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Forests and Rangelands Success Story

Restoration of Rare Habitat
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Texas
National Fire Plan - Fuels Reduction
2010

Native vegetation waits in containers to be planted.
Native vegetation waits to be planted as part of restoration efforts in thornscrub forests along the United States and Mexican border. Credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Located along the United States and Mexican border, the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) National Wildlife Refuge Complex sees more wildfire starts than just about any other refuge in the nation. Because of the frequent fire activity, fire ecologists, fire managers, and other refuge personnel have developed an active wildfire rehabilitation and restoration program to help areas affected by wildfire return to their native vegetation.

One specific habitat the refuge has worked hard to restore and maintain post-fire is the rare Tamaulipan thornscrub forest, characterized by dense native brushland and forest. Thornscrub vegetation is native across southern Texas into Mexico and Central America, providing home for many unique and endangered species.

After a fire, the thornscrub forests become exposed to several fire-adapted exotic grass species. These non-native species such as buffelgrass, a prolific fire-loving grass from Africa, become established in the area, choking out the vegetation that would naturally occur leaving the area more vulnerable to future fires. Most of the tree and shrub species associated with the thornscrub are not adapted to fire like the grasses, and as a result, these habitats are becoming increasingly rare. Habitat loss and degradation in this area has also occurred from the clearing of land for agricultural uses and urbanization. The little remaining habitat is becoming increasingly more important for rare plants and animals.

Using special Burned Area Rehabilitation funding, refuge personnel mechanically remove invasive grasses, treat exotic species with herbicides, and plant native vegetation. They conduct follow-up monitoring over the next few years to limit the spread of non-native grasses. The thornscrub forests eventually become sustainable and provide a much lower wildfire threat to communities in south Texas because the native vegetation naturally hinders the growth of exotic grasses. The complex has helped restore over 1,000 acres of thornscrub forests over the last 5 years.