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!

Management & Microbes: How Fire and Grazing Shape Soil Life Below the Surface

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When we think about the effects of fire and grazing, we often focus on what’s visible—charred grasses, shifting plant communities, and changes in wildlife behavior. But just beneath our feet, a powerful shift is also happening. Fire and herbivory don’t just impact the surface—they reshape entire microbial communities within the soil, influencing how rangelands recover, grow, and function long after the flames cool off or the herd moves on.

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Getting to the Root of It: Understanding Grassland Decline in a Drying World

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getting to the root of it infographicOur grasslands are incredible ecosystems, vital for everything from supporting wildlife to producing our food. But what happens when snaps of extreme climate occur and prolonged drought becomes the new norm? A fascinating new study, dives deep into the unseen world beneath our feet to show us the progression of grassland decline under increasing aridity and desertification. 

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Understanding Nitrate Leaching: The Hidden Threat After Extreme Weather Shifts

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Texas summers all too often bring rapid and/or prolonged drought conditions, whereas our Texas winters can deliver heavy rains with extended saturated conditions. While rangeland managers welcome any rains, this combination and rapid shifts of extreme weather events from dry to wet or vice versa can lead to a hidden problem: nitrate-contaminated groundwater.

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Structural Changes Drive Functional Changes

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Woody Encroachment soil graphic changeRangelands, vast and vital, are more than just scenic landscapes. They’re complex ecosystems providing essential services, from clean air and water to livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. But these valuable areas face a growing threat: woody plant encroachment. This occurs when shrubs and trees increase in density and coverage, often at the expense of grasslands. While it might seem like a simple change in vegetation, the consequences are far-reaching, impacting everything from soil health to water availability.

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Getting to The Root of It

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Interactions between plants and soils, plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) are widely known to influence patterns of plant diversity at local and landscape scales. However, these interactions are rarely examined in the context of environmental factors. Prescribed fire is an environmental factor that alters microbial communities (Pourreza et al. 2014, Hedo et al. 2015, Prendergast-Miller et al. 2017). Prior to the study below, the influence of fire on PSFs was unexamined. Does fire affect PSF in woody legumes and what does it mean for Texas landowners? This study helped to answer this question by comparing soil microbial communities under living woody legumes, collected both within and outside of a burned area. 

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