Restoration Project
Huisache is the most problematic brush species on the ranch. Some local ranchers claim that huisache was never a problem until cattle from South Texas were introduced on the ranch many years ago. Huisache seeds from the digestive tracts of these cattle were deposited over large areas and eventually germinated, emerged and became well-established trees.
Restoration Site
Figure 1.
In summer of 2020, a Landowner Incentive Program Grant of nearly $29,000 was obtained from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, for native prairie restoration on about 245 acres near the northern boundary of the ranch. The main goal was to reduce the canopy cover of huisache from 80% to approximately 30% by mechanically grubbing (Figure 1).
Figure 2.
This site contains Fourmile Creek, which flows into the Dry Comal River which is part of the Guadalupe River Watershed. The project was initiated on July 3, 2020, and completed on August 31, 2020. Prior to huisache control, four, 20 x 50 meter study plots were established to measure pre and post-treatment vegetation species composition and cover (Figure 2).
Students and faculty from Texas Lutheran University conducted all data collection beginning in July 2019, then continued in fall, spring and summer thereafter. Data collection will be conducted for two years post-treatment. The density of huisache on this site was one of the highest on the ranch at 864 plants per acre, as measured by researchers from Texas A&M University.
The cost of mechanically grubbing and piling huisache was approximately $450 per acre. Currently, the regrowth of huisache from severed roots and seeds must be treated with an herbicide. This maintains the open character of the land and protect the financial investment.
Pre-treatment density of huisache was estimated by researchers from Texas A&M University in May 2017 to be approximately 850 plants per acre (Figure 3). The canopy cover of huisache was reduced from approximately 80% to 30%, by leaving wildlife corridors and creek buffers. A grubbing implement attached to a track excavator was used to extract huisache plants (Figure 4). Extracted huisache plants were stacked with a rake mounted on a bulldozer to minimize ground disturbance and soil accumulation in the stacked piles (Figure 5).
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
A drone was used to document estimated huisache canopy cover for each study plot, as well as the overall project site (Figure 6). Total cost for the project was $58,396.