forest communities of the texas hill country

Forest Communities

of the Hill Country& Forest Health Issues

Susan M. Sanderrainlilyhc@omniglobal.net2012

Where in the world…?

Location, Location, Location 30o N, 99o W

Balcones Canyonlands

EP woodlands

Nueces alluvial plains

The Texas Hill Country – 24 million acres of variety!

76.3-78.6 F

73-76.3 F

78.6-81.6F 53.7-58F

50-53.7F

45.6-50F

29”

31”

33”

27”

25”

35”

23”

Local ground truth….

Elevations ranges2,400’ – 1,400’ (drops 100’/mile)

Soils - limestone based Or granite (Llano Uplift)

Soil organic horizon is THIN.

A sign of what’s to come?

Our present landscape was shaped over time

Things get a little tricky when we try to answer the questions:What was the landscape of the Hill Country pre-1492?What was it before (17,000 years ago)?What is native?

Edwards PlateauBiome:Meeting zone

Cottonwood Baldcypress Basswood

Little WalnutCedar Elm

BT Maple Texas Mulberry TX Mountainlaurel

Greggs Acacia

Dwarf Palmetto

Rare as a result of locale

Blanco Crapapple Am Smoketree Kidneywood

GBLT TX MadroneLacey Oak SL Snowbell

Witness/Bearing Trees – historic records

40% Live oak (40”); 33% post >1% pecans 30-55”

1840s saw the earnest arrival ofEuropean settlers…

Historic records: 5% witness trees10’ DBH (85-90”)shingle camp 1848 (Kendall County)1852 Joshua Brown1875 C.Hugo Claus, 1875

County sq mi 1850 1860 1870 1880 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1960 est 2001BANDERA 1853 793 people 2,158 5,332 4,001 3,784 4,234 18,553 cattle 4,740 9,471 15,308 3,784 goats 73,853 128,950 sheep 32,974 42,247 89,594

BLANCO Sp 1700s 714 people y1854 1,218 1,187 4,649 4,703 4,311 4,063 3,842 4,264 8,767 cattle 17,179 2,200 31,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 goats 789 13,780 81,500 sheep 19,000 3,000 19,000 30,000 9,685 71,000 40,000

GILLESPIE 1846> 1,061 people 1,235 10,015 11,020 21,280 goats 81,566

KERR 1854>1856 1,107 people 634 1,042 2,108 5,000 5,505 5,842 10,151 44,558 cattle 4,000 56,000 goats 4,653 63,508 160,000 82,274 sheep 1,100 15,504 37,115 154,468

KENDALL 1840s> people 1,536 2,765 4,103 5,080 24,869 cattle 20,000 goats 2,048 13,626 sheep intro 4,293 16,259 8,600

EDWARDS & goats 207,990 2,044 REAL 1856 622 people 1,461 2,420 3,083 cattle 6,000 2,862 goats 103,000 137,000 sheep 18,300 39,350

Co dates of 1st settlements 1st US Census 1887 RR: SA to Kerrv WWI needs help wool & mohair economy>incorporation camels to Camp Verde autos & bridges Intro of exotic game: many naturalize

Civil War & secession issues by 2000: 100,000 animals, 45 sp1950s droughts

1970s I-10Source: Handbook of Texas-Online <www.tsha.uteas.edu/handbook/online/index.new.html

1940: Kerr Co - 160,000 goats & 154,468 sheep1960: Edwards Co – 207,990 goats

The setters brought their livestock….

So after 170 years of land-usewhat do we have?

Savannahs

Little slope/drainage Upland plateaus often

Adobe soils (red clay) Exposed to sun & wind Land use is ranch Historic grassland,

stunted oaks

Savannah is a mosiac of open grasslands dotted with motts of trees.

Agent of Change: FIRE & Grazing

Ecotone Diversity

Woodland edges provide shelter belts for wildlife.

Layers accommodatedifferent species/ages.

Woody species

Texas Persimmon Champion Honey Mesquite

Brush control:• Prickly Pear• Agarita

Upland trees:

* Pinyon Pine Shin Oak (shinnery)

Blackjack Oak

* Blanco Crabapple

Post Oak

* American Smoketree

Former national champion

Landmark (Plateau Live) Oak, Quercus fusiformis, Rio Frio, Texas

..

.

Canyonlands Elevation Rugged slopes

(aspect) Little soil Fast drainage Cooler, more moist

Enchanted Rock/ Llano Uplift

Life between a rock and a very hard place.

Ashe Juniper – a Texas native.

Adaptations:• Drought tolerant• Thrives on

limestone• Disease free• Insect proof• Wood rot-resistant • Doesn’t resprout

like Red-berry juniper

Historic accounts: 25’ x 1.5’ 1828 Berlandier: dense “cedar brakes1853 – Bennett (6 miles)

Cedar & Rain

The Good SideA natural resource since settlement 1870s –fences, telegraph poles

• Today oil used for perfume.• Sawdust mixed with recycled

plastic for lumber.

Golden-cheeked Warbler: nesting material

* Nursery tree for hardwoods.

