Coastal Prairie Research Articles

Uncertainty and the Entanglement of Habitat Loss and Fragmentation Effects in the Management of Northern Bobwhite

There is a need to understand the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and other grassland bird species and relate this to conservation action and delivery, especially in areas of intensive anthropogenic development. Through our research, we investigated the factors contributing to habitat loss and fragmentation in order to prioritize management within the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GCP LCC) region of Texas, USA. For this geographic region, we completed these objectives: analyzed grassland bird habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from oil and gas development, which has become especially rapid in this region beginning in 2008, projected future habitat loss under possible future economic scenarios, modeled the outcomes of potential management alternatives, and identified drivers of habitat loss and fragmentation to direct management action toward minimizing threats to high-risk habitats. Using a modeling approach, we identified suitable bobwhite habitat and prioritized high-risk areas, particularly focusing on the best candidate areas for successful restoration. Briefly, point count data were related to patch- and landscape-level habitat characteristics using a modeling technique that formally estimated the scale of the landscape effect on bobwhite abundance. Thereafter, we identified possible management alternatives with the guidance of the GCP LCC and other stakeholders and modeled the consequences of these alternatives. Using results from this modeling, we produced an extinction risk map for northern bobwhite in this region. Our research adds to the understanding of the relationship between northern bobwhite populations and the expansion of energy extraction and also uses modeling informed by data to support a decision-making framework that incorporates uncertainty about this system to prioritize the conservation of high-risk and high-value areas of bobwhite habitat.

A Method for Setting Northern Bobwhite Population and Habitat Objectives for Large Landscape Partnerships

Population and habitat objectives are the foundation for many conservation actions. Often objectives set at one scale are difficult to translate to larger or smaller scales. Three bird habitat Joint Ventures, Gulf Coast, Oaks & Prairies, and Rio Grande, working cooperatively with the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative, have a common objective to stabilize northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations in four Bird Conservation Regions. We cooperatively developed a method using the North American Breeding Bird Survey trend for several scenarios with different time horizons (10-, 20-, 30-year, or longer), the spring home range size, and the per acre cost of habitat management actions, to set spring population and habitat objectives and projected costs. The spring population objectives can easily be converted to fall population objectives using the percent summer gain. We provide an example of how three Joint Ventures could use this methodology to set bobwhite objectives within their geographies and then scale those objectives up to the next larger geography, a Landscape Conservation Cooperative geography. This methodology can be used by other multi-state partnerships (e.g., Joint Ventures and Landscape Conservation Cooperatives) across the bobwhite range to provide the bobwhite conservation community meaningful objectives at regional and national scales.

Impacts of Habitat Fragmentation on Northern Bobwhites in the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative

The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) has experienced range wide declines over the last several decades, primarily due to loss and fragmentation of habitat. As populations decline, there is a need for understanding factors that impact bobwhite population persistence at local and regional spatial scales. Our goal was to assess changes in land use and their relationship to bobwhite declines at 3 different spatial scales (region, county, and home range) in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. We used North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data from 1974-2014 to create abundance maps and trends. At the regional scale, we compared bobwhite abundance with road density (2000, 2010), human population (1970-2010), and land use (1974-2012). We then used the BBS data to identify counties with stable and declining bobwhite abundance, and then compared bobwhite abundance to land use at metapopulation (800-9600 ha) and home range scales (15 ha). Bobwhite populations decreased from 45.93 ± 1.01 birds/count in 1970 to 11.55 ± 0.64 birds/count in 2012. as road density and human population increased. Pasture and other land increased, woodland was relatively stable, and cropland decreased in 2012. At the metapopulation level, declining populations had higher road density, more edge and patch area for pasture, and larger patches of cropland compared to stable populations. At the home range scale, declining populations had significantly fewer, and smaller, woody patches, more herbaceous habitat, and less bare ground. This study demonstrates that while on a small scale managers can provide woody cover and reduce cropland effects to support stable populations, the large-scale drivers of bobwhite decline, namely human population growth and the resulting loss of habitat, will be critical to quail management in the future.

