Plant Associations of the Edwards, Walnut, and Glen Rose Formations in Hays County, Texas

Vegetation sampling was conducted in plant communities over three geologic formations at the World Wildlife Fund's Pollard Refuge in Hays County, Texas. Woody vegetation was sampled using the point-centered quarter method, whereas herbaceous components were sampled by a quadrat method. Correlations between community composition and underlying geologic strata were noted with reference to exposure. The Edwards formation was characterized by an association of plateau live oak, Ashe juniper, Mexican persimmon, and cedar elm, with an understory of little bluestem, cedar sedge, curly mesquite, and dropseeds. The Walnut clay was dominated by Texas oak and Ashe juniper and a poorly developed understory composed mainly of cedar sedge, dichanthelium, and woody plant seedlings. The Glen Rose limestone was dominated by Ashe juniper and an understory composed principally of hairy grama and seep muhly. These data support the observations of Cuyler (1931) and Tharp (1939) concerning correlations between plant community distribution and underlying geological strata. Woody plant density was about the same and basal area cover was somewhat larger than those same parameters on similar geologic formations in studies by Van Auken (1988). Grass communities were better developed on hilltops than on slopes, perhaps indicating an advanced stage of succession.

Author dc:creator

• Lyday, George Michael

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lemke, David E.
• Schneider, Edward L.
• Fonteyn, Paul J.

• botany
• plant communities
• geological formations

Language dc:language

en

Identifier

Lyday, G.M. (1989). Plant associations of the Edwards, Walnut, and Glen Rose formations in Hays County, Texas [Master's thesis, Southwest Texas State University].

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:tdl-ir.tdl.org:10877/20409