Juniper Chaining: A Vegetative and Soil Erosion Assessment of a Method of Rangeland Improvement on Fort Hood, Texas

摘要

This report presents the results of an investigation conducted on Fort Hood, TX, during 1984-1985 to determine (1) the effect of mechanical chaining on the elimination of mature stands of Ashe juniper trees, (2) the natural reestablishment of herbaceous vegetation cover following chaining, and (3) the effects of chaining on soil erosion rates. Results showed that chaining is effective in eliminating pure stands of juniper trees (99 percent canopy reduction) and is a viable option for increasing the amount of available training land while maintaining land resources. Thirteen months following chaining, the cover produced by the invasion of herbaceous plants (38 percent canopy cover) was sufficient to protect the soils from excessive erosion. However, caution should be exercised when chaining on slopes greater than about 5 to 10 percent or on shallow or other soils of low productivity.