Ecological Research Evaluation
Kendall County
Acreage: Approximately 170 acres
County: Kendall
Nearest Town: Boerne
General Property Location: 10 miles northwest of Boerne, off of Kreutzberg Road.
Photo 1: Juniper/live oak parkland. Silver bluestem is the dominant herbaceous plant with scattered little bluestem. Selective juniper removal was implemented on uplands.
Photo 2: Juniper/oak parkland, with small amounts of Spanish oak. Indiangrass, silver bluestem, and little bluestem are dominant herbaceous plants.
Photo 3: Upland habitat dominated by Ashe juniper and live oak. Silver and little bluestem is found throughout.
Photo 4: Oak and juniper parkland dotted with persimmon, flame-leaf sumac, redbud, and cedar elm. The herbaceous layer is comprised of little bluestem, silver bluestem, and Texas grama, and lovegrass.
Photo 5: Typical vegetation of the large canyon. Spanish oak, Ashe juniper, and live oaks dominate the canopy. Texas persimmon and Lindheimer’s silk-tassel dominate the understory. Few grasses are found due to the lack of sunlight.
Photo 6: Close-up view of canyon vegetation. This habitat could possibly be home to the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler, Carolina Wrens, and several other breeding songbirds.
Photo 7: Photos 7-11 represent images of the large cave that is featured on this property. Though this is the main karst feature there are several smaller features located throughout the property.
Photo 11: Water flow that runs through the main cave. It is possible that endangered karst invertebrates, along with fish and salamanders exist in these areas.
Site Description
The roughly 170 acre property is located in south-central Kendall County, 10 miles northwest of Boerne, Texas. The Kendall County Ecolab property is irregularly shaped with its long axis occurring from west to east. The property is generally bordered by adjacent land owners, with the exemption of the western property line which borders along Kreutzberg Road. The property’s general slope is from the southwest to the northeast. A small tributary of Spring Creek occurs within a large canyon which cuts through the property from southwest to the northeast. A small intermittent, dammed tank can be found in the northwest corner of the property. The low points of 1160 ft MSL are present along the canyon floor of the tributary. The high point, approximately 1300 ft MSL, can be found along the upland near the entrance of the property. There are several karst features present throughout the property. The main karst feature contains 6 large rooms and contains a small stream which flows through the cave system. The property has perimeter fencing for livestock grazing, though livestock are not currently on the property.
Habitat Description
The habitats present on the property are very healthy, functional habitats typical of those found in the eastern Edwards Plateau. Three main habitat types occur on the Kendall County property. The juniper/oak parkland is found over the majority of the property and is the dominant vegetative type. The remaining habitat types include a juniper/oak woodland occurring along and above the Spring Creek tributary and several karst features highlighted by a large cave system.
The juniper/oak parkland is dominated by live oak, shin oak, Spanish oak, and Ashe juniper. Other trees scattered throughout the parkland include Texas persimmon, Hackberry, and cedar elm. The understory layer is comprised of redbud, flame-leaf sumac, agarita, prickly-pear cactus and several secondary growth junipers. Recent selective clearing efforts have created several open areas increasing the grass diversity. The herbaceous layer was dense and contained little bluestem, silver bluestem, Texas grama, hairy grama, Indiangrass, witchgrass, and sand lovegrass. King Ranch bluestem was found in small quantities throughout the property.
The woodland habitat is found along the small tributary and on the upland just above the steep slope. The steep slopes contain a mixture of Spanish oak, live oak, and mature Ashe juniper. Lindheimer’s silktassel, Texas persimmon, and small juniper compose the understory layer. The area above the slopes is dominated by several mature junipers. The herbaceous layer is sparse and scattered with silver bluestem and fall witchgrass.
The cave is located in the eastern portion of the property and could potentially house several karst species including invertebrates, fish, and salamanders. Each year there is a small population of bats that utilize the cave as a roosting site.
Soil Descriptions
There is only one soil type that is found throughout the Kendall County ecological laboratory property. The soil type found on the property is Eckrant-Comfort association, gently undulating. The soil is comprised of two main components, the Comfort series and the Eckrant series. Eckrant soil dominates the edges of the hilltops, whereas Comfort soils are found in the deeper more level areas of the hilltops. Eckrant soil is a well drained, very shallow, cobbly, clay soil. The topsoil extends to 7 inches deep with a total soil depth of 12 inches. Water runoff is rapid, soil permeability somewhat slow, and available water capacity very low. Eckrant soil has a shallow rooting zone and a severe hazard of water erosion. The Comfort soil is a well drained, shallow stony clay soil. The topsoil averages 8 inches deep with a total soil depth of 14 inches. Water runoff is slow to medium, soil permeability slow and available water capacity is very low. This soil has a severe hazard of water erosion and a shallow rooting zone. The Eckrant-Comfort association is classified within the Low Stony Hill range site. Typical vegetation includes live oak, shin oak, sumac, and kidneywood with a herbaceous layer comprised of little bluestem, Indiangrass, sideoats grama, fall witchgrass, sprangletop, orange zexmenia, sagewort, dalea, bush sunflower, and engelmanndaisy.
Research Possibilities
Due to the property’s size and different habitat types, a wide variety of research projects could be conducted. Flora/Fauna baseline data gathered from this site might prove useful due to lack of grazing pressure on the property. The diverse habitat types each support unique vegetation composition and structure.
The presence of existing varieties of diverse and healthy plant communities provide excellent habitat for wildlife. The oak/juniper upland parkland communities are home to a wide variety of wildlife. The steep canyons are potential breeding grounds for the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler. Golden-fronted and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Black-crested Titmouse, Carolina Wren, American Kestrel, Western Scrub-Jay, and several other bird species were observed during the initial site visit.
There is a main karst feature on the property, and several small features which are found throughout the property. It is possible that endangered karst invertebrates exist in these areas. Blind Cave Fish and salamanders have been recorded from this cave in previous years.
Mark Gray
Senior Wildlife Biologist
Plateau Land & Wildlife Management
