THE HILL COUNTRY STEWARD
Stewarding a piece of Texas is an incredible opportunity and responsibility. In this issue of The Hill Country Steward, we’re sharing answers to two of our most common landowner questions.
Q: Is cedar native to the Texas Hill Country and should I get rid of it?
A: Cedar (Ashe juniper) is a misunderstood, native Texan. While this hardy, native evergreen has developed a bad reputation for its ability to spread, it actually offers many benefits. It provides wildlife cover, nesting material, and winter-time food for many species of birds and mammals. Cedar also helps restore degraded soils over time, enhancing groundwater catchment.
In some cases, removal of cedars may be necessary and beneficial. Whether the goal is reducing fuels for wildfire preparedness, increasing forage for livestock, providing better property access, or whatever it might be, consider implementing these stewardship practices:
1. Leave cedar growing on steeper slopes where it is needed to protect hillsides and canyons from erosion.
2. Remove or thin cedar in patches or strips, rather than clearing large areas, and remove primarily smaller cedar while leaving the larger, mature cedar, to retain refuge habitat for wildlife.
3. Increase the amount of sunlight reaching the ground, and potentially stimulate growth of native grasses stored in the seedbank, by removing only low branches from mature cedar trees.
4. Utilize cut cedar branches to create “wildlife piles” for critters, to shelter or protect desirable seedlings from browsing, or to build “brush berms” on hillsides to slow runoff.
5. Ensure any cedar chip mulch left on site is no more than two or three inches thick; otherwise, this may impede germination of more desirable species.
Q: During drought, what types of land management practices can I do to make the most of sparse rainfall?
A: Whether during dry or average times, we should focus not simply on what the rain gauge says. We also need to consider how much moisture the land actually captures (instead of loses via runoff) during rain events. It’s important that we steward the land so that it can absorb, filter, and capture rainfall to make the most of each raindrop.
Whether you have a small backyard or a large ranch, you can increase the water storing capacity of your soil while reducing runoff and erosion by incorporating the following practices:
1. Improve plant cover and minimize bare ground by increasing native, living plants.
2. Leave plant residue on the soil surface as mulch to insulate soil from high temperatures, feed the soil biology, and promote nutrient cycling.
3. Reduce mechanical disturbances (e.g. tilling) that disrupt soil biology and structure.
4. Promote plant and soil microbial diversity by both planting appropriate native seed mixes that grow in both cool and warm seasons and limiting use of synthetic pesticides.
5. Consider adopting management practices such as rotational grazing management with sufficient recovery times, less frequent mowing, and management of wildlife populations to maintain healthy above-ground plant growth.
To learn more and connect with folks who care about your piece of Texas just as much as you do, visit www.texasconservation.org. Looking forward to learning more with you. – The Hill Country Steward
The Hill Country Steward – not a person, but a partnership of local experts dedicated to sharing the best information, tips, and lessons learned. Have questions? Send them to DearStew@texasconservation.org.