Wintering grassland bird responses to vegetation structure, exotic invasive plant composition, and disturbance regime in coastal prairies of Texas

ABSTRACT Many migratory grassland passerines complete their annual life cycle within the United States and investigations into wintering ecology of these species are scarce, particularly in ecoregions where habitat quality is considered to be compromised, such as the coastal prairie of Texas. During 2008–2010, we investigated wintering grassland bird ecology as related to coastal prairie composition and management practices on the mid-upper Texas coast. To quantify grassland bird composition and density among management regimes, we performed 260 transect surveys on 40 different study site pastures deployed among 7 different management regimes, varying in plant community composition as well as frequency (or occurrence) of burning, grazing, and mowing from 29 October 2008–7 April 2009 and 17 November 2009–17 March 2010. A total of 79 bird species (48 species in 2008–2009 and 66 species in 2009–2010) were recorded during this study. Sites that were recently (<2 years prior) grazed, burned, or mowed tended to...

Macro-invertebrate Biodiversity of a Coastal Prairie with Vernal Pool Habitat.

BackgroundThe California Coastal Prairie has the highest biodiversity of North America's grasslands, but also has the highest percentage of urbanization. The most urbanized part of the California Coastal Prairie is its southernmost area, in Los Angeles County. This southernmost region, known as the Los Angeles Coastal Prairie, was historically dotted with vernal pools, and has a unique biodiverse composition. More than 99.5% of its estimated original 95 km2 (23,475 acres), as well as almost all its vernal pool complexes, have been lost to urbanization.The Madrona Marsh Preserve, in Torrance, California, safeguards approximately 18 hectares (44 acres) of Los Angeles Coastal Prairie and includes a complex of vernal pools. Its aquatic biodiversity had been studied, predominantly to genus level, but its terrestrial macro-invertebrates were virtually unknown, aside from butterfly, dragonfly, and damselfly observations.New informationIn order to better understand the biodiversity at the Madrona Marsh Preserve, a minimally-invasive macro-invertebrate inventory was conducted. The results of this inventory, with 689 invertebrate organisms recorded, covering eight phyla, 13 classes, 39 orders, and 222 families, are presented in this document.

Grassland compost amendments increase plant production without changing plant communities

AbstractCompost amendment to grassland is a novel strategy proposed and demonstrated to increase ecosystem carbon (C) storage. However, the effects of compost applications on biomass production and plant diversity are not well known. We assessed impacts of a one‐time compost amendment over 4 yr on plant dynamics in two grazed grassland ecosystems in California: a coastal prairie and valley grassland. The valley grassland was dominated by exotic annual grasses and had significantly lower species diversity than the coastal prairie, which consisted of a mix of perennial and annual grasses and forbs. We observed large and persistent increases in aboveground biomass. Over the 4 study years, aboveground biomass from compost‐amended plots increased by 76% ± 21% at the valley grassland and 41% ± 21% at the coastal prairie, compared with controls. Plant N content was also greater from compost‐amended plots. There were no major shifts in species richness or abundance at either grassland site. Overall, plant communities at both grasslands were relatively resistant to the compost addition, but responses of some individual species were observed. Notably at the valley grassland, the abundance of forbs decreased slightly, while the abundance of grasses increased. The abundance of two noxious weeds did not change as a result of the compost amendment. Our results suggest that a single application of composted organic matter used to sequester C provided cobenefits to grassland plant dynamics. The compost amendments produced sustained increases in plant productivity and forage production as well as plant N content without greatly affecting the diversity of these exotic annual grasslands.

Notice of release of Ramadero germplasm Spike Lovegrass: a selected class of natural germplasm

Ramadero Germplasm spike lovegrass ( Eragrostis spicata Vasey [Poaceae]) is a selected germplasm released for seed production and use in rangeland restoration and reclamation seeding associated with oil and gas exploration in South Texas. Ramadero Germplasm was developed by South Texas Natives and USDA NRCS E “Kika” de la Garza Plant Materials Center. Spike lovegrass is a warm-season, perennial bunchgrass that grows in moist prairies, swales, creeks (“ramaderos”), seasonal wetlands, and in saline and alkaline soils throughout the Rio Grande Plains, Coastal Sand Plains, and Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes of Texas. Ramadero Germplasm was collected from a native population in La Salle County, Texas. This seed source is recommended for use in native seed mixes for rangeland restoration on clay, clay loam, and saline clay ecological sites and in reclamation plantings on sites affected by oil and gas exploration in the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas production region of Texas. Ramadero Germplasm was selected for release because of excellent comparative growth, indications of region-wide adaptation, and high seed quality when compared with other native grass species and available releases of similar plants at 3 sites within the area of intended use. This release was made in large part because of the need for native seed with natural adaptations to soil characteristics of problematic reclamation sites in the Eagle Ford region.

