Forest Ecology & Management

Texas Master Naturalist Program

Texas Forest Service

Mission Statement: To provide statewide

leadership to assure the state’s trees,

forests, and related natural resources are

protected and sustained for the benefit of

all.

What does TFS do?

Wildland Firefighting, Oak Wilt Technical

Assistance, Forest Stewardship, Urban

Forestry, Seedling Nurseries,

Environmental/Public Education, whatever

our boss asks us to do…

Texas Forest Service Partnerships

US Forest Service

NRCS

Texas Agrilife Extension Service

Texas Parks and Wildlife

LBJ Wildflower Center

ISA Texas

Many more that I can‟t remember…

So, what is forestry?

This is what many people think of traditional

forestry…

Forestry

The science, art, and practice of creating,

managing, using, and conserving forests in

a sustainable manner to meet the desired

goals, needs, and values.

(as defined in the SAF Forestry Career brochure)

I. Forest Ecology

II. Forest Management

III. Forest Issues

IV. Diagnosing Oak Wilt

Forest Ecology

Diversity

Forest Communities

Succession

Disturbance

Diversity: What, Where, & How Many?

Anywhere from 220 to 300 tree species in

Texas (~40% of all US species)

~500 species of grasses (most in US)

Wildlife in Texas

~540 bird species (75% of all US species)

78 species of mammals (TPWD Fact Sheets)

17 National Wildlife Refuges (470,000 acres)

Diversity

Trees cover ?????% of Texas

60 million acres of forests & woodlands

12 million acres of forest just in E. Texas

Who owns the forests?

Of the 12 million acres of forest in E. Texas, 63% are privately owned (NIPF), 29%-industry/investment, 8%- public

USDA Forest Service- 750,000 acres of National Forest & Grasslands in TX

Forest Changes

How have Texas forests changed?

East Texas has gained almost 2 million acres

of forest since 1935

Since 1992, NE Texas gained 270,000 acres

of forest (reverted pasture)

Since 1992, SE Texas lost 159,000 acres of

forest (urban sprawl)

Forest Communities

“The forest is a dynamic,

complex, and constantly

changing ecosystem.” -TX

Master Naturalist Curriculum

“Forests are the „lungs‟ of our

land, purifying the air and

giving fresh strength to our

people.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt

Communities or Eco-regions

“Ecotypes” or natural regions

Climate (hardiness), precipitation, soils

(texture, nutrients, pH), elevation, slope,

aspect, etc.

USDA Plant Temperature

(Hardiness) Zones

Annual Minimum

Temperature

Average Annual

Precipitation

Elevation

Texas Rivers

• 11,247 named

streams (USGS)

• 15 major rivers

• Over 100,000

miles in total length

Rio Grande

Red River

Brazos

Colorado

Sabine

Neches

Trinity

Major Forest

Regions of

Texas

• Pineywoods

• Post Oak

Savannah

• Live Oak-

Juniper

• Cross Timbers

• Mountain

Forests

Forests of Texas

Oak-Pine & Bottomland Hardwood Forest Types of North America

Upland Forest Types

Both mesic & xeric sites

E. Texas‟ Pineywoods, Central Texas‟ Live Oak/Juniper woodlands, & Post Oak savannah

Guadalupe & Chisos Mountains

Bottom land Forests

Mesic creeks, river bottoms, & swamps

Big Thicket Preserve

Neches River bottom

East Texas Upland Forests Trees

Oaks

Post, Blackjack, Southern Red, Water, & Black Oak

Pines

Longleaf Pine (South), Shortleaf Pine (North), Loblolly Pine

Other Hardwoods

Black Hickory, Elm, Sweetgum, Sassafras, Red Mulberry

Shrubs

Yaupon Holly, Sparkleberry, Winged Sumac, Wax Myrtle

Vines

Greenbrier, Muscadine Grape, Virginia Creeper, Cross Vine

East Texas Bottomland Forests

Trees Oaks

White, Swamp Chestnut, Cherry Bark, Willow, Water, & Overcup Oak

Other Hardwoods American Hornbeam, Red

Maple, Blackgum, Green Ash, River Birch

Baldcypress, Water Tupelo, Water Elm, Swamp Privet

Shrubs PawPaw, Buttonbush,

Possumhaw Holly, Privet

Vines Supplejack, Peppervine,

Honeysuckle

Other Texas Forests

Pecan-Elm Forest

(Brazoria County)

Ponderosa Pine-

Douglas Fir

Park/Forest

(Culberson County)

Live Oak-Mesquite-

Ashe Juniper Parks

(Llano County)

Forest Succession

Succession is the vegetative change in community composition and structure through time.

