Silveus' Dropseed Prairies of Northeast Texas

Version 6

by Jason Spangler, Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT). Photos by Lisa Spangler.

Introduction

In the north and east edges of the Blackland Prairie, a different type of soil helped create a different type of prairie. Sandier, low pH alfisol soils formed mainly on bedrocks higher in sand content and lower in calcium carbonate [2]. In areas of the northern Blackland Prairie with these alfisols and higher relative precipitation, two unique prairie types occur.

These special Silveus' Dropseed prairies are an incredible scene to behold in spring and fall with beautiful prairie wildflowers and other native plants in bloom, and alone are well worth a visit to northeast Texas. In addition, the grassland birds, butterflies, native bees, and other wildlife that make these prairies their home and breeding grounds will brighten your visit.

Plant Communities of the Silveus' Dropseed Prairies

Silveus' Dropseed (Sporobolus silveanus) grass and Mead's Sedge (Carex meadii) dominate one type of prairie and live alongside a wide variety of prairie flowers and other native plants [2]. Silveus' Dropseed at Johnson Prairie

This prairie type is called the Silveus' Dropseed-Mead Sedge (Sporobolus silveanus - Carex meadii) plant community and is ranked Critically Imperiled (G1) due to a very limited distribution in the northeastern part of the Blackland Prairie, and since very little exists after decades of prairie destruction due to conversion to row crop agriculture and overgrazing [5]. A global conservation status rank of Critically Imperiled (G1) means the plant community is at very high risk of extinction due to extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer populations), very steep declines, or other factors [5].

Another type of prairie also occurs in this area: the Silveanus Dropseed - Longspike Tridens (Sporobolus silveanus - Tridens strictus) Tallgrass Prairie community. Along with Silveus' Dropseed, Tallspike Tridens (Tridens strictus) and Florida Paspalum (Paspalum floridanum) grasses dominate this type of prairie. This plant community is ranked Imperiled (G2) for the same reasons as above [4]. A global conservation status rank of Imperiled (G2) means the plant community is at high risk of extinction due to very restricted range, very few populations (often 20 or fewer), steep declines, or other factors [5].

Beautiful native prairie flowers and other native plants found in these prairies include the incredible Giant Coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima), Wild Hyacinth (Camassia scilloides), Yellow Puff (Neptunia lutea), Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya and Liatris aspera), Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium), Pale Coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Wild Indigo (Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea), Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum and Silphium radula), Ashy Sunflower (Helianthus mollis), Tube Beardtongue (Penstemon tubaeflorus), New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus), Prairie Rose (Rosa foliolosa), and Spiderwort (Tradescantia hirsutiflora and Tradescantia ohioensis) [4]. Mima mound at Gambill's Goose Refuge

Other native grasses in these prairies include Eastern Gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides), Rosette Grass (Dichanthelium sp.), and Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) [4]. Eastern Gamagrass can be frequently found in small depressions in some of the these prairies.

Mima Mounds

One common feature of these prairies are mima mounds (also call prairie mounds or pimple mounds), which are small circular hills that can be found in some unplowed prairie remnants in the area with alfisol soils. The forces that formed mima mounds are unknown, and unlike gilgai (small depressions that form in the black Vertisol clays of the Blackland) the mima mounds do not reform once destroyed. Wind erosion and deposition patterns seem to be an accepted explanation for their creation, though wave action, past drainage patterns, burrowing rodents, and seismic activity have also been proposed [2].

Mima mounds (and gilgai) increase biological diversity by creating a microhabitat where moisture and other conditions vary within a short distance, allowing different plants to grow and dominate in these small areas. Up to three distinct vegetation zones and four different habitats can occur within a single mima mound [1]. When you visit one of these prairies, compare the plants growing on and around the mima mounds with those growing on the surrounding prairie and notice the differences.

Survival

As opposed to many other areas of the Blackland Prairie, a higher percentage of these prairies may have escaped the plow due to the sandier alfisols being less fertile than the other soils of the region [2], making them less valuable for row crop agriculture Good stewardship by private landowners and the alfisol soils may have helped lead to use as hay meadows, and large haying operations protecting more of these prairies.

Threats to unprotected native prairies in this region that could lead to their destruction include invasion of woody plants due due to fire suppression that shade out and kill the prairie such as Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), overgrazing, plowing under the prairie for agriculture, and development.

By learning about, appreciating, and visiting these prairies, we can increase Texas' knowledge of our natural heritage and help increase protection of our little remaining prairie in eastern Texas.

Prairies of Northeast Texas

The following list contains known prairies in northeast Texas. Several prairies are used as hay meadows and are harvested perioidcally, while others are managed with prescribed burning. It is suggested to call ahead if possible since the prairies will not look as impressive for a time after these activities.

