LARGE SCALE RESTORATION OF NORTHERN BOBWHITE HABITAT ON A RANGELAND DOMINATED BY NON-NATIVE GRASSES
Matthew N. Wojda1, Timothy E. Fulbright1, Fidel Hernández1,
David B. Wester1, Eric D. Grahmann1, Forrest Smith1, Mike
Hehman2
1Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA2Hixon Ranch, Cotulla, TX 78014, USA
The Problem
• Non-native invasive grasses• Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare)
• Old World bluestems (Dicanthium annulatum,
Bothriochloa ischaemum var. songarica)
• Competition with native plants
• Adverse effects on native wildlife
Restoration Area
● La Salle County, Texas
● ~270 acres in size
● Long term disturbance
● Unknown if buffelgrass was sown
Pilot Studies
● Pilot studies were done from 2008-2013
● Conducted experiments using many different
combinations of herbicide, disking, burning,
mowing, and planting native seeds.
Restoration Techniques
• Prescribed burn• To remove standing crop
• Remove unwanted brush• Some mesquite motts were left for thermal and
predator cover
• Repeatedly disk • Every major rain event with non-native grass growth
• Until seed bank is depleted of non-native grass
seeds
Restoration Techniques
• Seed restoration area• Use native seeds that are ecotypic to the planting
site
• Use a wide variety of species to protect against
future non-native invasions as well as changes in
climate
• Plant woody plants/cacti• Provides cover for wildlife species, specifically for
thermal and predator cover for bobwhites
My Role
• Document the following• Vegetation community
• Soil nutrient characteristics
• Soil seed bank characteristics
• All sampling is done in restoration area as
well as a control site
Methods
• Above ground sampling methods• Daubenmire frames
• Line intersect
• Soil sampling methods• Use same transects as Daubenmire
• Seed bank sampled in two layers
• Seedling emergence
Results
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Buffelgrass Old World Blestem Lambs Quarter Plains Bristle Sand Dropseed
Co
mp
osit
ion
(%
)
Above Ground Composition
Results
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Annual Lazy Daisy Jamaican Nama Pimpernel Buffelgrass Texas Vervain
Co
mp
osit
ion
(%
)
Below Ground Composition
Results
-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
Axis1
Axis
2
AbovegroundCommunity
Emerged SeedbankCommunity
Results
-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
Axis 1
Axis
2
Dian
Urma
Spcr
Peci
Apra
Plrh
Naun
Naja
Nahi
Coti
Veha
Coti
Veha
Ceec
Soel
Crmo
Devi
Anar
Conclusions
• Above ground invasive dominance
• Suppressing native growth?
• Long term vegetative monitoring
Citations
D'Antonio, C. M., and P. M. Vitousek. 1992. Biological invasions by exotic grasses, the grass/fire cycle, and global change. Annual review of ecology and systematics, 23, 63-87.
Flanders, A. A., W.P. Kuvlesky Jr. D. C. Ruthven III, R. E. Zaiglin, R.L. Bingham, T. E. Fulbright, F. Hernandez, and L.A. Brennan. 2006. Effects of invasive exotic grasses on south Texas Rangeland breeding birds. The Auk 123:171-182.
Fulbright, T. E., K. R. Hickman, and D. G. Hewitt. 2013. Exotic grass invasion and wildlife abundance and diversity, South‐Central United States. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 37(3), 503-509.
Acknowledgements
• Dr. Timothy E. Fulbright
• Dr. Eric D. Grahmann
• Mike Hehman
• Dr. David B. Wester
• Tim and Karen Hixon
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
• Rene Barrientos