Seasonal Burning on El Sauz

• Research Projects
  • Population Parameters in White-tailed Deer
  • Ocelot Conservation
  • White-tailed Deer, Nilgai, and Cattle Grazing Interactions
  • Wildlife Monitoring
  • Seasonal Burning on El Sauz
  • Coyotes and Cattle
  • Sustainable Harvest and Management of Northern Bobwhites
• Research Partners
• Research Publications
• Three Minute Thesis (3MT)

Prescribed fire is a land management tool used to restore and maintain wildlife populations. Fire increases the productivity and nutritional value of native rangelands. However, it is unknown how best to apply fire (e.g., season and burn return interval) to coastal rangelands along the southern Gulf Coast to maximize benefits to cattle and wildlife.

East Foundation has initiated an operational-scale, long-term study on our El Sauz Ranch to determine:

• Are burned areas preferred by cattle and if so, for how long?
• Do cattle preferences differ by season of burn?
• What are the movements of cattle in response to prescribed fires conducted in different seasons?
• What are the nutritional values of important grasses (e.g., Gulf cordgrass and Seacoast bluestem) following burns conducted in different seasons?
• Do plants and corresponding small mammal and bird communities change with differing fire return intervals (e.g., long and short)?
• How do butterflies and other important insects respond to seasonal burns, return intervals, and fire intensity?

The ultimate goal of this work is to produce prescribed fire recommendations for coastal rangelands in South Texas. This knowledge will equip landowners to apply fire to their lands for maximum benefit.

For more information or questions about this project contact Landon Schofield at lschofield@eastfoundation.net.