Woody Plants and Wildlife Brush Sculpting in South Texas and the Edwards Plateau Robert K. Lyons, Tim F. Ginnett and Richard B. Taylor* ur perspective is changing on the value of brush or woody plants. When Texas rangeland was used primarily for livestock, managing brush meant eradicatiOng it, or at least removing certain unwanted species. Now rangeland owners are shifting to multiple use, which includes managing for wildlife, recreation and aesthetic value. Accordingly, our view of woody plants has changed to one that values these plants in appropriate amounts for wildlife and other benefits. The essential elements of wildlife habitat include food, cover and water. Because woody plants provide some or all of these requirements, managing these plants is important. Woody plants provide food in the form of leaves, flowers, pollen, nectar, mast and fruit. Some woody plants also pro- vide cover, which protects and shelters wildlife from preda- tors and inclement weather. The kind and amount of cover required varies among wildlife species. Many birds also use these plants for nesting, nighttime roosting and daytime loafing. Plants such as cacti even provide water. *Assistant Professor and Extension Range Specialist, and Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University, The Texas A&M University System; Wildlife Biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Loc. Food Cover Water SE Species TP Forage Mast Fruit Protection Nesting Roosting P Agarito, desert holly, Mahonia trifoliolata ✔ ✔ b i o i o B F o B F o B F Allthorn, Koeberlinia spinosa ✔ ✔ i o o B F o B F Amargosa, Castela texana ✔ ✔ i i o F B Anaqua, Ehretia anacua ✔ ✔ b i o B F o B F B F B F Blackbrush, Acacia rigidula ✔ ✔ b i i o B F o B F B F B F Blackcherry, Prunus serotina ✔ i o B F B F B F o B F o B F Brasil, Condalia hookeri ✔ ✔ i o i o B F o B F B F B F B F Catclaw acacia, Acacia greggii ✔ ✔ b i o i o B F o B F B F B F Catclaw mimosa, Mimosa spp. ✔ ✔ b i o B F o B F Cedar elm, Ulmus crassifolia ✔ ✔ i i o B F o B F o B F o B F Cenizo, purple sage, Leucophyllum frutescens✔ ✔ b i B F B Coma, Bumelia celastrinum ✔ i i o B F o B F B F B F Coyotillo, Karwinskia humboldtiana ✔ ✔ o B F Creosotebush, Larrea tridentata ✔ ✔ b o o Desert yaupon, Schaefferia cuneifolia ✔ ✔ i i o B F Elbowbush, Forestiera pubescens ✔ b i i o B F o B F Ephedra, Ephedra spp. ✔ ✔ i o B F o Evergreen sumac, Rhus virens ✔ ✔ b i o B F o B F Feather dalea, Dalea formosa ✔ ✔ b i o B F Flameleaf sumac, Rhus glabra ✔ i i o B F o B F Four-wing saltbrush, Atriplex canescens ✔ ✔ i o i o B F o Fragrant mimosa, Mimosa borealis ✔ b i o B F o B F Granjeno, spiny hackberry, Celtis pallida ✔ ✔ b i o i o B F B F B B F o B F Greenbrier, Smilax spp. ✔ ✔ i o B F Green condalia, Condalia viridis ✔ i o B F B F B F B F Guajillo, Acacia berlandieri ✔ ✔ b i i o B F o B F Guayacan, Guaiacum angustifolium ✔ ✔ b i B F o B F B B Gum bumelia, Bumelia lanuginosa ✔ ✔ b i o B F o B F B F B F Hercules’-club pricklyash, Zanthoxylum clava-hercules ✔ i o B F B F B F B F Hogplum, Colubrina texensis ✔ ✔ i i o B F o B F F Honey mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa ✔ ✔ b i i o B F o B F B F B F Hoptree, Ptelea spp. ✔ i o B F B F B F Huisache, Acacia smallii ✔ ✔ b i o i o B F o B F B F B F Juniper, Juniperus spp. ✔ i o B o B F B B Knife-leaf condalia, Condalia spathulata ✔ i o B F o B F Lantana, Lantana spp. ✔ ✔ b B F o Lime prickly-ash, Zanthoxylum fagara ✔ b i o B F o B F B F B F Littleleaf sumac, Rhus microphylla ✔ ✔ i i o B F o B F B B Lotebush, Ziziphus obtusifolia ✔ ✔ i i o B F o F B Mexican buckeye, Ungnadia speciosa ✔ ✔ b i o B F B F B F Mountain laurel, Sophora secundiflora ✔ ✔ b B F Narrowleaf forestiera, Forestiera angustifolia✔ ✔ b i i o B F o B F Netleaf hackberry, Celtis reticulata ✔ b i i o B F o B F B F B F Oaks, Quercus spp. ✔ ✔ i i o B F o B F o B F B F Palo verde, Parkinsonia texana ✔ b i o i o B F o F B B Pecan, Carya