Funding Texas Experimental Ranch Committee
Project Duration 1995 and ongoing
We are characterizing runoff and sediment yield on mesquite-juniper rangeland with increasing amounts of brush. The experiment consists of 9 watersheds approximately 20 x 100 meters in size. We are measuring rainfall intensity and duration with continuous recorders and determining the amount of runoff and sediment yield on each experimental watershed for each rainfall event.
In the first phase of this experiment we measured runoff and sediment yield (1995-2005) obtained 9 concurrent runoff events from each watershed to characterize the hydrological characteristics of each watershed. In phase 2 we cleared the brush from 5 of the 9 watersheds to determine the influence on clearing and subsequent re-invasion of the mesquite brush on runoff and sediment yield. The project is ongoing.
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- Infra Red Aerial view of the 9 watersheds
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- View of uncleared mesquite at study site
Publications:
Wilcox, Bradford P., Steven L. Dowhower, W. Richard Teague and Thomas L. Thurow. 2006. Water balance relationships for honey mesquite rangelands in the Rolling Plains of Texas. Rangeland Ecology and Management 59:600-606.