Canyon Trees: unique mix

* YellowBuckeye

<* Escarpment Black-cherry

* Big-toothed Maple

* Texas Red Oak

* Witch-Hazel

* Texas Madrone* Texas Snowbell * Canyon Mock-orange

<* Lacey (Blue) Oak

“The Riparian Zonecomprises those areas near the river channel that affect that channel and are affected by it.”

~ Luna Leopold

Baldcypress, Concan (a wall of wood)

* Dwarf Palmetto, Honey Creek

Floodplain Agents of change:

frequent, long droughts punctuated by flash floods

Floods cause water and debris damage

Trees help dissipate flood water energy, trap sediment

Scouring of soil back to gravel favored by pioneer plants.

Castor Bean

Watershed impacts show up in floodplain, particularly non-natives.

Elephant Ears

Floating downstream on floods to new ground.60+ species!

Different banks, Different bottoms,Different water depth = Different plant associations.

Moisture loving

Cottonwood Black Willow

Indigo Amorpha

The Champion Treeof Texas

Baldcypress

Crider’s River ResortLeakey, Texas

Grow Native!

Bottomland Forests

Pecan Bottom – with walnuts, mulberry, American elm

Chinkapin Oak

<<Basswood <Rough-leaf Dogwood Poison Ivy >

Urban Forest: The Man-made Ecosystem

Urban tree survey conducted by TFS with 7th graders found in a 10 block area 793 trees, of 53 species - of which only 23 were natives (such as hackberry, pecans, oaks).

Urban challenges: Loss of native soils Scrambled soil horizon Change in drainage Change of grade Soil compaction Heat island

• Poor placement:

= Utility conflicts

Compromised tree health

• Construction damage

East invades West: Non-native introductions

Forest Health Issue 1: Oak Wilt

Dominance of oaks in landscape. Shared root system among live oaks.

Issue 2: Cedar Encroachment

Reduction of grass & forbs due to overgrazing plus droughts

Elimination of grass fire regime (due to reduced fuel) that controls woody species

Fosters an abundance of Ashe Juniper (AKA cedar)

A true survivor: Cedar can compete with native hardwoods and reduce regeneration.

Issue 3: Lack of Native Hardwood Regeneration Over-browsing by white-tailed

deer, livestock, exotic ungulates Loss of top soil: drought followed

by downpours -> run-off (erosion) Competition by alien plant species

Issue 4: Alien InvasionFrom garden thug to environmental thug.

Propagule pressure = math problem.

More than 100 species are now naturalized, all since the mid-1800s.

Vitex

250 or 254 Texas counties under a burn ban.

1890-941918 & 1954 still rule

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/drought/drght_sitemap.html

Time lag for plants

So ~ is the drought over yet?

Kerrville weather data: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=14130

Comparison between 1950s drought and 2013 Kerrville, TXyr Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Year

1953 0.1 1.8 3.22 1.37 1.2 0.05 2.5 2.12 4.86 7.29 0.96 0.89 26.361954 0.68 0.16 0.64 2.66 3.03 1.85 0.2 0.35 0.78 3.08 0.96 0.25 #3 14.641955 2.2 1.93 0.24 0.45 5.71 2.25 7.03 1.36 3.84 1.88 0.78 1.23 28.91956 0.71 1.61 0.2 1.73 1.2 0.45 0.88 1.45 0.69 1.65 1.22 2.25 #2 14.04

Comparison between 2010 and current > aver in bold tan <averaver 1982-2011 1.58 1.79 2.29 2.02 3.95 2.77 1.62 3.6 3.38 2.47 1.95 1.84 31.07

2007 growing season YTD 19.62

month total 2010 3.21 2.88 2.5 3.94 1.88 3.86 4.78 0.04 5.16 0.84 0.06 0.98 30.13# events 9 e 10 e 11 e 11 e 7 e 4 e 7 e 2 e 11 e 2 e 3 e 3 ehgh amt 1.54 1.2 0.68 2 @ 1.26 1.12 1.4 3 >1.1 0.02 2.76 0.45 0.03 0.68date of high 29th 4th 20th 16 & 24 12& 29 3 (12, 29) 2&3 8 (3=1.12) 25th

month total 2011 1.3 0.56 0.07 0.95 1.17 0.78 0.16 0.21 2.06 0.79 2.06 3 #1 13.1# events #1 5 e 7 e 4 e 4 e 3 e 1 e 2 e 1 e 3 e 3 e 4 e 12 ehgh amt 0.86 0.3 0.02 0.57 1.05 0.78 0.13 0.21 0.89 0.74 0.8 0.61date of high 9th 16th 3x 22nd 13th 22nd 31st 12th 19th 9th 26th 22nd

month total 2012 2.05 2.42 4.16 0.07 5.92 0.12 1.89 1.67 4.47 2 0 0.27 25.04# events 5 e 9 e 9e 4e 9e 3e 8e 6e 7e 7e 3ehgh amt 1.13 1.02 3.1 0.03 3.09 0.08 0.76 0.44 1.48 1.28 0.17date of high 25th 18th 20th 13th 11th 18th 15th 10th 14-17t=3.77 10th 15th

month total 2013 2.83 0.13 0.55 2.55 4.97 2.45 1.1 1.93# events 9e 5e 5e 8e 10e 6e 5e 2ehgh amt 2.29 0.04 0.39 1.01 1.12 0.98 0.61 1.48date of high 9th 10th 10th 1st 10th 10th 17th 16th

YTD 16.51

Even if Kerrville gets 30” rain a year, the evaporation rate is 80”!