Notice of release of Nueces germplasm Sand Dropseed: a selected class of natural germplasm

A selected germplasm release of sand dropseed ( Sporobolus cryptandrus (Torr.) A. Gray [Poaceae]) was cooperatively released in 2015 by the South Texas Natives project and the USDA NRCS E “Kika” de la Garza Plant Materials Center in Kingsville, Texas. This release is intended for use in range and wildlife plantings, right-of-way reseeding, and critical site seedings. Nueces Germplasm comprises 5 populations of sand dropseed collected from native plants in the Rio Grande Plains, Coastal Sand Plains, and Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes ecoregions of southern Texas. Selections were made from 26 accessions of sand dropseed based on plant performance data collected over 2 y at 3 evaluation sites representative of the intended area of use of the germplasm across South Texas. Following selection, outplants were grown from the original seed stock of each of the 5 accessions, were increased in isolation, and then blended for release in order to preserve genetic integrity of each source population. Nueces Germplasm represents the first selected, ecotypic seed source of sand dropseed for use in South Texas.

Notice of release of Duval Germplasm red lovegrass: a selected class of natural germplasm

A selected germplasm of red lovegrass (Eragrostis secundiflora J. Presl [Poaceae]) was released in 2015 for use in rangeland restoration, wildlife plantings, and right-of-way plantings in South Texas. Duval Germplasm is a blend of 4 accessions collected from the Rio Grande Plains, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, and Coastal Sand Plains ecoregions. Selections were based on plant characteristics evaluated over 2 y at 3 evaluation sites distributed throughout the intended area of use of the germplasm. Following selection, outplants were started from the original seed collections, and seed stock of the 4 accessions was increased in isolation to preserve genetic integrity of each source population. Seed from isolated increases is then blended to create Duval Germplasm. This release represents the first selected, ecotypic seed source of red lovegrass adapted to South Texas and the first known plant materials release of this widespread native grass species.

Response of Deeproot Sedge (Cyperus entrerianus) to Herbicide and Prescribed Fire in Texas Coastal Prairie

AbstractIntroduced accidentally from South America, deeproot sedge is rapidly expanding in a variety of habitats throughout the southeastern United States. Of particular concern is its rapid expansion, naturalization, and formation of monocultures in Texas coastal prairie, one of the most imperiled temperate ecoregions in North America. The objective of this research was to examine how deeproot sedge responds to prescribed fire, to the herbicide imazapic, and to treatment combinations of both. Combinations of prescribed fire and imazapic treatments and imazapic-only treatments effectively reduced deeproot sedge cover and frequency. However, plots exposed to dormant season fires (with no imazapic) had greater deeproot sedge cover after burn treatments were applied, indicating that coastal prairie management using only dormant season prescribed fire will not work toward reduction or management of this exotic invasive species. Although deeproot sedge cover was often reduced in fire–imazapic treatment combinations, it was still present in treatment plots. Moreover, desirable functional plant groups (i.e., native bunchgrasses) did not respond positively to the fire–imazapic treatments, but in some instances, woody plant coverage increased. Repeated, long-term approaches using integrated and coordinated efforts with multiple treatment options will be necessary to restore community structure to desired compositional levels. Such integrated approaches should be effective in reducing deeproot sedge frequency, cover, and extent to more manageable levels throughout its introduced geographic range.

