Why Ecoregions Matter
Your ecoregion is the single most important variable in your wildlife management plan. It determines which species are present, which management practices are effective, and what intensity standards apply. A prescribed burn in the Gulf Prairies operates on a fundamentally different schedule and scale than one in the Edwards Plateau.
The 12 ecoregions are defined in 34 Texas Administrative Code Section 9.2002. TPWD assigns every county to at least one ecoregion. Some counties span ecoregion boundaries, and the specific location of your property determines the classification.
Below is a complete reference for all 12 Texas ecoregions, including the region, habitat description, target species, recommended management practices, and representative counties.
All 12 Texas Ecoregions
Pineywoods
East TexasDense forests of loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, and hardwood bottomlands. The wettest ecoregion in Texas with annual rainfall exceeding 40 inches. Dominated by mixed pine-hardwood forests, cypress swamps, and bottomland hardwoods along river corridors.
Target Species
White-tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, wood duck, red-cockaded woodpecker, Louisiana pine snake, Houston toad (in western fringe)
Key Practices
Prescribed burning for pine regeneration, cavity nesting box installation, longleaf pine restoration, timber stand improvement, streamside management zones
Representative Counties
Angelina, Cherokee, Hardin, Harrison, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, Tyler, and surrounding counties
Gulf Prairies and Marshes
Coastal TexasCoastal prairies, salt marshes, barrier islands, and estuarine systems stretching along the entire Texas Gulf Coast. A critical migration corridor for neotropical birds and essential habitat for colonial waterbirds.
Target Species
Whooping crane, Attwater's prairie chicken, reddish egret, piping plover, sea turtles (Kemp's ridley), mottled duck, aplomado falcon
Key Practices
Prescribed burning of coastal prairie, invasive species control (Chinese tallow), shorebird nesting protection, coastal marsh restoration, prescribed grazing management
Representative Counties
Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Willacy
Post Oak Savannah
East-Central TexasOpen woodlands dominated by post oak and blackjack oak interspersed with native grasslands. A transitional zone between the eastern forests and the western prairies. Sandy soils support a distinctive plant community.
Target Species
White-tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, bobwhite quail, Texas horned lizard, painted bunting, Houston toad (in Bastrop County)
Key Practices
Prescribed burning to maintain oak savannah structure, brush management, native grass restoration, feral hog control, supplemental water during drought
Representative Counties
Bastrop, Brazos, Burleson, Fayette, Freestone, Grimes, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Robertson, Washington
Blackland Prairie
Central Texas corridorTall-grass prairie on deep black clay soils running in a narrow band from the Red River to San Antonio. One of the most altered ecoregions in Texas, with less than 1% of original prairie remaining. Suburban development pressures are intense.
Target Species
Bobwhite quail, grassland sparrows, Texas horned lizard, painted bunting, monarch butterfly (migration corridor), black-capped vireo (western edge)
Key Practices
Native prairie restoration, prescribed burning on 2-3 year rotation, invasive species removal (KR bluestem, Johnson grass), pollinator habitat establishment, grassland bird monitoring
Representative Counties
Bell, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Hill, Hunt, Kaufman, McLennan, Navarro, Rockwall, Travis (eastern portion), Williamson
Cross Timbers and Prairies
North-Central TexasAlternating bands of dense oak forest and open prairie. The "Cross Timbers" refers to the bands of post oak and blackjack oak that early settlers found difficult to cross. Mixed terrain with limestone outcrops and sandy ridges.
Target Species
White-tailed deer, Rio Grande wild turkey, bobwhite quail, Texas horned lizard, golden-cheeked warbler (in suitable habitat), painted bunting
Key Practices
Oak woodland management, prescribed burning, cedar (Ashe juniper) removal, native grass establishment, predator management for ground-nesting birds
Representative Counties
Comanche, Coryell, Eastland, Erath, Hood, Jack, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Stephens, Tarrant (western), Wise, Young
South Texas Brush Country
South TexasDense thornscrub and mixed brush dominated by mesquite, acacia, and cenizo. Some of the highest white-tailed deer densities in North America. Hot, semi-arid climate with distinct wet and dry seasons.
Target Species
White-tailed deer, nilgai antelope, ocelot, jaguarundi, Texas tortoise, Texas indigo snake, ferruginous pygmy-owl, northern aplomado falcon
Key Practices
Brush management (roller chopping, root plowing), supplemental water with escape ramps, protein supplementation, spotlight deer surveys, thornscrub corridor preservation for ocelot
Representative Counties
Brooks, Duval, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata
Edwards Plateau
Texas Hill CountryLimestone hills, spring-fed rivers, and juniper-oak woodlands. The Texas Hill Country. Home to the golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo, two federally listed species tied to specific habitat types. Karst features support cave-adapted invertebrates.
Target Species
Golden-cheeked warbler (endangered), black-capped vireo (recovered, delisted 2018), white-tailed deer, Rio Grande wild turkey, Texas blind salamander, Barton Springs salamander
Key Practices
Ashe juniper management (selective, not total removal), prescribed burning, brush sculpting for warbler habitat, supplemental water, deer population surveys, cave and karst protection
Representative Counties
Bandera, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Gillespie, Hays, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, Medina, Real, Travis (western), Uvalde, Val Verde
Rolling Plains
Northwest TexasGently rolling terrain with mixed-grass prairies, mesquite savannahs, and brushy draws. Transitional between the wetter Cross Timbers to the east and the drier High Plains to the west. Important quail and pronghorn habitat.