Comparison between 1950s drought and 2015 Kerrville, TX data recorded @ USDA Insect Labyr Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Year

1953 0.1 1.8 3.22 1.37 1.2 0.05 2.5 2.12 4.86 7.29 0.96 0.89 26.361954 0.68 0.16 0.64 2.66 3.03 1.85 0.2 0.35 0.78 3.08 0.96 0.25 #3 14.641955 2.2 1.93 0.24 0.45 5.71 2.25 7.03 1.36 3.84 1.88 0.78 1.23 28.91956 0.71 1.61 0.2 1.73 1.2 0.45 0.88 1.45 0.69 1.65 1.22 2.25 #2 14.04

Comparison between 2010 and current > aver in bold tan <averaver 1982-2011 1.58 1.79 2.29 2.02 3.95 2.77 1.62 3.6 3.38 2.47 1.95 1.84 31.07

2007 growing season YTD 19.62

month total 2010 3.21 2.88 2.5 3.94 1.88 3.86 4.78 0.04 5.16 0.84 0.06 0.98 30.13# events 9 e 10 e 11 e 11 e 7 e 4 e 7 e 2 e 11 e 2 e 3 e 3 ehgh amt 1.54 1.2 0.68 2 @ 1.26 1.12 1.4 3 >1.1 0.02 2.76 0.45 0.03 0.68date of high 29th 4th 20th 16 & 24 12& 29 3 (12, 29) 2&3 8 (3=1.12) 25th

month total 2011 1.3 0.56 0.07 0.95 1.17 0.78 0.16 0.21 2.06 0.79 2.06 3 #1 13.1# events #1 5 e 7 e 4 e 4 e 3 e 1 e 2 e 1 e 3 e 3 e 4 e 12 ehgh amt 0.86 0.3 0.02 0.57 1.05 0.78 0.13 0.21 0.89 0.74 0.8 0.61date of high 9th 16th 3x 22nd 13th 22nd 31st 12th 19th 9th 26th 22nd

month total 2012 2.05 2.42 4.16 0.07 5.92 0.12 1.89 1.67 4.47 2 0 0.27 25.04# events 5 e 9 e 9e 4e 9e 3e 8e 6e 7e 7e 3ehgh amt 1.13 1.02 3.1 0.03 3.09 0.08 0.76 0.44 1.48 1.28 0.17date of high 25th 18th 20th 13th 11th 18th 15th 10th 14-17t=3.77 10th 15th

month total 2013 2.83 0.13 0.55 2.55 4.97 2.45 1.1 1.93 3.44 3.54 1.73 0.77 25.99# events 9e 5e 5e 8e 10e 6e 5e 2e 10e 4e 10e 7ehgh amt 2.29 0.04 0.39 1.01 1.12 0.98 0.61 1.48 0.85 3.38 0.53 0.45date of high 9th 10th 10th 1st 10th 10th 17th 16th 9th 17th 22nd 22nd

month total 2014 0.12 0.26 0.037 0.93 6.28 1.19 0.3 2.58 3.48 2.29 2.23 0.56 20.59# events 4e 6e 7e 6e 73 7e 3e 4e 10e 4e 5e 10ehgh amt 0.07 0.09 0.08 0.42 2.7 0.47 0.23 1.77 1.04 1.66 1.28 0.12date of high 10th 26th 27th 15th 13th 10th 18th 19th 8th 11th 5th 18th

month total 2015 2.42 0.65 1.82 2.61 *11.05 4.38 0.2 0.6# events 9e 6e 11e 8e 18e 9e 1e 3ehgh amt 0.94 0.28 0.48 0.96 2.18 2.04 0.2 0.29date of high 23rd 1st 21st 18th 29th 16th 5th 1st

6.62+ytd 23.5518.21 av

Forests for the future depend upon:

Planting new trees now.(Know your tree’s growth habits.)

Founded 1989, Established 1994Still Growing 2014

Plant diversity – Grow native!

A diverse woodland is better able to withstandpests & diseaseoutbreaks.

Restoration needs trees.Desert Willow

Blanco Crabapple Goldenball Leadtree

Big-toothed maple Texas Ash

Cedar Elm

Wildlife Trees forHill Country

Ashe JuniperCarolina Buckthorn

PossumhawSugarberry

Texas MulberryMexican Plum

All oaks!

Deer

Axis

Goats

Cows

Horses

Beaver

Squirrels

Porcupines

Insects

Caterpillars

Think of the caged areas as: An exclosureA seed bank

A safe nesting spot

Who chews on Trees?

Give nature a helping hand.