Ecological Research Evaluation

Bastrop County Site 1

 

 

 


Acreage:  Approximately 100 acres

County:    Bastrop

Nearest Town:  Bastrop          

General Property Location:  Two miles north off Bastrop.  East of Hwy 95 / Hoffman Road intersection. 

 

Photo 1:   Edge of loblolly pine forest.  Understory consisting of eastern red cedar.  Sparse herbaceous layer. 

 

 


Photo 2:   View of pipeline right-of-way running north to south through center of property.  Loblolly pines line the edge while the herbaceous layer dominated by little bluestem. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo 3:  Loblolly pine with post oak.  Herbaceous layer consisting of early successional plants including broomweed.   

 

 

 

Photo 4:   Woodland site dominated by eastern red cedar and post oak.  Elbowbush present at base of cedar. 

 

 

 

Site Description

 

The ~100 acre property is located in central Bastrop County off of Hoffman Road, just east of the Hoffman Road/Hwy 95 intersection.  The tract is part of the Lost Pines ecological area.  The irregularly shaped property has a pipeline running from north to south through its center.  The pipeline right-of-way is approximately 45 feet wide.  Though no mapped streams or ponds are present, the property contains several sharp drainages that may hold water in shallow pools for short periods following rain events.  The terrain slopes from southeast to northwest.  The high point, 551 ft MSL, can be found near the southeast corner while the low point of 400 ft MSL can be found where the five drainages converge and exit the property’s western boundary.  The soil survey of the property shows an old gravel pit in an approximately 4.5 acre area near the southeast corner.  The tract has perimeter fencing. 

 

 

Habitat Description

 

The property consists principally of a pine/oak/juniper forest which is typical of sandy soil sites in this area.  The property has not been grazed in many years and has not been impacted by prescribed or inadvertent fires.  Mixed-age loblollies comprise the bulk of the tree layer, though post oak, blackjack oak, and eastern red cedar can also be found in upland areas.  Near the sharp drainages, red mulberry and cedar elm were observed.  Observed erosion in the drainages was low, though water cutting action was present in some areas.  Shrubs were sparse in some areas and moderately abundant in others.  The most dominant shrub was yaupon, though American beautyberry, elbowbush, and possumhaw were also present.  The herbaceous layer consists almost entirely of leaf litter where the tree canopy cover was near 100%.  Areas receiving partial sunlight had an herbaceous layer consisting of little bluestem, Scribner’s rosette grass, poison ivy, green briar, Virginia creeper, and dewberry.  Little bluestem dominated the pipeline right-of-way which is the only sizable opening on the tract.  Broomweed and other early successional plants were present in disturbed areas along roadsides. 

 

 

Soil Descriptions (source - NRCS Bastrop County Soil Survey)

 

Jedd gravelly fine sandy loam soils are dominant and can be found in the tract’s central and western portions.  Approximately 18 acres of Edge soils are located in the northeast of the property, while a 3.5 acre area of Vernia soils is located in the southeast corner just east of the mapped gravel pit. 

 

Map unit:  AtD  -  Edge gravelly fine sandy loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes

 

This map unit is in the Texas Claypan Area, Southern Part (proposed) Major Land Resource Area.  Edge soils make up 95 percent of the map unit.  This component is on a ridge.  The runoff class is very high.  The depth to a restrictive feature is greater than 60 inches. It is well drained.  The slowest soil permeability within a depth of 60 inches is very slow.  Available water capacity to a depth of 60 inches is moderate, and shrink swell potential is moderate.  Annual flooding is none, and annual ponding is none.  The minimum depth to a water table is greater than 6 feet.  The maximum calcium carbonate equivalent within a depth of 40 inches is 2 percent.  In the profile, there are no saline horizons, and the maximum sodicity is moderate.  Moderately deep to very deep uplands with loamy surfaces and dense subsoils; slopes 0 to 5 percent; low natural fertility; seasonally wet or droughty; medium water holding capacity but poor to fair plant-soil-moisture relationship; medium to high production potential.  This component is in the CLAYPAN SAVANNAH, ecological site.  Climax vegetation is a post oak, blackjack oak savannah, with little bluestem, indiangrass, purpletop, brownseed paspalum, uniola, lespedezas, tickclovers, snoutbeans, sensitivebrier, and neptunia.

