West Texas Rangelands
West Texas RangelandsWe hope to provide a variety of science-based rangeland information and current research on prescribed fire, wildfires, brush management, and grazing management!

When Does Grazing Become Overgrazing?

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Overgrazing is often attributed to having too many animals in the pasture. In reality, overgrazing is less about the number of livestock and more about how long plants are consistently exposed to grazing pressure. On West Texas rangelands, the timing and duration of grazing and rest from grazing play a much larger role in native, perennial grass health than simple stocking numbers. 

Understanding what overgrazing actually looks like is the first step toward preventing long-term damage and supporting resilient rangeland systems. 

What Is Overgrazing? 

Overgrazing occurs when plants are grazed repeatedly without adequate time to recover. A pasture can be overgrazed even with a small number of animals if those animals remain in one area too long. When plants are repeatedly defoliated (grazed), they lose the ability to regrow effectively and rebuild root systems, steadily shrinking in mass and function. 

Functioning rangelands depend on periods of rest. Without recovery time from grazing, plant vigor declines, soil cover decreases, and erosion risk and bare ground increases. 

Overgrazing vs. Heavy Grazing 

Heavy grazing and overgrazing are not the same thing. Heavy grazing refers to short-term use where plants are grazed intensively but then allowed time to recover. Overgrazing happens when grazing pressure continues without rest, and plants are repeatedly defoliated.  

This distinction is important because grazing can be used as a management tool when paired with recovery. Problems arise when grazing pressure is constant rather than planned and rotated. 

Early Signs of Overgrazing 

Early indicators of overgrazing include reduced plant height, loss of preferred forage species, and increasing bare ground. Over time, these changes can lead to reduced forage production and increased weed or invasive species presence- including woody species establishment like honey mesquite and redberry juniper 

Monitoring these early signals from your rangeland grasses should spur managers to adjust grazing before long-term and irrecoverable damage occurs. 

 

Prepared Today, Resilient Tomorrow: Making Wildfire Preparedness Part of Rangeland Stewardship

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Wildfire risk is a natural part of West Texas rangelands, but preparedness is most effective when it is part of ongoing land stewardship. Managing rangelands with long-term resilience in mind not only protects property and resources, but also supports ecosystem health and sustainable operations. 

Integrating Preparedness into Stewardship Practices 
Preparedness begins with everyday land management decisions. Practices such as targeted grazing, rotational grazing, and selective vegetation management help reduce fuel loads while maintaining healthy grass and brush cover. These strategies are not one-time solutions—they are ongoing practices that strengthen the landscape over years. 

Infrastructure and Access as a Stewardship Tool 
Maintaining roads, fence lines, water sources, and access points is a long-term investment in rangeland resilience. Clear access allows for safe movement of equipment and personnel if wildfire conditions arise. Roads and defensible corridors also serve as strategic breaks in fuel, reducing potential fire spread while supporting everyday operations. 

Monitoring Conditions Over Time 
Ongoing observation of vegetation, fuel, and weather trends is central to long-term preparedness. Tools like the Jornada Rangeland Analysis Platform provide historical and current data on vegetation growth and drought patterns. Combining this data with on-the-ground monitoring helps landowners make adaptive decisions, such as adjusting grazing or vegetation treatments, in a way that supports both land health and wildfire preparedness. 

Preparedness as a Continuous Practice
Long-term wildfire preparedness is not about expecting a fire every year. It is about creating a resilient, well-managed landscape that can better withstand unpredictable events. Maintaining native grasses, managing fuel continuity, and planning infrastructure improvements over time ensures the land remains productive and safer under a variety of conditions. 

Building Resilient Rangelands
By treating preparedness as part of overall stewardship, landowners reinforce their long-term investment in rangeland health. The combined effect of fuel management, infrastructure planning, monitoring, and adaptive management reduces potential wildfire impact while sustaining the ecological and economic productivity of West Texas rangelands. 

Dry, Warm, Windy, and Fuel.

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  • Drought conditions (D1–D4) increased to 33% of the state, up from 24% four weeks ago; statewide reservoir storage decreased to 73.9% full, down from 75.6% four weeks ago, about 6 percentage points below normal for this time of year.
  • We are now a La Niña Advisory with a 55% chance of La Niña conditions continuing into the January-March season.
  • Most of the state is projected to be in drought over the next three months.

