About 111 million acres in Texas—more than 70 percent of the state’s land surface—is considered native rangeland or permanent pastures. These lands provide forage for livestock, habitat for wildlife, watersheds for streams and reservoirs, and open space for recreation.
More than 87 percent of Texas native rangelands are infested with unwanted weed and brush species at varying densities. When these plant populations are too dense, they compete with desirable forage plants for soil, nutrients and rainfall and reduce the value of the land for hunting and recreation. They also make it difficult to handle livestock or move over the land in these areas.
Rangeland sustainability can be maintained or enhanced by using brush and weed management systems and practices that are economically viable, environmentally sound and socially acceptable. Thousands of these rangeland acres are managed each year, and AgriLife Extension range specialists are often asked for advice on control strategies for specific plant species.
Since the early 1990s, Texas land managers, county Extension agents and other agency personnel have relied on Extension publication B-1466, Chemical Weed and Brush Control Suggestions for Rangeland, as the authority for individual species control recommendations using herbicides. Originally developed by Tommy Welch, former Extension Range Specialist, the publication is updated annually by a team of specialists within the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at Texas A&M University. It has become one of the most requested Extension publications.
Successful brush or weed management plans begin with proper plant identification. Brush and Weeds of Texas Rangelands was developed to aid in identifying the plant species covered in B-1466. This guide provides a description, identifying characteristics, the geographic distribution and a habitat description of each species, along with color photographs of the plant and its distinguishing features. This book does not give specific management recommendations; for those, please see B-1466. This publication and others are available on the Internet at http://agrilifebookstore.org.
— Charles R. Hart
Brush & Weeds of Texas Rangelands (B-6208)