 

Typical Profile:

0 to 5 inches; moderately acid gravelly fine sandy loam

5 to 16 inches; strongly acid sandy clay

16 to 32 inches; strongly acid sandy clay

32 to 48 inches; slightly acid sandy clay loam

 

Map unit:  JeF  -  Jedd gravelly fine sandy loam, 5 to 20 percent slopes

This map unit is in the Texas Claypan Area, Southern Part (proposed) Major Land Resource Area.  Jedd soils make up 100 percent of the map unit.  This component is on a ridge.  The runoff class is high.  The depth to a restrictive feature is 20 to 40 inches to a bedrock (paralithic). It is well drained.  The slowest soil permeability within a depth of 60 inches is moderately slow.  Available water capacity to a depth of 60 inches is low, and shrink swell potential is moderate.  Annual flooding is none, and annual ponding is none.  The minimum depth to a water table is greater than 6 feet.  In the profile, there are no saline horizons, and there are no sodic horizons.  Moderately deep to very deep uplands with loamy surfaces and friable loamy subsoils; slopes greater than 8 percent; medium natural fertility; medium to high water holding capacity with good plant-soil-moisture relationship; medium to high production potential.

This component is in the SANDSTONE HILL, ecological site.  Climax vegetation is savannah and includes little bluestem, sand lovegrass, purpletop, sideoats grama, scribner panicum, post oak, live oak, elm, hackberry, bumelia, greenbrier, sensitivebrier, sagewort, lespedeza, and other forbs.

           

Typical Profile:

0 to 12 inches; slightly acid gravelly fine sandy loam

12 to 30 inches; strongly acid clay

30 to 80 inches;  bedrock

 

Map unit:  VeD  -  Vernia very gravelly loamy sand, 1 to 8 percent slopes

This map unit is in the Texas Claypan Area, Southern Part (proposed) Major Land Resource Area. Vernia soils make up 100 percent of the map unit.  This component is on a stream terrace.  The runoff class is very low.  The depth to a restrictive feature is greater than 60 inches. It is well drained.  The slowest soil permeability within a depth of 60 inches is moderate.  Available water capacity to a depth of 60 inches is low, and shrink swell potential is low. Annual flooding is none, and annual ponding is none.  The minimum depth to a water table is greater than 6 feet.  In the profile, there are no saline horizons, and there are no sodic horizons.  Deep and very deep, sandy uplands with sandy surfaces greater than 40 inches; low natural fertility; low water holding capacity with good plant-soil-moisture relationship; low to medium production potential.  This component is in the GRAVELLY, ecological site.  Climax vegetation is a post oak, blackjack oak savannah, with understory of American beautyberry, yaupon, hawthorns, and greenbrier. Little bluestem indiangrass, purpletop, brownseed paspalum, uniola, sideoats grama, occur with lespedezas, tickclovers, snoutbeans, and sensitivebrier.

 

Typical Profile:

0 to 48 inches; neutral very gravelly loamy sand

48 to 62 inches; strongly acid very gravelly sand

62 to 80 inches; strongly acid very gravelly sandy clay loam

           

 

Unique Research Possibilities

 

The property may be potential Houston Toad habitat.  The limiting factors for the endangered species are availability of standing water and the lack of an herbaceous grass layer. 

 

The tree, shrub, and herbaceous layers vary slightly to moderately depending on availability of sunlight, available moisture, and soil type.  These affect of these variables on flora/fauna numbers could be studied. 

 

Plant succession in a woodland habitat without grazing or burn disturbances could also be analyzed. 

 

 

Keith Olenick

Senior Wildlife Biologist

Plateau Land & Wildlife Management