Parking of the understory

CREEKSIDE AT THE CIBOLO

The Texas Hill Country and the rest of Texas have a massive “Parking” problem.

You might ask, “Why is he writing about parking?” I am not writing about parking in a traditional sense with your motor vehicle, although there is more than a plague of people backing into parking spaces all over the place — but that is another article.

The “Parking problem” we have involves the concept of removing brush, undergrowth and brambles in wooded areas. The “Parking” concept is the belief in opening your land by the removal of “brush” to gain a humanistic aesthetic of an urban park.

The appeal of a “parked” property might have some curbside benefits or even the majestic, wooded estate feel. I heard a friend refer to the “Parking” process as making your land ACR: Adirondack Chair Ready.

The primary wrinkle of concern with the “Parking” process is the removal of the mid-successional species that form a “nursery” of sorts within woodland areas. The removal of mid-successional plants (the mess) decreases diversity, increases soil temperature and lessens the defensible space of the woodland.

A more serious byproduct of “Parking” operations and the removal of the understory is the increase in temperature through available sunlight. Through clearing processes, the soil will begin to dry due to the lack of dappled sunlight that once protected this woodland system.

Don’t be disheartened; there are many things you can do to restore and strengthen these natural systems.

The other weekend I had the pleasure of walking a “Quasi- Parked” piece of property with Ron Childers and Nash Hardeman. As we strolled through the morning woodland we made note of the lack of age recruitment within the woodlands.

Throughout our walk, we noticed a few, but not many, young trees that were heavily browsed but nothing over four feet tall.

Due to “Parking” efforts, this property had lost its “messiness” — which allowed for unabated feeding access to the Whitetail and Axis deer, an ungulate buffet.

People commonly “Park” or open their land to bring in beautiful Hill Country vistas through a Live Oak Savanna. Private land is private land and there are many theories about how something should look.

Some people manage “the messy.” Some people manage for grass and flowers. Some people want sculpted refinement, and some people manage fauna.

In conclusion: Wholesale “Parking” is a concern. Select harvesting could be the answer to many landowners’ needs. Knowing what you have on your property prior to a “clean up” can yield large dividends, not to mention a diverse woodland portfolio.

Wildlands are naturally messy and nothing is straight. There are many questions concerning natural land usage so never be afraid to phone a friend for a fresh set of eyes, there are many helping hands throughout the Texas Hill Country. Pull into your land, don’t back into it.

See you in the woods! Visit cibolo.org/calendar to view all upcoming events, programs, and workshops at The Cibolo.