The Lost Pines region cuts through a swath of southeast central Texas that’s not quite the Piney Woods and not quite the hill country.
But in the wake of the fires that scorched the region in 2011, doctoral student of agronomy at A&M, Caitlyn Cooper, says the Lost Pines could become just that: lost.
“That’s what the region has been known for – this really unique pine forest,” Cooper says.
According to Cooper, the fire wasn’t as bad as it could have been because of the heterogeneous patches it affected. There also isn’t anything inherently bad about forest fires in the first place, she says.
“Plant assemblies are constantly changing, nothing is ever static,” Cooper says.
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– How oaks could come to dominate the loblolly pines
– What park rangers are doing to help prevent the loss of this unique feature
– Whether intervention is necessary
Written by Morgan O’Hanlon.