The impact of Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) on stand dynamics in bottomland hardwood forests

Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) is an invasive tree species that competes with native species in bottomland hardwood forests in the western Gulf Coastal Plain of the southern United States. While much research has been done on Chinese tallow in coastal prairie ecosystems focusing on its establishment ecology, there is little known about its impacts on stand dynamics in forested ecosystems, where it is a growing problem. A paired-plot design was employed in 23 different stands along the Neches River, near Diboll, Texas, to compare sites with contrasting abundance in Chinese tallow. The objectives were to (1) determine the impacts of Chinese tallow on stand dynamics, (2) examine its impact on the light environment, and (3) determine if edaphic factors were correlated with stand structure on sites with varying stocking of Chinese tallow. Stand structural metrics were measured in 2012 and 2013, and the below-canopy light environment was estimated using hemispherical canopy analysis. Soil samples were collected for analysis in 2013. For all species, stand density was greater in plots with abundant Chinese tallow, while basal area, quadratic mean diameter, and relative density were lower (p<0.10). Chinese tallow presence was negatively correlated with overstory diversity, density of native species, oak density. We observed a greater maximum stand density index for bottomland hardwoods than has previously been reported (1200 trees ha−1 at 25cm QMD). Stand structure was most correlated to soil metal availability, yet relationships were weak (R2<0.30), potentially indicating minimal differences in edaphic conditions across our stands. Management to prevent Chinese tallow from replacing native species in bottomland hardwood forests includes proper density management of stands in areas where Chinese tallow is likely to grow and early detection of gap formation to allow treatment of establishing Chinese tallow before it outcompetes regenerating native species.

Efficacy of Exotic Control Strategies for Restoring Coastal Prairie Grasses

AbstractRestoration in Mediterranean-climate grasslands is strongly impeded by lack of native propagules and competition with exotic grasses and forbs. We report on a study testing several methods for exotic plant control combined with planting native grasses to restore prairies in former agricultural land in coastal California. Specifically we compared tarping (shading out recently germinated seedlings with black plastic) once, tarping twice, topsoil removal, herbicide (glyphosate), and a control treatment in factorial combinations with or without wood mulch. Into each treatment we planted three native grass species (Elymus glaucus, Hordeum brachyantherum, andStipa pulchra) and monitored plant survival and cover for three growing seasons. Survival of native grass species was high in all treatments, but was slightly lower in unmulched soil removal and control treatments in the first 2 yr. Mulching, tarping, and herbicide were all effective in reducing exotic grass cover and enhancing native grass cover for the first 2 yr, but by the third growing season cover of the plant guilds and bare ground had mostly converged, primarily because of the declining effects of the initial treatments. Mulching and tarping were both considerably more expensive than herbicide treatment. Topsoil removal was less effective in increasing native grass cover likely because soil removal altered the surface hydrology in this system. Our results show that several treatments were effective in enhancing native grass establishment, but that longer term monitoring is needed to evaluate the efficacy of restoration efforts. The most appropriate approach to controlling exotics to restore specific grassland sites will depend not only on the effectiveness, but also on relative costs and site constraints.

How Does Simulated Gopher Disturbance Affect the Establishment ofHolcus lanatusL. (Poaceae) in Calfornia Coastal Prairie?

Abstract Disturbance often has the net effect of promoting invasive plant establishment, but the precise nature of the relationship between disturbance and invasion can depend on community context. We used simulated gopher mounds in bare and monoculture plots of three California native grasses (Bromus carinatus var. maritimus [Piper] C. L. Hitch., Festuca rubra L., and Calamagrostis nutkaensis [J. Presl] Steudel) to test the effects of mounds on seedling establishment and survival of the European perennial grass Holcus lanatus L. Soil disturbance treatments were crossed with manipulations of the plant canopy (shade cages in bare and Bromus plots vs. pinning back grass leaves in Festuca and Calamagrostis plots) to separate some of the positive and negative effects of natural mounds. Mean PAR measured in February at the soil surface varied from 11 to 969 µm/m2/s. As predicted, shade structures that decreased light availability but also increased soil moisture generally increased Holcus seedling establishmen...

Total Nonstructural Carbohydrate Trends in Deeproot Sedge (Cyperus entrerianus)

