed of prairie and steppe ecosystems with soils that are less productive than those of the tallgrass prairies. These soils are the result of the region's dry climate which inhibits plant growth and reduces the decomposition process that enriches the soil. Consequently, farming practices in the Great Plains generally include planting wheat, which is better suited to the drier conditions west of the 100th meridian.
Contrastingly, the Coastal Plains feature sedimentary soils accumulated from marine environments, with a more humid climate due to proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. This results in more diverse and productive agricultural opportunities, and the presence of more lush and varied vegetation as compared to the Great Plains. Furthermore, the Coastal Plains were an area of more stable settlement and utilization of natural resources due to the abundance of water and the variety of plant and animal life.
The Dust Bowl dramatically showcased the vulnerability of the Great Plains where over-farming and drought led to significant soil erosion and ecological disaster. In contrast, the Coastal Plains did not face such a crisis due to their more resilient and rich ecological conditions.