illinoensis ✔ ✔ i o B F o B F o B F o B F Poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans ✔ ✔ i B F Possum-haw holly, Ilex decidua ✔ i o B F B F B B Pricklypear cactus, Opuntia spp. ✔ ✔ i o i o B F o F o F i o B F Redbud, Cercis canadensis ✔ b i B F B F B F Retama, Parkinsonia aculeata ✔ ✔ b i i o B F B Loc. Food Cover Water SE Species TP Forage Mast Fruit Protection Nesting Roosting P Agarito, desert holly, Mahonia trifoliolata ✔ ✔ b i o i o B F o B F o B F Allthorn, Koeberlinia spinosa ✔ ✔ i o o B F o B F Amargosa, Castela texana ✔ ✔ i i o F B Anaqua, Ehretia anacua ✔ ✔ b i o B F o B F B F B F Blackbrush, Acacia rigidula ✔ ✔ b i i o B F o B F B F B F Blackcherry, Prunus serotina ✔ i o B F B F B F o B F o B F Brasil, Condalia hookeri ✔ ✔ i o i o B F o B F B F B F B F Catclaw acacia, Acacia greggii ✔ ✔ b i o i o B F o B F B F B F Catclaw mimosa, Mimosa spp. ✔ ✔ b i o B F o B F Cedar elm, Ulmus crassifolia ✔ ✔ i i o B F o B F o B F o B F Cenizo, purple sage, Leucophyllum frutescens✔ ✔ b i B F B Coma, Bumelia celastrinum ✔ i i o B F o B F B F B F Coyotillo, Karwinskia humboldtiana ✔ ✔ o B F Creosotebush, Larrea tridentata ✔ ✔ b o o Desert yaupon, Schaefferia cuneifolia ✔ ✔ i i o B F Elbowbush, Forestiera pubescens ✔ b i i o B F o B F Ephedra, Ephedra spp. ✔ ✔ i o B F o Evergreen sumac, Rhus virens ✔ ✔ b i o B F o B F Feather dalea, Dalea formosa ✔ ✔ b i o B F Flameleaf sumac, Rhus glabra ✔ i i o B F o B F Four-wing saltbrush, Atriplex canescens ✔ ✔ i o i o B F o Fragrant mimosa, Mimosa borealis ✔ b i o B F o B F Granjeno, spiny hackberry, Celtis pallida ✔ ✔ b i o i o B F B F B B F o B F Greenbrier, Smilax spp. ✔ ✔ i o B F Green condalia, Condalia viridis ✔ i o B F B F B F B F Guajillo, Acacia berlandieri ✔ ✔ b i i o B F o B F Guayacan, Guaiacum angustifolium ✔ ✔ b i B F o B F B B Gum bumelia, Bumelia lanuginosa ✔ ✔ b i o B F o B F B F B F Hercules’-club pricklyash, Zanthoxylum clava-hercules ✔ i o B F B F B F B F Hogplum, Colubrina texensis ✔ ✔ i i o B F o B F F Honey mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa ✔ ✔ b i i o B F o B F B F B F Hoptree, Ptelea spp. ✔ i o B F B F B F Huisache, Acacia smallii ✔ ✔ b i o i o B F o B F B F B F Juniper, Juniperus spp. ✔ i o B o B F B B Knife-leaf condalia, Condalia spathulata ✔ i o B F o B F Lantana, Lantana spp. ✔ ✔ b B F o Lime prickly-ash, Zanthoxylum fagara ✔ b i o B F o B F B F B F Littleleaf sumac, Rhus microphylla ✔ ✔ i i o B F o B F B B Lotebush, Ziziphus obtusifolia ✔ ✔ i i o B F o F B Mexican buckeye, Ungnadia speciosa ✔ ✔ b i o B F B F B F Mountain laurel, Sophora secundiflora ✔ ✔ b B F Narrowleaf forestiera, Forestiera angustifolia✔ ✔ b i i o B F o B F Netleaf hackberry, Celtis reticulata ✔ b i i o B F o B F B F B F Oaks, Quercus spp. ✔ ✔ i i o B F o B F o B F B F Palo verde, Parkinsonia texana ✔ b i o i o B F o F B B Pecan, Carya illinoensis ✔ ✔ i o B F o B F o B F o B F Poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans ✔ ✔ i B F Possum-haw holly, Ilex decidua ✔ i o B F B F B B Pricklypear cactus, Opuntia spp. ✔ ✔ i o i o B F o F o F i o B F Redbud, Cercis canadensis ✔ b i B F B F B F Retama, Parkinsonia aculeata ✔ ✔ b i i o B F B Roemer acacia, Acacia roemeriana ✔ ✔ b i i o o B F B F B F Rusty blackhaw, Viburnum rufidulum ✔ i i o B F o B F B F B F Shrubby blue sage, Salvia ballotiflora ✔ ✔ i o Skunkbush sumac, Rhus aromatica ✔ i i o B F Southwest bernardia, Bernardia myricifolia ✔ ✔ b i B F Sugar hackberry, Celtis laevigata ✔ ✔ b i i o B F o B F o B F o B F Sweet mountain grape, Vitis monticola ✔ i o B F o B F Tasajillo, Opuntia leptocaulis ✔ ✔ i i o B F B o B F Texas ebony, Pithecellobium flexicaule ✔ b i i o B F B F B F Texas kidneywood, Eysenhardtia texana ✔ ✔ b i o B F o Texas persimmon, Diospyros texana ✔ ✔ b i i o B F o B F B F B F o B F Texas Sophora, Eve’s necklace, Sophora affinis ✔ i i o B F B F Twisted acacia, Acacia schaffneri ✔ ✔ i i o F o B F o B F o B F Walnut, Juglans spp.