Brush Management: Past, Present, Future

The presence of brush in rangeland environments continually tops the list of priority issues among landowners, and not just in Texas. Whether they manage their land for livestock, hunting, or wildlife watching, what to do about unwanted woody plants remains a serious and pervasive question for landowners everywhere.

In the pages of this book, leading range management professionals introduce and explain not only the mechanisms of managing brush but also the changes in management philosophy and technology that have taken place over time. From the futile attempts at eradication to the successes of integrated brush management, expert practitioners examine mechanical, biological, chemical, and fire-related methods from three perspectives—the past, the present or “state-of-the-art,” and the future. In a final discussion, three specialists address the timely and important subject of brush management as it relates to water yield, economics, and wildlife.

Brush Management: Past, Present, Future gives readers a straightforward and comprehensive view of a topic that remains a consistent concern for livestock, wildlife, and land management—one that will serve as a useful and interesting summary of the subject for teachers, students, landowners, and management professionals.

WAYNE T. HAMILTON is senior lecturer in the department of Rangeland Ecology and Management and director of the Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management at Texas A&M University.ALLAN McGINTY is professor and Extension range specialist, Texas A&M Research and Extension Center, San Angelo, Texas.DARRELL N. UECKERT is Regents Fellow and professor at the Texas A&M Research Extension Center in San Angelo.C. WAYNE HANSELKA is associate department head and Extension program leader for Rangeland Ecology and Management with the Texas Cooperative Extension in Corpus Christi.MICHELLE R. LEE is a writer and editor at the Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management in College Station.