HELM Visits Dahlstrom Preserve

Habitat Enhancing Land Management

Photos by Hays County Master Naturalist Lance Jones

Lance Jones and Christine Middleton

Our Habit Enhancing Land Management (HELM) team is committed to increasing our own knowledge of sustainable land management practices so that we can share those insights with the landowners we visit. To that end fourteen of our team members were in Buda, Texas, on March 6, 2023, for a workshop at the Gay Ruby Dahlstrom Nature Preserve. This 384-acre tract in eastern Hays County is part of the much larger Dahlstrom Ranch, and the entire ranch (about 2300 acres) is under a conservation easement. Shane Kiefer from Plateau Land and Wildlife, which manages the ecological restoration efforts at the preserve and across the rest of the ranch, guided our hike through the preserve. As we walked along the trail, we talked about what is happening on the land. Katherine Sturdivant with the Hays County Parks Department, which operates the preserve, also accompanied us on this very informative walk. We focused on managing invasive vegetation and other aggressive native species, on general brush management, and on grasses, mulching, seeding, and erosion.

Shane Kiefer discusses best practices for managing Ashe Juniper.

We’re a curious bunch, and Shane recognized that right away! Thirty minutes into our three-hour training session, the group had only progressed about 25 yards down the trail. As often happens, we started our walk by discussing a much-maligned aggressive native, Ashe Juniper, a.k.a. cedar. Shane pointed out that, while at times Ashe Juniper needs to be managed, complete removal is not only not necessary, but can also be harmful. Ashe Junipers have grown up around oaks for over 10,000 years. They are not crowding out the oaks or depriving them of water. Rather, the shade Ashe Junipers provide oaks, particularly in times of drought, can be very beneficial. If a landowner wants to highlight their view of a specimen tree, selective removal is OK. But such removal should be done gradually and in a manner that is least disruptive of the microclimate around the prized tree. In particular, care should be taken before removing any shrubbery on the south and west side of a tree to make sure consistent sun protection and moisture levels are retained. And, even in areas without large trees, mass removal of Ashe Juniper is not a good practice. Find more on Ashe Juniper here.

Shane Kiefer discusses how Prickly Pear Cactus spreads and how to control it.

Shane reminded us that the term invasive species refers to plants that are both detrimental to the health of an ecosystem and not native to the area. Prickly Pear Cactus, like Ashe Juniper, is native to Hays County. But under some conditions the spread of this native cactus can also get out of hand; it can be referred to as an aggressive native. It can get an early foothold in degraded landscapes—often places that were overgrazed or disturbed by some other form of agriculture. Given Dahlstom’s long history as a working ranch, that is likely what happened in areas of the ranch where Prickly Pear is a dominant species. Shane suggested that selective removal of Prickly Pear is warranted in some situations. But he cautioned against shredding the pads, as that can result in further uncontrolled spread. Rather, pads should simply be either piled up or burned.

The HELM team hears about selective use of herbicides to control aggressive natives and invasives.

Brush management on the ranch also involves controlling the spread of Mesquite, another aggressive native. The Dahlstrom property lies at the intersection of two ecoregions—the Blackland Prairie to the east and the Edwards Plateau to the west. So Mesquite, a Blackland Prairie species, thrives on the eastern edge of Hays County but is largely absent as you move farther west. The main problem with Mesquite is that, when cut down, it tends to send up new sprouts from the old roots. This is also a problem with the control of several other aggressive natives and many invasive shrubs and trees. (Note: Ashe Juniper is not one of them—once cut, it stays cut.) So we spent a bit of time talking about the use of herbicides. Under the ranch’s conservation easement, widespread spraying of herbicides for brush control is prohibited. But application to newly cut stumps, either by carefully targeted spraying or painting, is permissible. Such selective use of herbicide can be effective in killing the roots of Mesquite as well as unwanted invasives such as Chinaberry, without negative spillover into the environment.

While brush management is sometimes appropriate, Shane cautioned against wholesale clearing. Besides erosion concerns, he emphasized the value of maintaining small groupings of trees and shrubs. Birds and other small animals need places to hide, and too much open space puts these small creatures at risk from predators like foxes and hawks. In areas that are already very open, small brush piles can be used to provide alternative cover. We also talked about deer and how their browsing and girdling often keeps young trees from thriving. Shane pointed out that shrubs such as Agarita and Ashe Juniper play an important role in protecting young trees from hungry deer. He also suggested that the creative use of brush to protect desirable seedlings can be an effective strategy for insuring that a new generation of trees gets a chance at long life.

Shane points out how KR Bluestem forms dense stands, crowding out native grasses and forbs.

In addition to brush management, Shane emphasized the value of our native grasses. Grasses are important for a number of reasons, including the fact that they provide food for not only livestock, but also for wildlife. Grasslands are particularly critical to sustaining quail populations. Grasses help hold soil in place and provide a pathway for infiltration of groundwater. We talked about ways to encourage native grasses and discourage invasive non-native grasses, such as King Ranch (KR) Bluestem. In particular, we discussed how and when to mow—no lower than 6 inches and in late fall or winter, after the cool weather grasses have dropped their seed. If twice yearly mowing is desired, a second mowing can be done in late August, after the warm weather grasses have seeded and ground-nesting animal species have raised their young.

Managing native and invasive trees, shrubs, brush, and grasses was not all we learned. We touched on the value of mulching bare areas. Also, seeding can be a helpful though not always necessary tool. Native seeds often find their way to a newly mulched area completely on their own. We discussed erosion and the importance of dealing with the problem as close to the source as possible, rather than just where the damage is obvious. By the end of three hours, our heads were full of great land management information!

We are excited about sharing that knowledge with Hays County landowners. We’ve started our spring 2023 visits, and there are only a few slots left. If you or one of your neighbors would like the HELM team to visit your/their property, simply go to https://www.beautifulhayscounty.org/helm/ and fill out our request form. Help us spread the word!

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