East Texas Ecosystem

The East Texas Ecosystem encompasses the drainages of the Brazos, Trinity, Neches, and Sabine Rivers, with the exception of their coastal sections and the upper Brazos.  The area's rivers run roughly parallel northwest to southeast, where they drain into the Gulf of Mexico. While the majority of this ecosystem is in east Texas, it also includes a portion of the Sabine River drainage in Louisiana including parts of Beauregard, Caddo, Desoto, Sabine and Vernon Parishes. The East Texas Ecosystem contains much of Texas' remaining bottomland hardwood wetlands, as well as considerable areas of mixed pine-hardwood forest and commercial pine plantations. Other ecological communities include large areas of Post Oak Savannah, Blackland Prairie, and Cross Timbers and Prairies ecological areas. It also includes four National Forests (Sabine, Angelina, Davy Crockett and Sam Houston), Big Thicket National Preserve, Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Peason Ridge of the Fort Polk military base, the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation, numerous state wildlife management areas, and many large reservoirs. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in the upper part of the Trinity River watershed is a major presence and influence.

The East Texas Ecosystem has a significant amount of forested, scrub-shrub, emergent, aquatic bed, and other palustrine and lacustrine wetlands. These wetlands and deep water areas provide habitat for large numbers of migratory waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, and resident species of amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Reservoirs and streams provide significant sport fisheries and some commercial operations. Both bottomland and upland woodlands, savannah, and grasslands provide breeding and migratory habitat for neotropical migrants. Remnant areas of longleaf pine and native prairie also occur. This ecosystem is the major bald eagle nesting and wintering area of Texas and contains all of the state's extant habitat for red-cockaded woodpeckers. It includes former range of the Louisiana black bear and potential habitat for reintroduction or natural expansion of that species, and the endangered Houston toad occurs in eight of its counties. Currently, 9 endangered species, 2 threatened species, 1 proposed species, 3 candidate species, and 43 species of concern are known to occur within the boundaries of the East Texas Ecosystem.

Major threats to the East Texas Ecosystem are continual loss and fragmentation of habitat from urban sprawl, forest land conversion to improved pasture, mineral extraction, dam and highway construction, pipeline and transmission line installation, soil and water contamination, short-rotation management of commercial forests, and introduction of exotic species.

Our challenge is to promote the value and use of prescribed fire across the landscape to restore the ecological communities suppressed due to the lack of burning. Restoration and enhancement of suitable habitat for game and non-game wildlife species through implementation of land management practices is also a major objective.

Click here to download the East Texas Ecosystem Plan 2004 report in pdf format (454KB).

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with
others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and
their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

All images Credit to and Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unless specified otherwise.