Throughout the nation the grant program has provided stable federal funding totaling more than $573 million since 2000 to state agencies such as Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which has received about $3 million a year for Texas conservation, which has been put to work on various fish and wildlife management projects across the state.

The Texas coalition is leading plans to host a series of 5 briefings and tours for elected officials and news media in early September. These special events will take place in Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston, as well as Northeast Texas and the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Texas Parks and Wildlife staff will be providing information and playing a supporting role in these events to help showcase how SWG funds have been used in Texas.

If you hunt, fish, or just enjoy looking at fish and wildlife habitat in Texas, then these grants have helped to make the state even better. Thanks to federal and state officials for putting these wildlife grants to good use!

Alternatively, drought-prone ecosystems that already face extremely variable rainfall may be well equipped to withstand increased drought. How drought alters ecosystem function will be important for both the ecosystem itself and for ecosystem feedbacks to climate change.

The Edwards Plateau in central Texas is an ideal location for addressing the effects of increased drought on grassland ecosystems, because soil type (limestone-derived mollisols) and vegetation (grassland savanna) are largely similar while rainfall declines from east to west (see photo below). Rainfall across the Plateau varies from about 36 inches in the east to about 16 inches in the west, with a decrease of about 4 inches every 25 to 30 miles.

In a drier future climate, eastern areas of the gradient may face conditions now represented in the west. Working in savanna grasslands across the Plateau will be informative for ecosystems beyond central Texas, as these habitats represent 30% of the terrestrial Earth surface and are predicted to become more prevalent with increased drought.

We will focus on rain effects on ecosystem carbon cycling because of the importance of soil organic matter to soil fertility and structure, as well as the impacts of carbon balance on ecosystem feedbacks to climate change. Increased drought is likely to affect ecosystem carbon cycling through plant productivity (inputs) and decomposition rates (fluxes).

We will use the Edwards Plateau rain gradient as a proxy for future climate, to help increase our understanding of how future drought will affect carbon cycling in central Texas grasslands. We will focus on plant productivity, standing pools of carbon in soils, the flux out of those pools (decomposition/ respiration), and the microbial drivers responsible for loss of carbon from the soil pool.

Project Objectives

• Define baseline plant productivity, soil carbon pools, soil carbon process rates, and soil microbial drivers across the rainfall gradient.
• Determine how changes in rainfall will affect plant productivity, soil carbon pools, process rates, and microbial drivers.

More on this study of climate change.

The department has also said that all side roads are also impassable to motor vehicles, but habitat should respond well. The Texas Department of Transportation is assessing damages and repair costs and WMA staff is trying to get a handle on side road damage. According to local accounts, the event marks the heaviest localized flooding since the early 1970s.

In addition to road damage, the WMA lost a five-acre fishing lake on the northern end of the 11,000-acre property when a dam failed, but reports no other structural damage. Surrounding WMAs were also temporarily closed to public access immediately following the event, but Richland Creek WMA has since reopened and Big Lake Bottom WMA is expected to reopen later this week.

Gus Engeling is a state-owned property that serves as a research and demonstration (wildlife management techniques) areas for the post oak savannah ecoregion of Texas. The WMA is open to visitors, birders, and provides public hunting opportunities for ducks, wild turkey, and white-tailed deer.

First, let me say that before consuming any wild food, be absolutely certain of its proper identity. Many plants have look-a-likes that appear very similar. So when in doubt, do not eat it. So after doing a little research, here are some of the edible Texas plants you can enjoy:

Wild onion (Allium canadense) – There are many bulb forming plants that resemble wild onions, some are toxic. Only harvest plants with the distinct odor of onions. The chopped green leaves can be used like chives and the bulbs are cooked as any other onions. Perennial.

Chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata) – Flowers used for seasoning. Perennial.

Chile pequin (Capsicum annuum) – Small and very hot red pepper. Perennial.

Pecan (Carya illinoiensis) – Edible nuts. Tree found along drainages and over sandy loam soils.