Native to temperate South America, deeproot sedge has naturalized throughout the southeastern United States. Often forming dense, homogenous stands, deeproot sedge has become widespread, invasive, and potentially harmful ecologically throughout the coastal prairie ecoregion of Texas. Possessing characteristics (rapid growth, generalized habitat requirements) of other weedy congeners (purple nutsedge and yellow nutsedge), its relatively recent expansion highlights the critical need to develop effective control techniques and strategies for this species throughout this endangered ecoregion. Research was performed to delineate total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) trends in deeproot sedge rhizomes for development of a phenologically based schedule for herbicide applications and mechanical treatments. Overall, TNC levels were greatest in May to August and lowest from October to January, regardless of study area. Apparently, deeproot sedge exerts little energy into seed production because TNC levels were continually replenished throughout the growing season. As such, foliar-herbicide application throughout the growing season should achieve total plant kill. Conversely, deeproot sedge rhizome TNC levels never fell below 30%, even during winter, which indicates that winter mechanical treatments or winter prescribed fires will not be effective because substantial rhizome reserves are present to support resprouting during the next growing season. Beyond a priori prevention, sequential herbicide applications combined with integrated, sequential, prescribed fire and herbicide treatments will be needed for long-term deeproot sedge control throughout its geographic range.

Does Prescribed Fire Facilitate Fire Ant Invasions in Coastal Prairies or Aid Management by Improving Mound Search Efforts?

Abstract We established a high-intensity prescribed-fire experiment in shrub-dominated coastal prairie to quantify (1) the proportion of Red Imported Fire Ant mounds that are likely to be missed by applicators of individual mound-based chemical treatments in prairie, based on the number of mounds found in unburned prairie compared to recently burned areas, and (2) to track changes in the densities of Red Imported Fire Ant and native Red Harvester Ant mounds in response to growing-season prescribed fires conducted during drought. First, our data suggest insecticide applicators are likely to miss 48% of Red Imported Fire Ant mounds when applying individual mound treatments in shrub-infested prairie. Second, fire treatments did not increase Red Imported Fire Ant or decrease Red Harvester Ant populations. Prescribed fire may therefore provide an advantageous management option for prairie managers that does not increase densities of Red Imported Fire Ants, and maintains mound densities of Red Harvester Ants, w...

Tropical Storm Driven Hydrologic Regimes Support Spartina spartinae Dominated Prairies in Texas

We measured daily precipitation, duration of ponding and soil redox potential for 2 years in three coastal prairie sites near the mouth of the Rio Grande in south Texas. The area historically was dominated by gulf cordgrass, Spar- tina spartinae. Much of the area was plowed for agriculture and Spartina has not recolonized disturbed sites. Regulation of the Rio Grande has eliminated flooding and disconnected the study area from the river. The goal of this project was to use continuous measures of water levels and soil redox potential to determine whether the study areas have a wet- land hydrologic regime. Anoxic soils formed and persisted for at least 2 weeks only following hurricanes or large tropical storms that produced at least 15 cm of precipitation over 1-3 days and created ponding. Over the past century storms of this magnitude occurred only 1 out of 4 years. This study determined that the study sites do not support wetland hydrologic regimes due to river regulation, however reestablishment of the dominant wet prairie species is possi- ble through planting.

The Implications of Habitat Management on the Population Viability of the Endangered Ohlone Tiger Beetle (Cicindela ohlone) Metapopulation

Despite their role in providing ecosystem services, insects remain overlooked in conservation planning, and insect management approaches often lack a rigorous scientific basis. The endangered Ohlone tiger beetle (Cicindela ohlone) occurs in a 24-km2 area in Santa Cruz County, California. The once larger metapopulation now consists of subpopulations inhabiting five patches of coastal prairie where it depends on bare ground for mating, foraging, and oviposition. Human activities have eliminated natural disturbances and spread invasive grasses, reducing C. ohlone's bare-ground habitat. Management actions to restore critical beetle habitat consist of cattle and horse grazing, maintaining slow bicycle speeds on occupied public trails, and artificial creation of bare-ground plots. Recreational biking trails help maintain bare ground, but can cause beetle mortality if left unregulated. We tracked C. ohlone survivorship and estimated fecundity for three years. We then constructed a stage-structured population projection matrix model to estimate population viability among the five patches, and to evaluate the success of management interventions. We demonstrate that habitat creation, regulation of bicycle speed, and migration between patches increase C. ohlone survival and population viability. Our results can be directly applied to management actions for conservation outcomes that will reduce species extinction risk and promote recolonization of extirpated patches.

