Influence of Secondary Succession on Honey Mesquite Invasion in North Texas

Quantitative vegetational relationships are reported for an exclosure protected from domestic livestock since 1941. Only 14 percent of the honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr. var. glandulosa) stand recorded in 1941 remained in 1968. Age estimation indicated that no honey mesquite plants established after 1959. Average height of surviving honey mesquite plants was 0.5 m. Herbaceous vegetation within the exclosure is presently dominated by tobosa (Hilaria mutica (Buckl.) Benth.), buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Englem.) and vine-mesquite (Panicum obtusum H.B.K.). An adjacent, grazed area where the honey mesquite has been removed by hand periodically during the last 27 years is dominated by annual herbs and tobosa./El estudio se llevó a cabo en la estación experimental de la Universidad de Texas A & M cerca de Spur, Texas, E.U.A. Se encontró que el número de plantas de mezquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr. var. glandulosa), dentro de una exclusión protegida de pastoreo desde el año 1941, fué solo 14% del número original. Conforme los análisis de edad de los árboles de mezquite, no hubo plantas nuevas desde el año de 1959. Los zacates buenos aumentaron en abundancia y es posible que su competencia impidiera el establecimiento de plantas nuevas de mezquite.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202