Native grasslands in Texas have been steadily disappearing since the arrival of the first settlers. Unfortunately, the combination of habitat loss, degradation by invasive species, and other factors has significantly impacted grassland ecosystems across North America and has left considerable species in danger of extinction. Specifically, the degradation of native grasslands due to invasive, non-native species has become a global concern and sparked interest in restoring areas to native plant-dominated communities. Grassland restoration activities have had positive impacts in increasing biodiversity, soil health, and increased carbon sequestration. In addition, there are economic benefits for industries to perform restoration of degraded sites.
Texan by Nature, in collaboration with EOG Resources Inc., developed this project to quantify the environmental and economic benefits of restoring rangeland with native vegetation in the Eagle Ford Shale play.