Invasive plant and animal species, urbanization, overgrazing, erosion, and other poor land management activities have led to many areas becoming degraded and losing their natural function in the land. Such functions, also known as ecosystem services, include wildlife habitat, water filtration and storage, air pollution reduction, and others. Recently, there has been a major emphasis among wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists to restore these degraded areas to return them to their former state. Such projects could include native grassland and wetland restoration, riparian buffers, stream and bottomland hardwood restoration, brush management, and others. Some basic information is provided that you can use before starting your restoration project, and native grassland restoration will be used as an example.
Before starting a restoration project, it is important to assess the condition of the land by making a few observations or collecting some data, and then to establish goals and measureable indicators for monitoring that will be used to evaluate project success. Extension Agents within each county and Wildlife Biologists in the area are a valuable resource to utilize as they have expertise to assist you, and for more information you can visit the Trinity Waters website or the AgriLife Bookstore to obtain publications that relate to wildlife habitat management and population techniques, and other topics such as habitat restoration or watershed protection. One such publication is "Habitat Monitoring for Quail on Texas Rangelands," which provides data sheets and other information for monitoring grasslands primarily managed for quail.
Assessing the condition of the land means determining the extent of unwanted vegetation, or designating areas that may not be ideal for grassland restoration, such as a forest. This can be done by making simple observations as to which species are present and/or collecting vegetative cover data. Depending on the condition of the land, a combination of various restoration techniques and the order in which they are implemented may differ. For example, an area dominated exclusively by Bermuda grass or Bahia grass will require more intensive restoration than would a grassland with a mix of native and exotic grasses.
Establishing goals is vital to a successful restoration because there are many reasons for restoring native grassland, such as creating habitat for quail and other native grassland birds, providing sustainable forage for livestock, or to improve water quality. Goals should be established after the land assessment in order to set realistic goals that reflect the condition of the land and include the desired management objective of the land. Extension Agents and Wildlife Biologists can work with you to develop these goals to best suit your situation. Establishing goals will help in knowing which different activities need to be accomplished and identifying what tools (seed mix, prescribed burning crew, no-till drill, etc.) will be needed for the project. Some activities, such as applying herbicide, burning, and seed planting, should only be conducted during certain times of the year, and if a combination of restoration activities need to be conducted, the sequence in which they are done is vital. Scheduling these activities at the appropriate time of year and the proper order will ensure the restoration to be as successful as possible.
Measureable indicators used during the monitoring phase help to evaluate the project and determine if more work needs to be done, such as applying another round of herbicide. These indicators can be as simple or detailed as time and budget allow. Simple observations can be made to see if native grasses are more abundant than exotic and if native wildlife species, such as grassland birds, are more numerous than before. Photo points can be set up at a certain spot by placing a stake and by taking periodic photos and detailed notes, land managers can see what changes have occurred on the landscape. More detailed data can also be obtained by collecting vegetative cover data, as discussed before.
Before starting a restoration project, it is important to assess the condition of the land by making a few observations or collecting some data, and then to establish goals and measureable indicators for monitoring that will be used to evaluate project success. Extension Agents within each county and Wildlife Biologists in the area are a valuable resource to utilize as they have expertise to assist you, and for more information you can visit the Trinity Waters website or the AgriLife Bookstore to obtain publications that relate to wildlife habitat management and population techniques, and other topics such as habitat restoration or watershed protection. One such publication is "Habitat Monitoring for Quail on Texas Rangelands," which provides data sheets and other information for monitoring grasslands primarily managed for quail.
Assessing the condition of the land means determining the extent of unwanted vegetation, or designating areas that may not be ideal for grassland restoration, such as a forest. This can be done by making simple observations as to which species are present and/or collecting vegetative cover data. Depending on the condition of the land, a combination of various restoration techniques and the order in which they are implemented may differ. For example, an area dominated exclusively by Bermuda grass or Bahia grass will require more intensive restoration than would a grassland with a mix of native and exotic grasses.
Establishing goals is vital to a successful restoration because there are many reasons for restoring native grassland, such as creating habitat for quail and other native grassland birds, providing sustainable forage for livestock, or to improve water quality. Goals should be established after the land assessment in order to set realistic goals that reflect the condition of the land and include the desired management objective of the land. Extension Agents and Wildlife Biologists can work with you to develop these goals to best suit your situation. Establishing goals will help in knowing which different activities need to be accomplished and identifying what tools (seed mix, prescribed burning crew, no-till drill, etc.) will be needed for the project. Some activities, such as applying herbicide, burning, and seed planting, should only be conducted during certain times of the year, and if a combination of restoration activities need to be conducted, the sequence in which they are done is vital. Scheduling these activities at the appropriate time of year and the proper order will ensure the restoration to be as successful as possible.
Measureable indicators used during the monitoring phase help to evaluate the project and determine if more work needs to be done, such as applying another round of herbicide. These indicators can be as simple or detailed as time and budget allow. Simple observations can be made to see if native grasses are more abundant than exotic and if native wildlife species, such as grassland birds, are more numerous than before. Photo points can be set up at a certain spot by placing a stake and by taking periodic photos and detailed notes, land managers can see what changes have occurred on the landscape. More detailed data can also be obtained by collecting vegetative cover data, as discussed before.
For a more thorough discussion of restoration planning and design, read the Society for Ecological Restoration Primer on Ecological Restoration.
Currently, we are developing a publication that describes techniques for native grassland restoration in the Trinity River Basin, but there are also resources available at the Trinity Waters website. Also, if you are interested in wetland restoration, there are resources available at the same website.