Texas Society for Ecological Restoration

 

TXSER 2015 Annual Conference:  Celebrating 20 Years of Ecological Restoration in Texas

 

November 13-15, 2015

Trinity University, Center for the Sciences and Innovation

San Antonio, Texas


Conference Presentations

 

Keynote Address:  Ecological Restoration:  An Evolving Agenda.  Steven Whisenant, Professor Emeritus, Department of Ecosystem Science & Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX – Steven Whisenant – TXSER 2015 Keynote Presentation

Saturday Plenary Address:  Grassland Invasion by Non-Native Grasses:  Ecological Issues of Multiple Species at Multiple Trophic Levels and Their Associated Restoration Concerns.  Mitchell Greer, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS – Mitch Greer – TXSER 2015 Plenary Presentation 

Sunday Plenary Address:  20 Years of Fire Management in Texas:  What Have We Done?  Glen Gillman, Park Land Manager, Travis County Parks, Austin, TX – Glen Gillman – TXSER 2015 Plenary Presentation 


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Saturday, November 14, 2015 – Morning Concurrent Tracks

Room 448, CSI Building

10:00 amEdwards Aquifer Region of South-Central Texas:  Unique Challenges and Solutions to LID Implementation.  Annalisa Peace, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance – Annalisa Peace – TXSER 2015 Presentation

10:20 amUtilizing Biological Monitoring and Designed Experiments to Guide the Implemention of an Aquatic Plant Restoration:  The Comal River Experience.  Casey Williams, Bio-West, Inc. – Presentation Not Available.

10:40 amImproving Ecological Functions with Rain Gardens.  Lee Marlowe, San Antonio River Authority – Lee Marlowe – TXSER 2015 Presentation

11:00 amRestoring Carbon Sequestration in Austin Riparian Zones.  Angela England, City of Austin Watershed Protection Department – Angela England – TXSER 2015 Presentation

11:20 amAssessing Ecosystem Health in Restoring and Unrestored Resacas of the Lower Rio Grande.  Buford Lessley, School of Multidisciplinary Sciences, University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville – Buford Lessley – TXSER 2015 Presentation

11:40 amRestoration Implications of Differential Responses to Interspecific Competition and Physiological Stressors for Native and Non-Native Submersed Aquatic Vegetation in Spring-Fed Central Texas Rivers.  Sarah Hester, Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University – Sarah Hester – TXSER 2015 Presentation

 

Room 170, Marrs McLean Building

10:00 amFish Assemblage Structure Indicates Limited Progress in Restoration Process Over a Lustrum in a Severely Degraded Estuary of Southern Tamaulipas, Mexico. Alejandro Fierro Cabo, School of Multidisciplinary Sciences, University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville – Alejandro Fierro Cabo – TXSER 2015 Presentation

10:20 amDeveloping Habitat Restoration Model for Narrow-mouth Frog (Kaloula borealis).  Sohyun Park, Department of Landscape Architecture, Texas Tech University – Sohyun Park – TXSER 2015 Presentation

10:40 amAlleviation of Abiotic and Biotic Stressors to Improve Thornscrub Forest Restoration in South Texas.  Heather Alexander, Department of Forestry, Mississippi State University – Heather Alexander – TXSER 2015 Presentation

11:00 amUse of Mature and Revegetated Woodlands by Breeding Birds in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.  Timothy Brush, Department of Biology, University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville – Timothy Brush – TXSER 2015 Presentation

11:20 amPopulation Response of Wintering and Breeding Songbirds to Large-scale Ongoing Grassland Restoration.  Anthony Henehan, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University, Kingsville – Anthony Henehan – TXSER 2015 Presentation

11:40 amUsing GIS to Develop Priority Areas for the Restoration of Eastern Wild Turkeys in Texas.  Jason Estrella, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department – Jason Estrella – TXSER 2015 Presentation

 

Saturday, November 14, 2015 – Early Afternoon Concurrent Tracks

Room 448, CSI Building

1:20 pmKR Bluestem:  Restoration to Native Grasses and Forbs.  David Davidson, Wild Mercury Preserve, Kendall County – David Davidson – TXSER 2015 Presentation

1:40 pmCoreopsis tinctoria Avoids Competition with a C4 Grass Through Temporal Gaps.  Kevin Eddy, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas, San Antonio – Kevin Eddy – TXSER 2015 Presentation

2:00 pmThe Effects of Density in a Three-Species System of Texas CGrasses.  Ann Adams, Department of Biology, Trinity University – Ann Adams – TXSER 2015 Presentation

2:20 pmChanges in Soil Microbial Community and Structure Along a Tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus) Density Gradient in South Texas.  Joshua Grace, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University , Kingsville – Joshua Grace – TXSER 2015 Presentation

2:40 pmPipeline Rights of Way Revegetation in the Eagle Ford Shale Oil and Gas Play.  Keith Pawelek, South Texas Natives Project, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University, Kingsville – Keith Pawelek – TXSER 2015 Presentation

