The Natural Resources Management research program is committed to providing the highest standards of excellence in research on all aspects of regional, state, and global natural resource management and environmental sciences, including vegetation, animal, and water management. Accomplishments/impacts made possible by funding from the Legislative Appropriations Request include:
Water Use Impacts on Southern Plains Fishes. Methods are being developed to help enhance water quality and to restore fish populations to selected streams. Improving the flow and quality of water would increase fish and wildlife populations, and make the water more valuable for agricultural and municipal users, resulting in estimated benefits of more than $10 million per year.
Wind Energy and Playas. Developing methods to identify impacts of wind generation towers on wildlife use of playas, including migratory and resident birds. The research includes game species such as waterfowl which are economically important. In 2006, $107 million was spent in Texas by hunters of migratory birds.
Wind Energy and Lesser Prairie Chickens. A study team is involved with determining the impacts of wind energy development on lesser prairie-chickens. Determination of impacts will allow us to formulate mitigation measures which could result in benefits of over $12 million annually.
Sagebrush Community Restoration. Research with sagebrush plant communities aims to restore wildlife habitat and forage for livestock following large wild fires. Evaluation of the effectiveness of different seed application equipment and high diversity seed mixes shows sagebrush communities can be restored significantly faster than has been accomplished in the past. Improved drills for seeding and new seed combinations could save more than $10 million per year for the first two years following large wild fires.
Rangelands, Amphibians and Endangered Species. Researchers are developing management practices that benefit amphibian communities and promote healthy and sustainable rangelands and cattle production. The value of insect control by amphibians may exceed $8 million per year. Strategies for increasing survival of reintroduced endangered species. Developed a protocol for measuring the influence of capture myopathy, a complication during the capture and release of wild animals that can greatly reduce survival of relocated or reintroduced endangered species. Treatments which could increase the survival of relocated endangered species could save more than $10 million annually in restoration programs.
Management Strategies for Turkeys. Developed census techniques and population trend estimators which will allow managers to more effectively monitor populations and increase harvests. Successful management of identified limiting factors could greatly increase turkey population and result in annual economic benefits of over $5 million.
Management Strategies for Swift Foxes. Developed artificial burrows for denning foxes and other management strategies that increase the survival and distribution of swift foxes in Texas. These actions have resulted in the swift fox not being listed as endangered. Increased survival of swift foxes could potentially save private landowners and agencies over $10 million annually.
Management Strategies for Lesser Prairie-Chickens. Developed aerial census methods to more accurately estimate numbers of chickens and developing management strategies to increase prairie-chicken numbers. Lesser prairie-chickens have been petitioned to be put on the endangered species list. This research could save landowners over $15 million annually by helping prevent listing of lesser prairie chickens as endangered.