Modern pollen–vegetation relationship of plant communities in the Uruguayan Atlantic coast

Modern pollen–vegetation relationships are the basis for any paleo-study and are especially needed to understand fossil pollen assemblages and their ecological inferences. Some authors have proposed that lakes and ponds represent the surrounding vegetation through pollen grains captured by the lake. The aim of this work was to establish the modern pollen–vegetation relationships of coastal plant communities and pollen spectra represented in the surface sediments of a coastal shallow lake, and to evaluate whether spatial heterogeneity was captured by the Lake Chaparral in Perla de Rocha, Rocha, Uruguay. Pollen grains of five surface sediment samples were analyzed and related with a stratified sampling of vegetation communities surrounding the lake. Correspondence analysis and t test were used to determine plant communities and analyze the diversity of pollen assemblages. Several plant species relevant to conservation were registered, and plant communities were differentiated: coastal forest, dunes, prairies, and wetlands. However, due to limitations in taxonomic identification level for the grains of graminoids (Poaceae, Cyperaceae) in pollen assemblages, herbaceous communities highly represented by these botanical families were inferred as open environments. Pollen spectra registered at Chaparral Lake represented local and nearby vegetation well, according to both old and new theoretical models of lakes as a catchment pollen system. Several pollen grains were good indicators of the coastal forest (Myrsine sp., Ephedra tweediana Fisch. & C. A. Mey., Lithraea sp. and Tripodanthus acutifolius (Ruiz & Pav.) Tiegh.), and dunes (Chenopodiaceae, and Ambrosia sp. and Senecio sp.). The modern pollen–vegetation relationship established in this work is similar to those registered for the southern coast of Brazil, due to a shared forest component in both vegetation and pollen spectra. These results constitute primary data for the area, and we think this system is very appropriate for the historic reconstruction of coastal vegetation, particularly the coastal forest.

Effects of Salinization Pathways upon Morphogenic and Geochemical Features of Coastal-Margin Vertisols, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Aransas County, Texas

Coastal regions are predicted to experience changes in hydrology in response to climate-induced increases in sea-surface temperatures, sea-level rise, and shifts in weather patterns. These changes will likely alter pathways that marine salts enter coastal soils. This study aims to identify and quantify physical and geochemical changes in salt-affected vertisols and vertic intergrades forming on the Texas Gulf Coast. The characteristic morphogenic features of vertisols are formed as expandable clays experience seasonal fluctuations in moisture content within the profile, and smectite-group clays are more salt-sensitive than other clay types. This, coupled with their prevalence in low-lying coastal regions, makes the vertisol soil order useful for exploring how active pedogenic processes may respond to future climate scenarios. Soils were described and sampled along two transects in the Tatton Unit of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge from the coast of St. Charles Bay inland, including environments ranging from saline coastal prairie to saline-to-brackish tidal flats and tidal marshes. Macro- and micromorphological pedogenic features and geochemical patterns of major cations observed along each transect allowed for the interpretation of the relative influence of salinization pathways at the reserve based on distance from the coast and landscape position. Evidence of salinization due to underlying brackish groundwater was observed along both transects. In contrast, salinization due to surface inputs from marine sediment, tidal influence, and storm surge was more prevalent within the floodplain and at most coastal upland sites. Along both transects, slickensides and desiccation cracks appeared to be limited to the most well-drained upland sites, suggesting that a combination of increased saturation and salinization may be suppressing the formation of macroscopic vertic features.

Prescribed Extreme Fire Effects on Richness and Invasion in Coastal Prairie

AbstractWidely-held, untested assumptions in many prairies are that high-intensity fires conducted during droughts will decrease native herbaceous species richness and lead to rapid invasions by alien species. We compared native and exotic herbaceous species richness and aboveground herbaceous biomass one year following the application of high-intensity growing-season fires in Texas coastal prairie. Fires were conducted in June 2008, when precipitation was 96% below the long-term monthly average, at the end of a severe 5-mo drought, resulting in high fire intensities within treatment units. Native forb species richness was greater in burned than unburned areas. In contrast, species richness of native grasses, exotic forbs, and the frequency of King Ranch (KR) bluestem [Bothriochloa ischaemum(L.) Keng.] did not significantly differ between burned and unburned treatments. The potential to use prescribed extreme fire to maintain native herbaceous species richness while not increasing KR bluestem provides preliminary evidence that growing season fires conducted during droughts can be a viable management strategy in coastal prairies.