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In September 2011 wildfire burned much of the Lost Pines region, including almost all of Bastrop State Park during a record drought. Even where the fire did not crown, extensive tree mortality has been observed.
Photo by Emily Booth
The Lost Pines region of Central Texas includes the western-most stands of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in the United States. Bastrop State Park (BSP) encompasses a major portion of the region and is visited by hundreds of thousands of locals and tourists each year. The Park is treasured for its extensive network of hiking and biking trails and the impressive stonework of the Civilian Conservation Corps, but most of all for the landscape with its diverse flora and fauna, including the endangered Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis).
Management goals for Bastrop State Park include restoring parts of the park to the pine savanna thought to have existed in the area prior to its logging a century ago, and continuing to provide habitat for the Houston toad.
Study of post-wildfire trajectories of plant communities soon after a fire is crucial to understanding underlying ecological processes and implementing effective management strategies. My research with Dr. Norma Fowler (University of Texas at Austin) focuses on the effects of pre-wildfire conditions such as prescribed fire, wildfire severity, and post-wildfire erosion control on plant communities in BSP.
Erosion is an especially pressing concern on the often-steep slopes of the Park. In severe instances, erosion can result in a depauperate seed bank and remove humus and litter layers that many seeds require to germinate and survive. Hydromulch, a product that coats the ground and is seeded with grasses to help stabilize the soil, has been used throughout BSP to help with erosion control.
In the first summer after the wildfire, loblolly seedling emergence has been greatest in areas that were moderately burned and not treated with hydromulch. Severely burned areas may have been stripped of the seed bank and adequate seed bed, and unburned areas were likely too shady for loblolly germination, given the thick cover of oak (primarily Quercus margaretta) and yaupon (Ilex vomitoria).
Hydromulch may have reduced loblolly seedling emergence by creating a physical barrier or shading out seedlings with grasses. However, hydromulch can be a valuable tool for erosion control and breaks down naturally, hopefully allowing more native seedling emergence in the coming years.
(Photo by Eric Keith)
Because fires of greater frequency and severity are predicted in the future, a better understanding of the effects of high intensity wildfires is becoming increasingly important. Future steps in this study include collecting soil samples to determine seed bank composition, a study of post-wildfire reseeding effects, and an analysis of the effects of wildfire severity and management actions on the herbaceous understory. Post-fire spread of non-native plant species like chinaberry (Melia azedarach L.) is also a concern in BSP, and we will work to identify factors that increase this risk.
Long-term data from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be used to compare pre- and post-wildfire plant community composition. It is our hope that the results of this study will contribute to our understanding of the factors that determine the effects of wildfires in pine forests and savannas throughout Texas, and be of direct utility to the managers of BSP.
Emily Booth received an Ann Miller Gonzalez Research Grant from the Native Plant Society of Texas to help fund her work.
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