No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Brush management for improving wildlife habitat in SouthTexas is important because of the economic value of wildlife. We determined vegetation responses to (1) roller chopping of guajillo (AcaciaberIandieriBenth.)-blackbrush acacia (A. rigidulaBenth.)dominated rangeland and (2) heavy dischrg of whitebrush (Aloysia &ioides Cham.)-dominated rangeland to improve white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Raf.) habitat. Canopy cover of vegetation was estimated seasonally during August 1988 to April 1990. Both treatments reduced brush canopy cover, but herbaceous response depended on rainfall. Mean herbaceous cover was 65 and 136% higher on roller chopped sites than on untreated sites when averaged across all sampllng dates. Heavy diseing reduced relative canopy cover of whltebrush but increased cover of spiny hackberry (Celtis pallida Torr.), an important browse species. Forb species richness was higher on roller chopped and disced sites than on untreated sites, but species diversity was similar. Because herbaceous response to brush removal may depend on rainfall, other factors such as effects on browse availability and nutritional quality may need to be considered when plannhrg brush management strategies to improve white-tailed deer habitat.

Highlight: One hundred thirty-two coyotes, 27 opossums, 22 skunks, 18 bobcats, 15 raccoons, 12 badgers, and one gray fox were killed on a 1,550-ha area of mixed brush rangeland in South Texas during January-July 1975 and 1976 to determine the responses of herbivore and quail populations to predator control. When compared to an area without predator control, predator removal at this level had little discernible effect on density trends of bobwhite or scaled quail, rodents, or lagomorphs. However, fawn production per unit area was 70% greater in 1975 on the area with predator control and 43% greater in 1976. These data suggest that intensive short-term predator control on South Texas rangeland results in little or no adverse impact on range forage due to expanding populations of small herbivores. Productivity and populations of white-tailed deer may increase and harvests should be adjusted accordingly, as overuse of range forage could occur.