native habitat restoration in the lower rio grande valley, texas
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Native Habitat Restoration In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Anthony D. Falk *Masters candidate, Texas A&M University Kingsville, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Kingsville, TX. 78363 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Native Habitat Restoration In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Anthony D. Falk *Masters candidate, Texas A&M University Kingsville, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Kingsville, TX. 78363
Forrest Smith Coordinator, South Texas Natives, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Kingsville, TX. 78363
Timothy Fulbright Regents Professor, Texas A&M University Kingsville, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Kingsville, TX. 78363
Stephen Benn Urban Biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife 154B Lakeview Dr. Weslaco, TX. 78596
Introduction• Millions of acres lost to non-native species
annually– Detrimental to wildlife
• With the costs of productive wildlife habitat ↑ there is an ↑ in the need for restoration
Goal
• Planting a diverse mix of locally adapted native species would produce a native prairie– Prevent invasion from non-native species
• Areas that were seeded would have higher species diversity and more suitable bunch grass clumps for nesting
Site Description
• Temperature averages 23 C • 65 cm rain annually however highly variable• Harlingen Clay • South Texas Plains ecoregion• Previously managed for White wing dove and
Bobwhite quail • agricultural production
Methods
• Control– Nothing done
• Prepared– trees removed, mowed, disked, moldboard
plowed, disked, leveled • Prepared and seeded– trees removed, mowed, disked, moldboard
plowed, disked, leveled, seeded with a Truax™ seed drill and a tube spreader
Seed mix
• Seed mix made up of 31 locally adapted– Seeded according to NRCS rangeland guidelines
• 8:2 ratio of grasses to forbs• Even distribution of succesional groups• Developed to completely repopulate seed
bank• All land preparation and seeding was
completed in March 2008
Vegetation Sampling
• 20 cm X 50 cm frame• 1m belted transects• Estimate suitable bunch
grass clumps• ≥25.4cm x ≥25.4cm
Statistical Analysis
• Experiment is a Randomized Complete block design with 4 blocks
• Analyzed using repeated measures analysis SAS 9.1
• α ≤0.05• Independent variable– Treatment and Time
• Dependent variable– Cover
Results• Establishment of 83% planted species
• Several species have increased – Slender Grama (Bouteloua repens) – Plain Bristle Grass (Setaria spp.)
• Establishment of several species that were ≤1% of the seed mix
Results• Mean of 3,457suitable bunchgrass clumps/ha
in seeded treatments• 0 in control and prepared treatments
Treatment
Control Prepared Seeded
Mea
n #
of S
peci
es/
2 ha
0
5
10
15
20
25
30Mean Species Richness
A
A
BP = 0.0012
Sample Date
oct. 08 jan. 09 Mar. 09 Jun. 09 Aug. 09 Oct. 09
% C
over
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Mean % Cover of Perennial Native Species in each Treatment for each Sample Date
Legend
Control PreparedSeeded
Time*Treatment P= 0.0091
Sample Date
oct. 08 jan. 09 Mar. 09 Jun. 09 Aug. 09 Oct. 09
% C
over
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Mean % Cover of Perennial Non-Native Species in each Treatment for each Sample Date
Legend
Control
Prepared
Seeded
Time*Treatment P < 0.0001
Discussion
• Without seed any disturbance will end up as a non-native community
• Little native seed bank – Nothing left to fill the void– Can not compete
• Creates simplified plant community
Discussion
• Planting a diverse mix of native species prevents non-native species from establishing
• A diverse mix competes with non-natives– Provides good early competition– Provides year round competition– Potentially fills all available
• Falls within the published limits for quality nesting habitat– ≥730 nest clumps/ha
• Prepared and controls treatments have higher non-native species cover
• Only one part of the quail equation
Conclusions
• Are able to get native species established• Increase the species richness• Planting appears to prevent invasion• Able to produce suitable nesting habitat
For The Future
• Continued monitoring of this project• Adding management– Herbicide – Grazing– Burning
Acknowledgements
• Texas Parks and Wildlife• South Texas Natives• South Texas Chapter Quail Unlimited• Everyone that helped with data collection• Coauthors and committee members
Questions ?