Stages of succession

Disturbance (Land cleared of vegetation)

Primary (The first plants show up)

Secondary (Trees start to dominate)

Climax (Vegetative restructuring levels off)

Forest Disturbance

Ice storms, tornados, inclement weather

Southeast Texas hurricane damage, September 2005

Insects, disease, & invasive plants

Wildfire

Humans

Hurricane Rita vs. The Forest

17 East & Southeast Texas counties

impacted

771,000 acres of timber damaged/affected

$462 million of standing timber damaged

• Increased chance of

insects & disease

• Salvage

• Reforestation

Southern Pine Beetle Infestation

Oak Wilt

Fire And The Forest

Natural fire regimes (lightning & humans)

Fire scars on trees

Fire evidence in forest floor

Influence of fire on ecosystems

Frequency & intensity of fire may determine the characteristics of a forest

Stages of succession

Wildlife

Insects & Disease

Fire and Man Meet

Some Texas Invasive Species

Chinaberry

Chinese Tallow

Soapberry Borer

Asian Dodder

Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum)

“An Invasive Species Analysis”

Established in Texas early 1900‟s as potential crop for soap

Fast seed producer & adaptable to various soil types

Out-competes native plant types

Represents almost 25% of total tree cover in Houston area*

80% of total tree cover in SW Houston area (Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, & Galveston Co.) Hwy 288 Ag/Range lands*

*From “Houston‟s Regional Forest”. USFS, TFS. September 2005

Humans

Urban Sprawl / Land Fragmentation

Clearing forest for cropland

Clearing forest for ranching

Forest Management

Environmental Schools of Thought

Preservation: Involves “hands-off”

management, very restrictive, intends to

keep land basically untouched (i.e.

wilderness areas). “Let nature takes it‟s

course”.

Conservation: Involves science-based

management, and theory of multiple-use

sustained yield (USFS).

Wilderness Areas in Texas

Forest Management

Forest Managers

Service Forester

Forest Entomologist

Forestry Consultant

Timber Buyer

Industry Forester

Procurement Forester

Forest Pathologist

Urban Forester

Reasons for Forest Management

Recreation

Aesthetics

Wildlife / Hunting

Ranching

Timber production

Reforestation

Natural Regeneration

Natural seeding (seed

tree)

Artificial Regeneration

Hand planting

Machine planting

Forestry Tools

Diameter tape

Loggers tape

Biltmore stick

Compass

Clinometer

Increment borer

Forestry & Technology

• GIS & GPS

• Laser-based tools

• Chemical advancements

• Genetics

Forest Issues

Forest Benefits & Facts

What issues lie ahead?

Keeping Forests as Forests!

Wildland–Urban Interface

Ethanol Production

Carbon sequestration

Forest industry issues

Urban Forestry/conservation development

Diagnosing Oak Wilt

Diagnosis – 5 step process

Pattern of mortality

Pattern in individual trees

Foliar symptoms

Presence of red oak fungal mat

Taking samples

1. Pattern of Mortality

Red Oak CenterLive Oak Center

1. Pattern of Mortality

2. Pattern in individual TreesDiseased Red OakDiseased Live Oak

3. Foliar symptoms

Red Oak SymptomsLive Oak Symptoms

4. Presence of Fungal Mat

5. Taking Samples

Bole and branch

samples.

Confirm presence of

pathogen

Works Cited:

Society of American Foresters website.

Texas Forest Service, Texas A & M University System. Texas Forests

Today. February, 2005.

The Dallas Morning News. Texas Almanac 2004-2005. 62 ed.

Benny Simpson. A Field Guide to Texas Trees. 1999.

Texas Parks and Wildlife. Maps of Texas.

US Forest Service, Texas Forest Service. Houston‟s Regional Forest.

September, 2005.

Texas Forest Service

Rob Grotty

(512) 339-7807

rgrotty@tfs.tamu.edu

txforestservice.tamu.edu

www.texasoakwilt.org

texastreeplanting.tamu.edu