•
Cedar Trees Are Native, But...
Not
like we see today. Not at all like we see today.
The
Ashe Juniper that is overtaking the Hill Country has always
been here, but in localized breaks that were protected from
fires. The specimens were much bigger than what most people
have ever seen.
I've
lived in this area for eighteen years and just recently
have seen several true "old growth" trees in one area. They
are gorgeous, tall, and so big around that it takes two
people to reach their arms around the trunk. The tree that
we commonly call cedar has had many uses over the years,
and still does.
Starting
in the mid eighteen hundreds the native cedars were harvested
for building materials and charcoal production. The research
Išve done on the history of the area is that the Hill Country
was approximately 60% grassland and 40% tree covered with
Oaks, Elm, Juniper, and many others. The grass was very
dense and tall. At the same time the Junipers were being
harvested the grass was over grazed. Chain dragging and
other clear cut clearing methods were performed to make
more grazing area. This went on for decades. Settlers in
this area added one more important variable that has had
an important impact to the over infestation of cedar: we
stopped the natural prairie fires. Add all this together
and couple it with a very opportunistic species that is
extremely well adapted to the area and you get millions
of acres of young bushy cedar trees. It is well known that
this is detrimental to the amount of rain that makes it
down to the ground and the water that stays in the ground.
I have
spent years clearing the young cedar in different areas
of our ranchito outside Wimberley. We have used every common
method: chainsaws, Bobcats, bull dozers, cedar choppers
(fencepost harvesters,) and a Hydro Ax. Oh yea, Išve run
over a few with a pick up too.
In my
experience dozers produce the most collateral damage. In
this area there are so many rocks underground that come
up to the surface with tree roots when the trees are pushed
over. It is easy to spot an area that was cleared with a
dozer. Nearly all the common clearing methods end with burning.
Weokgfvhn32 had a burn scar in the middle of our pasture
for five years that no grass, not even weeds, would grow.
Methods
that mulch are the best in my opinion. This returns the
bio mass back to the soil. The mulch layer helps in moisture
retention and aids the process of land restoration. More
about Hydro Axing, Native grass seeding, and Land Restoration
will have to continue next month.