If you visit one of the publicly accessible prairies, the City of Paris, Texas is a great place to stay and eat. Let the City and local businesses know you are visiting nearby prairies to encourage them to support protecting more of these special places, and also thank the private landowners for their good stewardship of these irreplacable prairies. Information about visiting Paris can be found at http://www.paristexas.com/ .

Tridens Prairie is a 97 acre prairie remnant protected by the Nature Conservancy. Tridens Prairie is in Lamar County west of Paris, just south of U.S. Highway 82 on the west side of 38. A marker at the northern end of the property describes the history and status of the prairie. Prescribed burning is used as a management tool to preserve the prairie.

For more information about Tridens Prairie, call the at Nature Conservancy at 903-568-4139. A draft plant list for Tridens Prairie by Dr. Dave Montgomery, Jim Eidson, and Bill Carr can be found at http://www.npsot.org/Austin/PlantLists/ . Plant poaching has been a problem at Tridens Prairie, so if you see any suspicous activity at the prairie please call the Nature Conservancy immediately so they can contact the authorities.

Smiley-Woodfin Meadow is a 2,100 acre privately owned prairie used as a large hay meadow. Though not accessible to the public, a historical marker at a pull-off along the north side of U.S. Highway 82 (near Tridens Prairie) allows viewing. We can approximate the vastness of the prairie that early Texans experienced by gazing out upon the landscape and imagining what the region looked like naturally.

Painted Ladies on Echinacea

Also in Lamar County, Gambill's Goose Refuge contains a 100 acre prairie protected by the City of Paris. Mima mounds are easily visible even from the road leading to the lake. John Gambill began feeding a pair of Canada Geese back in the 1920's and constructed a pond for their use when the goose was experiencing serious population declines due to hunting and loss of habitat.

The City of Paris now owns and operates Gambill's Goose Refuge [3], and harvests hay periodically from the prairie. For more information about Gambill's Goose Refuge, contact City of Paris Parks and Recreation at 903-784-9250.

Johnson Prairie is a 28 acre prairie remnant west of Paris in Lamar County privately owned by NPAT member Johnny Johnson. He is currently restoring his Silveus' Dropseed prairie through brush clearing, prescribed burning, removal of non-native plants, and the addition of more native species via locally collected seed. Johnson Prairie is not open to the public. There are also several more privately owned hay meadows in the area that Johnny Johnson has found.

Daphne Prairie, a 1,000 acre prairie remnant in adjacent Franklin County, is privately owned by Bill Hicks, a longtime NPAT member, and his brothers. Daphne Prairie is also used as a hay meadow, which has maintained the prairie and kept woody species such as Eastern Red Cedar from overtaking the prairie.

In the past, Mr. Hicks has led group ecotourism trips on Daphne Prairie for a small fee. Birding groups have visited Daphne Prairie to see grassland birds such as Smith’s Longspur, Sprague’s Pipit, Savannah Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, LeConte’s Sparrows, Short-eared Owls, and Bell’s Vireo [6]. Contact B.F. Hicks' office at 903-537-2264 to inquire about a tour.

The Future

We are very lucky that these native prairies in northeast Texas survived the destruction of most of the Blackland Prairie through conversion to row crop agriculture by our society. Conservation of these Texas prairies and their special native plant communities and habitats should be one of our highest priorities.

To learn more about the Silveus' Dropseed Prairies of Northeast Texas and view many more photos of the prairies in bloom, visit http://texasprairie.org/resources/Silveus/ .

To learn more about Texas prairies, visit the Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT) at http://texasprairie.org/ or contact: Native Prairies Association of Texas, 2002 - A Guadalupe St. PMB 290, Austin, TX 78705-5609. Consider joining NPAT to help protect native Texas prairies.

Citations:

Collins, O. B., F. E. Smeins, and D. H. Riskind. 1975. Plant communities of the Blackland Prairie of Texas. Pages 75-88 in: M. K. Wali, editor. Prairie: A multiple view. University of North Dakota Press, Grand Forks, ND.
Diggs, Lipscomb, Reed, and O'Keenon. 2006. Illustrated Flora of East Texas, Vol 1. Botanical Research Institute of Texas & Austin College.
Graves, Russell. "Little Paris on the Prairie". Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine. April 2005.
Montgomery, Carr, Eidson, et al. 2000. "Preliminary List of the Plants of Tridens Prairie, June 2000 Draft".
NatureServe. 2006. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 5.0. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed: September 6, 2006 ).
Shreveport Society For Nature Study Bird Study Group Newsletter. 2004. Volume 18, Number 6.

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