Research in grasses helps the land owner learn how to deal with the invasive grass and the effect in the habitat. I have to deal in Sonora Mexico in some ranches with buffel grass; an introduced invasive plant order to improve forage production for cattle very common in South Texas. Because of lack of information most of ranchers and land owners don’t expect an impact in wildlife habitat having loss of quail and quality in deer.
In Tamuk the Caesar wildlife Kleberg wildlife research institute gives opportunities to students and land owners to get involved in research scientific project and to reliable information about the South Texas range and wildlife. This research I did is about invasive grasses effect in the range land of South Texas to give correct information to the public get concern about the impact it has in wildlife.
In South Texas exotic invasive grasses have at one time been planted to or have invaded much of the rangeland in the region. Invasive grasses were introduced to South Texas in order to improve forage production for cattle; however, they have invaded much of the rangelands in the region. Invasive grasses often displace native vegetation while reducing the quality of wildlife habitat.
Despite the amount of literature on invasive species, long-term changes in vegetation communities impacted by exotic and invasive species have not been well documented.( Techniques for Wildlife Investigations and Management: Managing Rangelands for Wildlife)
There has been a rapid increase invasive grasses populations, dominating areas of native.
In this research I took a particular attention to the tanglehead grass, because of its rapid increase in composition in South Texas, and because of its negative effect in wildlife species.
The webpage of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, points out that tanglehead is a native plant in South Texas, even though there is a lot of controversy about its real origin. However, is known to be a very invasive plant. Increase in density across the South Texas landscapes is due to climate patterns that has benefited its abundance. This plant is known to have a distribution throughout the world, and in some places like Australia and Hawaii is considered to be a very noxious invasive plant. Tanglehead occupies areas from Africa, and actually many areas of North America, along with other exotic and invasive grasses, such as: buffel grass and the kleberg bluesteam.
The use of prescribed burning and cattle grazing seems to be the only satisfactory management technique that researchers and biologists have come with in order to avoid the propagation of these highly adaptable invasive plant species that have been taking over areas that were previously colonized by a great diversity of native species.
Mentioned that habitats where changing in composition due by the increase of invasive species in South Texas. Moreover, biologists are concerned because changes in habitats directly affect wildlife populations and its distribution. Tanglehead grass has an undesirable effect for bobwhite quail in South Texas. Tanglehead growth, which is very thick, enables quail movements through pastures. It contributes to a decrease in the amount of insects, which is the primary source of quail diet. Also, affects quail habitat by affecting forbs growth. Actually, this plant has covered thousands of acres in South Texas, which is becoming a threat for wildlife managers. Wildlife and range biologists have realized that tanglehead has a strong ability to adapt, and to colonize new territories.
In past years, biologists have struggle with exotic grasses such as buffle grass, kleberg bluesteam, and guinea grass in South Texas. Furthermore, these grasses create monocultures in pastures, and as a consequence reducing the vegetation diversity, and many sources of food for wildlife species. They affect large mammals (deer, nilgai, livestock), small mammals, game and non game species of birds, and pollinators.
In summary, invasive species have been taking over South Texas rangelands, some of the invasive grasses such as the kleberg bluestem, tanglehead and buffel grass have been dominating areas that once in the past were dominated mostly by native vegetation. Moreover, there is a great concern in the adaptability that these grasses are having in South Texas environments. Actually, there are several other research projects in progress in South Texas in order to find out the reason of why these invasive gasses are expanding so aggressively, forming monocultures in habitats, and decreasing diversity of other species of grasses and forbs. Wildlife biologists and landowners are concerned about this increase in invasive grasses species and looking forward to use management techniques in order to decrease those populations and restore a desire habitat.