Target Species
Bobwhite quail, scaled quail, lesser prairie-chicken, pronghorn antelope, Texas horned lizard, white-tailed deer, mule deer (western portion)
Key Practices
Prescribed burning for grassland management, brush management (mesquite), quail habitat improvement, supplemental water, predator management, grazing management
Representative Counties
Baylor, Clay, Coleman, Fisher, Foard, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Nolan, Runnels, Scurry, Stonewall, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita
High Plains
Texas PanhandleFlat, treeless shortgrass prairie underlain by the Ogallala Aquifer. The most arid grassland ecoregion in Texas with annual rainfall of 15 to 20 inches. Extensive agriculture has converted much of the native prairie.
Target Species
Lesser prairie-chicken, pronghorn antelope, swift fox, black-footed ferret (historically), burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, mountain plover
Key Practices
Native shortgrass prairie restoration, CRP land management, playa lake conservation, prairie chicken lek monitoring, prescribed grazing, supplemental water near playas
Representative Counties
Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Floyd, Hale, Hansford, Hartley, Hutchinson, Moore, Oldham, Potter, Randall, Sherman, Swisher
Trans-Pecos
Far West TexasDesert mountains, salt basins, and Chihuahuan Desert scrub. The most geographically diverse ecoregion in Texas, ranging from Guadalupe Peak (8,751 feet) to the Rio Grande floodplain. Extreme aridity with rainfall below 12 inches in many areas.
Target Species
Desert bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, Montezuma quail, peregrine falcon, Texas horned lizard, Big Bend gambusia, Rio Grande silvery minnow
Key Practices
Supplemental water (critical in this ecoregion), spring and seep protection, invasive species control (salt cedar), desert bighorn sheep surveys, raptor nest monitoring, riparian corridor restoration
Representative Counties
Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Ward
Llano Uplift
Central Texas (within Edwards Plateau)A geologically distinct area of Precambrian granite and gneiss surrounded by the limestone Edwards Plateau. Unique soils support plant communities not found elsewhere in Texas. An island of ancient rock in a sea of limestone.
Target Species
Golden-cheeked warbler, black-capped vireo, white-tailed deer, Rio Grande wild turkey, Texas map turtle, Tobusch fishhook cactus
Key Practices
Granite outcrop conservation, Ashe juniper management, prescribed burning, native grassland restoration, cave and spring protection, deer harvest management
Representative Counties
Llano, Mason, Burnet (western), Gillespie (eastern), San Saba (southern)
Coastal Sand Plain
South Texas CoastSandy soils and grasslands between the South Texas Brush Country and the Gulf Coast. A narrow band of deep sands supporting live oak mottes, grasslands, and wetland complexes. Important habitat for Attwater's prairie chicken and other grassland species.
Target Species
Attwater's prairie chicken (critically endangered), aplomado falcon, ocelot (in dense brush), mottled duck, reddish egret, piping plover
Key Practices
Prescribed burning on 2-3 year rotation, coastal prairie restoration, invasive grass removal, wetland management, shorebird and colonial waterbird monitoring, predator management for ground nesters
Representative Counties
Brooks, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces (southern), Willacy
How Your Ecoregion Affects Your Plan
Your ecoregion classification directly shapes three elements of your wildlife management plan:
Target Species Selection
Your plan must target species that actually occur in your ecoregion. A plan listing desert bighorn sheep on a Pineywoods property would not be credible. Thorpe Land Services uses TPWD RTEST species occurrence data to identify documented species for your specific county and ecoregion.
Practice Intensity Standards
Each ecoregion has defined intensity standards for the 7 management practices. These standards specify how often, on what scale, and during which seasons each practice should be performed. Prescribed burn rotations, for example, range from 1 to 2 years in the Gulf Prairies to 5 to 7 years in the Trans-Pecos.
Practice Appropriateness
Some practices are more relevant in certain ecoregions. Supplemental water is essential in the Trans-Pecos but rarely a priority in the Pineywoods. Brush management dominates in the South Texas Brush Country and Edwards Plateau. Coastal nesting protection is unique to the Gulf Prairies and Marshes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many ecoregions does Texas have for wildlife management?
Texas has 12 ecoregions as defined in 34 TAC Section 9.2002. These are: Pineywoods, Gulf Prairies and Marshes, Post Oak Savannah, Blackland Prairie, Cross Timbers and Prairies, South Texas Brush Country, Edwards Plateau, Rolling Plains, High Plains, Trans-Pecos, Llano Uplift, and Coastal Sand Plain. Each ecoregion has distinct habitat types, target species, and management intensity standards.
How do I determine which ecoregion my property is in?
Your ecoregion is determined by your property's geographic location. TPWD publishes an ecoregion map that assigns every county in Texas to one or more ecoregions. Some counties straddle ecoregion boundaries, in which case the specific location of your property within the county determines the classification. Thorpe Land Services automatically identifies your ecoregion based on your property coordinates.
Do management practices differ by ecoregion?
Yes. Each ecoregion has specific intensity standards that define the expected frequency, scale, and methods for each of the 7 management practices. Prescribed burning intervals, for example, range from annual in the Gulf Prairies to 5-7 years in the Trans-Pecos. Water supplementation is critical in the Trans-Pecos but less emphasized in the Pineywoods. Your plan must reflect practices appropriate for your ecoregion.
What if my property spans two ecoregions?
Properties that span ecoregion boundaries should address both ecoregions in their management plan. The practices for each portion of the property should reflect the standards for that ecoregion. In practice, most properties fall entirely within one ecoregion. If your property is near a boundary, the management plan should note the transition and describe how practices are adapted for each area.
Is there a minimum acreage per ecoregion for wildlife management?
State law does not set per-ecoregion minimums. However, county appraisal districts may require that the property meet the same acreage standards applied to agricultural valuation in that area. These minimums can vary from 5 to 20 acres or more depending on the county and the productivity of the land. Contact your county appraisal district for their specific standards.
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