The Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) is a wildlife management area with tallgrass prairie, an endangered ecosystem. Essential ecosystem processes, especially fire, are part of restoration. To support fire management efforts at LLELA and surrounding areas, this project evaluated and developed tools for fire restoration. The four primary prairie grasses respond favorably to burning. Fuel loads and fuel models vary by scale and survey method. One- and 10-hour fuel moisture can be predicted using a statistical model; 100- and 1,000-hour fuel moisture cannot. Historic weather data suggests that burning can occur when it is most effective. The production of ozone precursors produced by burning is comparable to those emitted every six minutes by regional automobiles.

This paper deals with a study of the rangelands in Coleman County just west south and west of the Western Cross Timbers of Texas. This problem consists of classifying certain rangelands in this area according to whether they are excellent, fair, good, or poor, the chief basis for which is their deterioration.

It is the purpose of this problem to classify the four major pastures of the McMurry ranch using the discussed classification system. The definite measurable qualities characterizing each condition of the system are used extensively in this study. The problem is concerned also with the observation of results of misuse, the present practices that could result in further depletion of portions of the McMurry ranch, and procedures being employed at the present time aimed toward the restoration of these depleted portions.

Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) is an 809-hectare property in Denton County, TX. A study of the vegetation community identified 466 species in 104 families, with 25% of the species from only two families, Asteraceae and Poaceae. The property demonstrates the characteristics of an early successional community, dominated by weedy species. Prairie communities are dominated by Johnson grass and ragweed, with climax tall grass prairie communities only in areas that have been planted with native grass seed. Forest communities are similarly in an early successional stage, dominated by the hackberry-elm-ash alliance, with small remnants of native Cross Timbers found in isolated patches. Species richness and diversity were highest in the forests and lowest in the wetlands; evenness, though not different across ecosystems, demonstrated a strong seasonal component. The species list was compared with previously reported lists for Denton County, and 256 species identified had not been previously reported for the county. A wetland restoration study was conducted to determine if there was a difference in survival and growth between potted transplants with intact root systems and bare-root transplants. Two different mesh sizes were used for protection, and the success of the different caging was evaluated. Of eight species, only four survived through the second growing season. There was no significant difference in the success of the propagule types for Sagittaria latifolia. The treatments planted with intact root systems showed significantly higher growth and reproduction than the bare-root treatments for Eleocharis quadrangulata, Heteranthera dubia, and Vallisneria americana. There was no survival recorded in the coarse mesh cages, likely due to the presence of crayfish that are able to get through the coarser mesh and feed on the transplants.