Isn’t it ironic that this last summer presented us with more than above average rainfall, yet not only is 33% of Texas in D1-D4 status, but our statewide reservoir storage is currently at 73.9%.  This becomes increasingly concerning as we watch La Niña take a firm hold with a 55% chance of La Niña conditions continuing into the January-March season.  Not only does this present challenging dormant season grazing management conditions, but wildfire will be at the top of rangeland manager’s concerns.

Bottom line, this winter will suck.  Get your game face on, dust off your drought plan, budget your numbers to see how late into winter/early spring your forage base can survive.  We will always remain optimistic, but we will also plan and prepare.  And with any rangeland management, we will remain adaptive holding strong to the grazing management and soil health principles guiding our practices and decisions.  For a comprehensive Wildfire Ready checklist, please click here and for our Preparing the Ranch publication click here.

Much appreciation to Robert Mace for his insight and wisdom in his outlook + water November 3, 2025 article found at: https://texaspluswater.wp.txstate.edu/.

 

Everything that reflects, is not gold

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On August 19, 2025, Secretary Rollins said “Our prime farmland should not be wasted and replaced with green new deal subsidized solar panels. It has been disheartening to see our beautiful farmland displaced by solar projects, especially in rural areas that have strong agricultural heritage. One of the largest barriers of entry for new and young farmers is access to land. Subsidized solar farms have made it more difficult for farmers to access farmland by making it more expensive and less available. We are no longer allowing businesses to use your taxpayer dollars to fund solar projects on prime American farmland, and we will no longer allow solar panels manufactured by foreign adversaries to be used in our USDA-funded projects.”

A new journal article from Bacon et al. (2025)  recently looked at effects of large-scale solar installations on rangelands, arid landscapes critical for grazing, biodiversity, and carbon storage, disruption of ecosystem services with immediate and long-term consequences. Based on a global assessment of solar park impacts (Hernandez et al., 2019) and new, summarized data from Bacon et al. (2025), we continue to documented, research-based cascading effects on biodiversity, soil, water cycles, and climate regulation, exacerbated by construction, operation, repairs, and eventual panel degradation.

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Restoring Rangeland in Sterling County: Combating Compaction with Bamert Seed Company

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In the arid landscapes of West Texas, where shallow soils and unpredictable rainfall define the rangeland ecosystem, stewardship is key to maintaining productivity and preventing long-term degradation. Sterling County has faced a relentless drought over the past few years, exacerbating challenges for livestock producers. Compounded by disturbances from transmission line work in 2023, which compacted soils and stripped vegetation, one particular site required urgent intervention to stabilize against erosion and potential desertification.

 

 

Back in May 2023, the drought spanning about 2.5 years at that point, had already stressed the aboveground plant communities, reducing forage production, species diversity, and ground cover. Belowground, soil health suffered, with diminished water infiltration, stability, and structure. The transmission work further altered the site’s ability to respond to rainfall, threatening infinite impacts on productivity.

 

 

Recommended Seed Mix and Reseeding Protocol

In order to begin restoring the compacted and degraded site, we knew we needed to promote rapid germination and establishment of native, perennial grasses. So we focused on a seed-mix of diverse blend of cool- and warm-season grasses, incorporating short, mid, and tall structures for functional variety. Forbs were also included to enhance biodiversity and soil cover. Here’s the full recommended species list:

Category: Grass

Species include:

  • Common curly mesquite
  • Buffalograss
  • Sideoats grama
  • Little bluestem
  • Green sprangletop
  • Blue grama
  • Hairy grama
  • White tridens
  • Sand dropseed
  • Silver bluestem
  • Hooded Windmill Grass
  • Canada Wildrye

Category: Forbs

Species:

  • Engelmann’s daisy
  • Orange zexmenia
  • Bush sunflower

We worked with Brian Hays of Bamert Seed Company (contact: 806-395-3141) to prep the site and prepare the seed mix. Given the disturbance’s intensity and landowner’s commitment to rangeland function and process, frequent monitoring was advised to detect early erosion or invasive species.

