We used Landsat satellite imagery to monitor forest-landscape change within a 4-county area (Angelina, Nacogdoches, San Augustin, and Shelby) in East Texas. We consulted images from the Multispectral Scanner (60-m resolution), Thematic Mapper (30-m resolution), and Thematic Mapper Plus (30-m resolution) from 1974, 1980, 1984, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. We classified each image into 1 of 2 land-cover types: forest and non-forest. For data-quality assurance, we assessed 2 of the classified maps for accuracy. We assessed accuracy of the 2002 land-cover map using field validation (overall map accuracy of 98.46%), and the 2009 land-cover map using National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) 2009 aerial photos as a reference (overall map accuracy of 90.77%). To determine forest contagion and fragmentation and their effects on the local landscape, we calculated landscape metrics including PPU (patch per unit) and SqP (square pixel) based on landscape patches identified within each classified map. Results of the 12 classified maps showed a trend of forest-area increase from the 1970s to the early 2000s. Although this East Texas region supports large and small forest stands, we observed habitat fragmentation on non-forest lands; both the total number of patches and total perimeter increased, resulting in smaller patch-size and greater shape complexity on non-forest lands. These changes are influencing timber production and socioeconomic activities in the area, as well as the plant community, wildlife habitat, and water resources of the entire ecosystem.

This study provides a preliminary assessment of 4 compartments on the Crossett Experimental Forest (CEF) being restored to old-growth-like conditions. After being partially cleared for agriculture or lumbered in the late 1910s, Compartments 1, 2, 11, and 12 were included in a combination of pulpwood-thinning and uneven-aged cutting-cycle studies for the next 50 y. Today, these compartments are overwhelmingly comprised of large Pinus taeda (Loblolly Pine) and Pinus echinata (Shortleaf Pine). A mixture of 22 other species comprise the remainder, primarily in small-diameter stems. Of the 139 ring-counted trees, similarly-sized Shortleaf Pines were significantly older than Loblolly Pines. Current, live-tree oven-dry biomass in Compartments 1, 2, 11, and 12 approaches 200 Mg/ha, or approximately twice that historically reported for old-growth pine. The effects of decades of conventional silviculture, the limited occurrence of fire, and a lack of pine (especially Shortleaf Pine) regeneration are conservation concerns related to this long-term study.

Bottomland hardwood forests (BLH) are found in temperate, humid regions of the southeastern US, primarily on alluvial floodplains adjacent to rivers. Altered hydrology in rivers and floodplains has caused changes in stand development and species composition of BLHs. We hypothesize that the driving mechanisms behind these changes are related to the regeneration process because of the complexity of recruitment and the vulnerability of species at that age in development. Here we review the state of our understanding regarding BLH regeneration, and identify potential bottlenecks throughout the stages of seed production, seed dispersal, germination, establishment, and survival. Our process-level understanding of regeneration by seed in BLHs is rudimentary, thus limiting our ability to predict the effects of hydrologic alterations on species composition. By focusing future research on the appropriate stages of regeneration, we can better understand the sources of forest-community transitions across the diverse range of BLH systems.

Based on analyses of an extensive set of field data collected by the US Forest Service, we identified trends in range expansion of Ligustrim sinense (Chinese Privet) and L. vulgare (European Privet), the most prevalent invasive shrubs within forestlands of eastern Texas. Chinese and European privets increased markedly in northeastern Texas from 2004 and 2012. The number of sample plots in which Chinese and European privets were detected increased from 79 (in 25 counties) to 300 (in 40 counties), and the mean percent coverage within those sample plots already invaded in 2004 increased significantly by 2012. The number of sample plots in each of 3 percent-coverage categories (<10, 10–20, >20) increased in each of 2 longitudinal bands (>95°W and ≤95°W) from the first to the second survey. Our empirical results support the general trend of westward and southeastward expansions predicted by existing models, which were based on less -recent data.

We documented range expansion of Triadica sebifera (Chinese Tallow) within forestlands of eastern Texas based on field data collected by the US Forest Service from 2001 to 2012. Chinese Tallow generally spread northward, with the number of sample plots in which Chinese Tallow was detected approximately doubling and mean percent coverage of Chinese Tallow in sample plots increasing significantly (t = -3.93, P < 0.05) during this period. Number of sample plots in each of 5 percent-coverage categories (<10, 10–20, 20–30, 30–40, >40) increased in each of 3 latitudinal (°N) bands (29–30, 30–31, >31) from the first to the second survey. Our empirical results support the general trend of northward expansion predicted by existing models, which were based on less-recent data.

Picoides borealis (Red-cockaded Woodpecker) is an endangered bird endemic to the Pinus (pine) ecosystems of the southeastern US. Mature pine savannahs with a minimal midstory and lush herbaceous groundcover represent high-quality habitat. This study examines the foraging-habitat patterns of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in East Texas. We present a logistic regression model that best differentiates between foraged and non-foraged habitat. Increases in hardwood-midstory basal area have the greatest negative impact on the probability of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers selecting a habitat patch for foraging. Five additional variables negatively impact foraging probability: shrub height, diameter at breast height (DBH) of pine midstory, canopy closure, density of pine midstory, and density of hardwood midstory. Our model shows a high degree of accuracy as to the probability of habitat-patch selection for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers foraging in East Texas forests composed of different pine species.