 

Room 437, CSI Building – Treehouse

1:20 pmBicarbonate Utilization Potential of Submersed Aquatic Vegetation and Its Implications for Native Plant Restoration in a Spring-Fed Central Texas River.  Sarah Hester, Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University – Sarah Hester (2) – TXSER 2015 Presentation

1:40 pmTrickle Channel Resurrection:  A Wetland and Stream Restoration in Urban Austin.  Staryn Wagner, City of Austin, Watershed Protection Department – Staryn Wagner – TXSER 2015 Presentation

2:00 pmTechniques for Restoring Incised and Eroded Stream Channels.  Chase Currie, San Pedro Ranch, Carrizo Springs – Chase Currie – TXSER 2015 Presentation

2:20 pmEvaluating the Efficacy of Management Techniques (Mowing, Burning, and Herbiciding) on the Control of Cattail (Typha spp.) Across a Gradient of Nitrogen Loading.  Jason Martina, Department of Mathematics and Sciences, Our Lady of the Lake University – Jason Martina – TXSER 2015 Presentation

 

Saturday, November 14, 2015 – Late Afternoon Concurrent Tracks

Room 448, CSI Building

3:30 pmLarge Scale Ecosystem Restoration – How We Do It In Texas.  Georganna Collins, Ecology and Environment, Inc. – Presentation Not Available.

3:50 pmForb and Woody Species Restoration in the Texas Hill Country:  A Sequential Approach.  David Mahler, Environmental Survey Consulting – David Mahler – TXSER 2015 Presentation

4:10 pmRestoration Planning for Degraded Arid Landscapes.  Meshal Abdullah, Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station – Presentation Not Available

4:30 pm – Restoration of Ecosystem Services on Organic Agricultural Landscapes in South Texas with the Use of Cover Crops.  Savannah Rugg, Department of Biology, University of Texas – Rio Grand Valley, Brownsville – Savannah Rugg – TXSER 2015 Presentation

4:50 pm & 5:10 pmScience Can’t Tell Me What To Do:  The Limitations of Science and the Necessity of Emotion in Decision Making.  Matt McCaw, City of Austin, Austin Water Utility, Water Quality Protection Lands – Matt McCaw – TXSER 2015 Presentation

 

Room 437, CSI Building – Treehouse

3:30 pmEffects of Shrub Encroachment and Shrub Removal on South Texas Prairies.  Parker Watson, Department of Biology, Univesity of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville – Parker Watson – TXSER 2015 Presentation

3:50 pmThe Consequences of Changes in Grassland Species Composition on Rangeland Forage Value and Nutrient Cycling.  Austin Phillippe, Department of Biology, Trinity University – Austin Phillippe – TXSER 2015 Presentation

4:10 pmPotential Trade-Offs of Regulating and Cultural Ecosystem Services in Urban Areas of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.  Katharine Jones, Urban Ecology Lab, University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville – Katharine Jones – TXSER 2015 Presnetation

4:30 pmSeason of Prescribed Burning on Kleberg Bluestem (Dichanthium annulatum) in South Texas.  Adam Toomey, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Department of Animal, Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences, Texas A&M University, Kingsville – Adam Toomey – TXSER 2015 Presentation

4:50 pm & 5:10 pmJournal Review Groups:  Why Is your Work Area Not Doing This?  Kevin Thuesen, City of Austin, Wildland Conservation Division – Kevin Theusen – Journal Review Group – TXSER 2015 Presentation

 

6:00 pm – Tribute to Mark Simmons, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Informal Gathering – TEDx Talk – Mark Simmons – TEDx Talk – TXSER 2015 YouTube Video

 

Sunday, November 15, 2015 – Morning Session

Room 437, CSI Building – Treehouse

10:00 amFuel Management at the Wildland urban Interface (WUI):  Field Notes from the Water Quality Protection Lands of Austin, Including Review of an Air Curtain Incinerator (ACI) for On-Site Biomass Disposal.  Devin Grobert, City of Austin, Austin Water Utility – Devin Grobert – TXSER 2015 Presentation

10:20 amSmall-Scale Land Restoration – A Case Study.  Meg Inglis, Native Landscape Certification Program, Native Plant Society of Texas – Meg Inglis – TXSER 2015 Presentation

10:40 amUse of Competitive Dynamics to Inform Species Selection for Restoration.  Kelly Lyons, Department of Biology, Trinity University – Kelly Lyons – TXSER 2015 Presentation

11:00 amEarly Succession in a Restored Native Grassland in Southwestern Bandera.  Chris Best, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Chris Best – TXSER 2015 Presentation

11:20 amMonitoring Old World Bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) Invasion as Part of the Global Invaders Impact Network.  Charlotte Reemts, The Nature Conservancy – Charlotte Reemts – TXSER 2015 Presentation