 

 

Collaborative Research Demonstration: Monitoring Reseeding Impacts

Building on these recommendations, reseeding strategies were implemented in 2024 on the disturbed and compacted rangeland. We’re proud to collaborate with Sterling County Extension Agent Caleb Kott on this as a research demonstration project. The goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts in stabilizing the site and restoring productivity.

 

 

Our monitoring uses on-the-ground monitoring applying point intercept cover transects to assess vegetation establishment and ground cover changes over time. Talk to Caleb for more information on his Research Demonstration report! Complementing this fieldwork, we leverage data from the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) to track biomass production and analyze long-term trends. This dual approach helps quantify how reseeding mitigates erosion risks and combats desertification in vulnerable West Texas soils.

 

 

Insights from Historical and Current Production Data

RAP data provides a clear picture of the site’s challenges and progress. Over the long-term period from 1986 to 2025, the average annual production is 1,100 lbs/acre. In this figure, a distinct drop in production in 2023 occurred, and the second disturbance occurred shortly after from the transmission line construction.

For 2025 specifically, cumulative production through mid-September stands at 572 lbs/acre, which is about 63.13% of the long-term average for that date (906 lbs/acre). Here’s a snapshot of the 16-day incremental production trends for 2025:

These figures underscore the ongoing recovery needs, but early data from our reseeding demonstration suggests positive shifts in cover and stability—insights we’ll continue to share as monitoring progresses.

Looking Ahead: Sustainable Rangeland Management

Projects like this highlight the resilience of West Texas rangelands when proactive measures are taken. By addressing soil erosion head-on and restoring native vegetation, we’re not just aiding one producer but contributing to broader efforts against desertification in drought-prone regions. If you’re facing similar challenges, reach out to your local County Extension agent for tailored advice. And definitely have a conversation with our friends at Bamert Seed Company.  They are instrumental at putting all these pieces of the restoration puzzle together, especially on shallow soils of semi-arid rangelands.  Together, we can ensure these vital ecosystems thrive for generations.

 

Native Perennial Grasses: Powerhouses Belowground

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When we think of rangelands, it’s easy to focus on the grasses we see aboveground, the leaves, stems, and seedheads obvious in the West Texas wind. But the real powerhouse of grass growth and survival lies beneath the soil. Our publication, Understanding Native Perennial Grass Growth, highlights how native perennial grasses rely on underground bud banks to regrow after grazing, fire, or drought.

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Five Characteristics of a Rangeland Steward

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What a privilege to be asked by West Texas Rangelands to write a short article about “Five Characteristics of a Rangeland Steward!” My range career started in the seventh grade when I participated in my first 4-H Rangeland Evaluation Contest in Junction, Texas.  However, I didn’t learn about rangeland stewardship until I was a junior in high school while attending the Texas Section Youth Range Workshop.  Since the inception of YRW, the rangeland stewardship component has been a fundamental component.  So important that we start and finish each day with STEWARDSHIP.  The following five characteristics of a rangeland steward are in no particular order for I feel that the whole is greater than the parts.

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Grazing and Carbon: Finding the Balance

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When we think of livestock grazing, we often focus on the immediate impact on rangelands. But grazing can directly influence (good or bad) long-term organic material and carbon stored in soil. 2024 research published in Nature Climate Change highlights the critical role that grazing plays by analyzing global carbon stocks dynamics from 1,473 samples from across the world.

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Escaped Prescribed Fire Patterns

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Prescribed fires are a necessary process for rangeland management, helping to reduce fuel loads, restore ecosystems, and mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires. More importantly, the estimated escape rate across the U.S. is quite low, at 0.16% (2022). A recent study by Li et al. (2025) sheds light on the spatial and temporal patterns of escape prescribed fires, offering crucial insights for rangeland managers and fire professionals.

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Grazing Against the Flames: Using Targeted Grazing to Combat Wildfires

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Wildfires are an escalating global crisis, marked by increasing size, frequency, suppression costs, and devastating losses. In the search for effective mitigation strategies, targeted grazing has emerged as a promising technique, strategically employing livestock to manage vegetation and diminish wildfire risks.  

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