Decreased water availability due to hydrologic modifications, groundwater withdrawal, and climate change threaten bottomland hardwood (BLH) forest communities. We used satellite-derived (MODIS) land-surface temperature (LST) data to investigate spatial heterogeneity of canopy temperature (an indicator of plant-water status) in a floodplain forest of the upper Sabine River for 2008–2014. High LST pixels were generally further from the river and at higher topographic locations, indicating lower water-availability. Increasing rainfall-derived soil moisture corresponded with decreased heterogeneity of LST between pixels but there was weaker association between Sabine River stage and heterogeneity. Stronger dependence of LST convergence on rainfall rather than river flow suggests that some regions are less hydrologically connected to the river, and vegetation may rely on local precipitation and other contributions to the riparian aquifer to replenish soil moisture. Observed LST variations associated with hydrology encourage further investigation of the utility of this approach for monitoring forest stress, especially with considerations of climate change and continued river management.

Federal land-holdings can provide large blocks of contiguous habitat, but in many cases, aquatic organisms depend on movement within and among these blocks to complete their lifecycles and sustain populations. The area under management by the USDA Forest Service provides 18% of the nation's fresh water, including more than half of the water in the western US. The agency's mandate to support multiple uses requires many miles of roads to provide access for timber harvest, oil and gas exploration, and recreation. The National Forests and Grasslands in Texas (NFGT) encompass 273,493 ha (675,815 ac), with 6547 km (4068 mi) of roads intersecting over 644 km (400 mi) of streams. A 2007 survey of 7 national forests in the southern US indicated that less than 50% of these crossings provided passage for most species of fish. Similar results were evident in our 2006 and 2007 assessments of NFGT streams, which indicated that 50% and 52% respectively, were impassable. In subsequent years, we attempted to improve fish passage on the NFGT. In 2014, we employed the same sampling protocol at 57 crossings, 40% of which were impassable, and another 19% were indeterminate—not assuring passage in all situations. The need for scheduled culvert maintenance presents both challenges and opportunities for improving fish passage. Following a record drought in 2011, the challenge for strategically planned passage-improvement projects was greater than ever. Most NFGT streams stopped flowing in 2011 and subsequent dry years, making fish passage critical to recolonization of headwater streams, averting the loss of fragile range-fringe populations, and limiting opportunities for stronger swimming, native cyprinid invaders to expand and displace endemics.

We documented the historical distribution of Pteronotropis hubbsi (Bluehead Shiner) based on a survey of museum records. To compile historical records, we searched 6 online databases and contacted 28 individuals associated with natural history museums, state agencies, and public and private universities. Eleven individuals had records of Bluehead Shiner in their collections. Geographically, the records were from 5 states, which included a disjunct population in Illinois. In the core of the distribution (i.e., 4 states), all collections were in the Red River and 4 major tributary rivers to the Red River. The number of different localities within each of these waterways ranged from 1–17. These records spanned 57 y (1949–2006), with the majority (95%) of records from the 1970s to the 1990s. The number of specimens cataloged per locality ranged from 1 to 144 individuals. All major-tributary drainages had at least 1 collection with more than 25 individuals archived. We argue that this geographic analysis of the historical distribution of Bluehead Shiner illustrates a great need to launch a modern field effort to document the current status of Bluehead Shiner throughout the Red River drainage in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Sternotherus carinatus (Razorback Musk Turtle) is an aquatic species for which natural history information is lacking. We explored natural history differences between males and females using analyses of sexual dimorphism, movement patterns, and diets in 2 East Texas populations. We found male-biased sexual dimorphism in both head and body size, a pattern partially consistent with analyses of preserved museum specimens. Using radiotelemetry, we found no differences between males and females in home ranges, maximum distance moved, and total distance moved. However, females exhibited significantly higher mean daily speeds. Analysis of the proportional use of food resources indicated a high degree of overlap between males and females and a low degree of overlap between populations. The selective forces influencing the observed patterns of sexual dimorphism in this species remain unclear but our data seem to rule out partitioning of food resources.

We examined habitat use by Anolis carolinensis (Green Anole) at perch heights ≤5 m, particularly in relation to woody shrub-level vegetation, in fire-maintained Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) forest stands on the Angelina National Forest in eastern Texas. We surveyed Green Anoles in 2 stands, within 20 established plots per stand with varying shrub densities, during June (breeding season) and August (post-breeding season) for 3 years. An unforeseen prescribed fire in 1 stand provided an opportunity to examine the effects of fire on anoles and their habitat. Only adults were found during June. Adult detections decreased substantially, and juveniles predominated during August. The number of Green Anole detections was positively correlated with the number and volume (m3) of shrub-level plants. Also, anoles selected shrub-level plants with greater than average width, height, and volume. Larger shrubs provide more display perches and escape routes as well as greater protective cover from predators, and perhaps greater availabili ty of arthropod prey.