Texas persimmon (Diospyros texana) – Sweet black fruit. Small tree or shrub found on limestone soils in the western portion of the state. Common in the crosstimbers and the Edwards Plateau/Hill Country.

Eastern persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) – Sweet orange fruit. Small tree found primarily in the eastern portion of the state.

Anacua (Ehretia anacua) – Yellowish orange fruits are sweet and good for jams. A tree found in South Texas and the more arid regions of the state.

Mock pennyroyal (Hedeoma drummondii) – Leaves and flowers used for flavoring foods. Perennial.

Little walnut (Juglans microcarpa) – Small edible nut. A tree found throughout the state.

Black walnut (Juglans nigra) – Edible nut. Tree.

Agarita (Mahonia trifoliolata) – Sweet red berries that are great raw, put into cobblers, or made into jelly. A shrub found in Central Texas and north and west.

Barbados cherry (Malus glabra) – Bright red fruit that are high in Vitamin C. Shrub.

Blanco crabapple (Malus ioensis) – Yellowish green 1 inch diameter fruit that are good for jelly and cider. Small tree or large shrub.

Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) – Bright red fruit that are bland but colorful. Perennial.

Horsemint (Monardo citriodora) – Leaves used raw or cooked for flavoring in salads, cooked foods, and for tea. Annual.

Pink Evening Primrose, Showy Primrose (Oenothera speciosa) – Cook as greens or in salads. Best flavor when collected before flowering. Perennial or annual.

Prickly pear (Opuntia ellisiana or Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri) – Edible fruit, tender new pads are also edible when cooked as “nopales” or “nopalitos.” Cactus.

Wood sorrel (Oxalix spp.) – Add a few leaves, flowers, or green seedpods to a salad or soup as you would French sorrel. The flavor is strong and sour, so add sparingly. Rich in vitamin C, it also contains high amounts of oxalic acid. Similar to spinach, when eaten in large amounts, may tie up calcium. Perennial.

Corona de Cristo passionfruit (Passiflora foetida) – Fruits are mildy sweet, sometimes tart. Young leaves and plants tips are edible. Perennial vine.

Maypop passionfruit (Passiflora incarnata) – Fruit with edible pulp. Perennial vine

Yellow passionvine (Passiflora lutea) – Small edible fruit. Perennial vine.

Mexican plum (Prunus mexicana) – Fruit used for preserves and cooking. Tree.

Dewberry or Blackberry (Rubus spp.) – Fruit used for table, wines, cobblers, pies, and jelly. Perennial vine found in Coastal, East-Central, and East Texas.

Giant spiderwort (Tradescantia gigantea) – Above ground parts may be sauteed or eaten raw. Perennial.

Grape (Vitus spp.) – Purplish or blackish fruit good for table, wine, or jelly. Perennial vine.

That’s all the plants that I know about. If you know of any other edible plants in Texas please leave a comment below and share with everyone. Have fun, but be careful!

Dr. Richard Teague will explain how remote sensing technology is providing an opportunity for consistent and feasible biological monitoring at the landscape level. Dr. Teague believes that research and service must provide the linkage that enables managers to base decisions for sustainable land use on the principles of ecosystem function. When it comes to wildlife management, this is where the rubber meets the road!

In addition to his research, Dr. Teague is the Associate Resident Director and Professor at Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Vernon. There will be an opportunity for you to discuss your experiences dealing with biological monitoring including the problems and barriers keeping field biolgists from using the tool to its fullest potential. Discussion will be facilitated by Peggy Sechrist, a Holistic Management certified educator who brings years of training and experience in conflict resolution and group facilitation.

This is your chance learn about and create support for effective monitoring practices to insure a healthy Texas habitat now and into the future. This workshop will run from 1:00 pm-5:00 pm June 3rd and 8:00 am-noon June 4th. Free accommodations are available in a bunk house on site at Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area.

Do not wait to reserve your spot by May 28th and a chance to shape the future of biological monitoring in the Lone Star State! For more information please visit their website or call Peggy Cole at 830-868-2427.