what factor most influenced the food and housing available to native American groups living on the Pacific coast and in the Southwest

Environmental Factor

Explanation:

The environmental factors like weather, rainfall, vegetation, etc affected the food and housing of the Native Americans in the Pacific coast and Southwest.

The environment is arid and droughts are common.

In the Southwest, the soil is relatively fertile despite the decrease in moisture content and coarse texture of the soil.

Residents are found along waterways and some areas major in irrigation system of farming due to low rainfall.

Proximity to water affected the people's culture in both farming and hunting.

Most groups of the Southwest were able to cope with the desert environment. As a result of that, they occupied sites on waterways. These groups relied on agriculture for food. Where there are limited access to waterways, others relied on wild foods during each year.

Some of the crops cultivated were corn, beans, squash and cotton.

Some groups lived in riverside hamlets with houses constructed of log frameworks covered with sand and brush.

In the upland areas, houses were dome-shaped with walls and roofs of wattle-and-daub or thatch.

Those in summer residences used lean-tos and windbreaks as shelter during the rest of the year.

Environmental factor

Explanation:

Environmental factor greatly influenced the food and housing available to native American groups living on the Pacific coast and in the Southwest, in the sense that, environmental factor has effects on the vegetation and weathers, most especially a excessive winter, which can affects agriculture.

Hence, the Native Americans in this area, built their houses near rivers, as the rivers serves as the main source of food, such as salmon, sea mammal, shellfish, and other types of fish abundant in the area.

The nature of their environment also influenced them to favour planting of crops or agricultural practices that can survive in areas full of rivers and streams.

Also, their housing style was mostly influenced by the environmental factors as they build their houses with timber, and characterized with ridgepoles, huge cedar poles containimg side beams for structural support, with a framework in which the wall and roof materials can easily be removed and transported from one location to another if needs be, most especially during water erosion.