Evaluating Landscape Health

By: Joyce Moore, Senior Wildlife Biologist

Texas Parks & Wildlife field biologists respond daily to requests for habitat-based technical guidance on private lands. With 10 major ecological regions represented, the Texas landscape is a lesson in biological diversity. Each property has its own unique story to tell. Recognizing and understanding how current and historical land use practices have shaped the habitat often dictate whether future goals will be achievable.

Plant diversity equates to habitat diversity. Seeing how your land stacks up requires a current vegetative inventory.  Such inventories identify the variety & abundance of both herbaceous and woody plants on a property. Deep-rooted woody browse in the form of low-growing and mid-story shrubs form the basis for this diversity. They provide year-round forage along with critical structure and escape cover. Because shrubs are perennial, they are less rainfall-dependent and can survive extreme weather fluctuations. Similarly, ground-level herbaceous growth in the form of native forbs & bunchgrasses also provide important nesting/fawning cover, and they have the added benefit of soil temperature regulation and increased water filtration. When managed simultaneously, both vegetation types can greatly improve the “habitability” or carrying capacity of a property.

One of the simplest ways to assess herbaceous habitat health is by taking a quick look down a neighboring fenceline. Doing so often highlights differing management strategies, both positive and negative. While native bunchgrass clumps provide forage for livestock and nesting cover for wildlife, they also offer tremendous water and soil-holding capabilities. Healthy bunchgrass communities allow successful aquifer recharge by slowing water runoff and minimizing soil erosion. Excessive or uncontrolled grazing is counterproductive to most wildlife management programs with both species diversity and height compromised. Conservative stocking rates combined with timely pasture rotation should therefore be a major consideration when managing a pasture for both livestock and wildlife.

Although woody browse is considered the most dependable source of forage available for wildlife, it also provides important structural diversity. For a habitat to be considered healthy, multi-level woody regeneration should be present in the understory. Browse Surveys, or Stem Counts, measure degree of use on woody plants to a height of 5ft. Light to moderate use of this shrub layer is generally compatible with good livestock and wildlife production, and good ecosystem health. Conversely, excessive browsing use in this area reduces plant vigor and land productivity over the long-term and can diminish the effectiveness of a management program. To combat habitat overuse, make every effort to control animal numbers and allow a percentage of less-preferred browse to remain on the landscape to act as protection for highly preferred regenerating woody species.

Biologists and land managers can use these simple strategies to assess wildlife habitats through observation and monitoring of habitat changes over time. Learn to identify key browse and herbaceous species on your land. Learn to identify the signs of habitat overuse, and then take measures to address the situation. For more information on learning how to Read the Land, schedule a site visit with your local TPWD Biologist.

From the Field: Prescribed Fire – Planning for Success

By: Blake Hendon, Wildlife Biologist - Blanco, Hays, & Travis Counties

“Climate, soils, landforms, plants, animals, microbes, fire and the historical as well as the current interactions of these components, all contribute to the landscapes we observe today.” – Smeins et al., 2005*

Fires have occurred over time at varying locations, frequencies, and intensities, shaping the ecosystem function and structure of the Texas Hill Country. When we suppress fire, we can’t expect future landscapes to resemble those of the past. If historic landscapes are desired, then fire is a necessary part of the management equation.  

Prescribed fires are planned and implemented to mimic a natural fire cycle, thereby maintaining essential ecological interactions. Prescribed fire can be defined as the thoughtful and skillful application of fire to a specific area under selected conditions to accomplish specific land management objectives. Common objectives for using prescribed fire include maintenance and restoration of native plant communities, reduction of woody plant growth, improvement of wildlife habitat quality, and mitigation of wildfire risks.

What information is needed and how do you plan for a prescribed fire? Common steps include:

• Develop measurable objectives that the fire should accomplish.
• Develop an appropriate fire prescription (season, weather, intensity, etc.) to meet objectives.
• Coordinate with neighbors, municipalities, agencies, and land management partners.
• Compile information into a site-specific burn plan.
• Organize a crew and appropriate equipment.

Don’t neglect that first step. Having measurable objectives will be important for measuring whether your efforts have been successful. Key questions include: What do you want your property to look like in the future? How do you know what your property should look like? Is fire appropriate for all areas of your property? Your local TPWD biologist can help you address these questions.

Click here for additional info on planning & implementing prescribed fire.

Food Plots

By: Kirby Evelo, Wildlife Biologist - E. Lampasas & Correll

Food plots are just one of the many habitat practices landowners can implement on the landscape to manage for wildlife. Typically, land managers plant food plots for two reasons: as a supplemental food source and or to increase hunting opportunities. Along with the goals for the ranch, the type of food plot can be influenced by seasonality, equipment requirements, associated costs, and available time.

There are two main periods in which food plots are planted: spring and fall. Fall plots provide alternative food sources at a time when native vegetation may be sparse as the seasons change. Spring plots, while potentially riskier due to sporadic rainfalls, can provide great benefit to wildlife during critical time periods including fawning and nesting season.

While the most common tools for creating a wildlife food plot is the plow and drill, there are other ways food plots can be generated. In the same way that a plow disturbs and prepares the soil bed for planting, other types of disturbance can initiate a response from the native seeds in the soil bank, creating a “native food plot”. Management practices such as prescribed fire, concentrated grazing, and fallow disking are just a few types of disturbance land managers can put into effect to create food plots for wildlife. Contrary to traditional planting, these disturbances promote native plant diversity, making those food plots ideal for a wide range of wildlife species. 

Hunters Can Assist with CWD Sampling this Deer Season

By: Ben Olsen, Wildlife Health Specialist

As the fall hunting season gears up, TPWD asks that Texans be aware of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) as a threat to Texas deer. CWD is a highly transmissible, fatal neurological disease that impacts our white-tailed, mule deer, elk and some exotic deer species. The disease has a long incubation period before clinical symptoms appear during late stages and is ultimately 100% fatal. During this incubation period, infected deer can spread CWD to other deer. If not managed, CWD could have devastating, long-term impacts on Texas’ beloved white-tailed and mule deer.

Hunters can assist TPWD with managing CWD in two ways:

1. The testing of deer and other susceptible species for CWD allows biologists to get a clearer picture of the prevalence and distribution of the disease across Texas. Hunters interested in having their deer sampled can contact their local wildlife biologist to make arrangements for free testing if you are not in a CWD zone. If a hunter is located within a CWD zone, they can go to the nearest designated CWD check station. To see if your hunting location is in a CWD zone, see the CWD zone map.
2. Additionally, hunters are encouraged to consider proper carcass disposal to reduce the risk of spreading the disease. Hunters or persons receiving deer carcasses are strongly encouraged to dispose of inedible carcass parts at the site of harvest, preferably buried, or with trash that will go to a landfill.

You can learn more about CWD by visiting the TPWD CWD website.