Native Habitat Restoration in the Eagle Ford Shale of Texas
Development of Eagle Ford Shale (EFS) oil and gas resources will continue to have considerable impacts on the native habitats of southern Texas. Diverse native plant communities are important habitat for many wildlife species and underlie the predominant land uses of the impacted region aside from oil and gas production. Major issues associated with EFS development are addressed in this management bulletin based on more than a decade of research. We provide management recommendations for minimizing habitat loss, fragmentation, and disturbance from oil and gas development, controlling exotic invasive grasses, protecting soil resources, and conducting restoration using locally-adapted native seed varieties. Restoration of wildlife habitat in the EFS is an important facet of wildlife conservation in South Texas. Achieving desired outcomes will be beneficial to sustaining the diversity and productivity of the region for future generations.