Did you know that Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium has developed science lessons tailored for grades 9-12 which focus on region-specific fire ecology. These lessons and materials can be downloaded and then adjusted by the educator based on their region.
Snow Hill Fire Lessons Learned
On August 2, 2023, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Texas A&M Forest Service on a grass fire at FM 946 South and Harrell Road. A dominant upper-level ridge of high pressure resided over Texas from the middle of June through early August. These conditions resulted in flash drought conditions, which was only intensified by the well below normal rainfall.
Monthly Drought and Weather Update!
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its winter outlook. For Texas, we are looking at near-normal temperatures and wetter-than-normal conditions. While there are some potential drought improvements, it is expected to hang around. Figure 1b below gives us a three-month precipitation outlook.
What Goats Really Eat, With Grazing Menu Tips to Benefit Your Ranch
Did you know that goats are meticulous eaters? They move across the landscape selectively browsing, picking out desirable pieces of forage, and combing hard to access pastures and areas for their favorite plant parts and species.
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Shearwood Creek Prescribed Fire After Action Review
In the USDA-USFS Angelina National Forest, a prescribed burn was in progress when a wildfire was detected approximately two miles north of the burn. The burn manager released one of the one site dozers and an incident commander to contain the wildfire and secure it before launching the helicopter for continued aerial ignitions for the prescribed fire. Shortly after, another fire was detected adjacent from the prescribed burn on private land outside of the burn unit. With the fire burning aggressively, the burn manager requested contingency resources to be in route for support and to backfill onsite contingencies as they were being utilized.
Photo Credit: USDA Forest Service
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The Dangers of Duff: How long-term fire exclusion can put “fire-tolerant” trees at risk
Did you know most landscapes in the southeast and southern Great Plains are thought to have experienced frequent fires (3-5-year return intervals) in the time period between glacial retreat about 15,000 year ago, up until the time of European colonization?
Monthly Drought Update and El Niño Possibility!
The last three years have been years of La Niñas, while there is some chatter of a super El Niño coming, right now there is a 71 % chance of a strong El Niño developing (defined as a sea-surface temperature greater than or equal to 1.5 degrees Celsius). Figure 6a illustrates El Niño conditions exceeding 95% chance of extending through the winter, with growing chances of more neutral conditions in early Spring 2024.
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Deer and Trees
Have you heard the myth that to have good deer hunting, you need lots of trees? In the Great Plains, healthy deer populations are supported without trees. The misconception lies in the fact that most of the time people are looking for deer around trees and not out away from trees.
Grasslands are the Forgotten Ecosystem
“Anybody can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.” — Willa Cather
Since the 1800s, North Americans have historically overlooked the significance of grasslands. With centuries of farming, ranching, energy development and suburban growth, grassland protection and conservation have been pushed aside.
Integrated Pest Management for Woody Encroachment
The top 5 woody invasive plant species in the Great Plains Grasslands include; Eastern redcedar, Honey mesquite, Chinese tallow, Ashe juniper, and Redberry juniper. Past brush management efforts have been unable to stop or reverse the loss of grasslands at county, state, or regional scales. Traditional management efforts have assumed that there are tolerable levels of the top five woody pests in grasslands before encroachment becomes a resource concern and mechanical or chemical removal of woody plants will restore a site back to a grassland. Scientists are now recommending more integrated approaches for dealing with woody species and ending the reinvasion cycle in grasslands.
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