Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge

The National Wildlife Refuge System is a series of lands and waters owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the refuge system. It drives everything we do from the purpose a refuge is established, to the recreational activities offered there, to the resource management tools we use. Selecting the right tools helps us ensure the survival of local plants and animals and helps fulfill the purpose of the refuge.  

Prescribed Burning

Key food for wildlife includes the leafy portion of plants, flowers, and seeds, as well as underground rhizomes and tubers. If wildfire is suppressed, years of dense vegetation will shade the soil surface, preventing seeds of other plants from germinating or surviving. Burning removes dead plant matter and allows other species of plants to grow.

A productive prescribed burn prescribed burn
A prescribed burn is the controlled use of fire to restore wildlife habitat, reduce wildfire risk, or achieve other habitat management goals. We have been using prescribed burn techniques to improve species habitat since the 1930s.

Learn more about prescribed burn removes vegetation just above ground. It is usually conducted while there is still some water on the surface. The water prevents the soil from overheating and helps protect the plant’s root systems. After a fire, most vegetation will sprout from the roots and the marsh is quickly covered with new growth. In addition, as the sunlight warms the soil, many other plants will sprout from seed.

Protecting Native Species

Exotic plants are often fast growing and highly invasive, outcompeting native plant species. Because of this, exotic plants can quickly reduce the diversity of vegetation found in a healthy marsh or prairie. Less diversity in the plant community can negatively affect wildlife. Water hyacinth, Chinese tallow, and giant salvinia are a few examples of exotic plant species controlled on the refuge.