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