Free Range Management Resources

I will never forget being in college and having to collect and identify plants and the only thing you had to compare it to was a description and a drawing. The internet has made the process much easier with multiple pictures of plant species to make plant identification a much easier process.

Tasajillo- aka Turkey Pear or Christmas Cactus

I really enjoy when people ask me to identify a weed or brush species, or the occasional grass species and to make management recommendations. You do not have to be a plant geek like me and have a library filled with plant books, as there are plenty of free resources out there on the web that people can use to manage their property. And notice I say property. You can manage a backyard to be a wildlife haven if you have the right plants and practice the proper management

These are the resources I use and a brief description on how I use them:

Texas AgriLIFE Extension Ecosystem Science & Management
This is the website for Texas AgriLIFE Extension's Ecosystem Science and Management Department. I use this resource to identify different plans within the diverse ecoregions of Texas. Can also be used to identify species that would be useful in achieving your management objectives.

Native Plants of South Texas
This is the online herbarium from the Uvalde, Tx Extension & Research Center. I use it specifically to identify forbs and woody browse species common in south Texas.

Texas Parks & Wildlife's Plant Information Database
If wildlife diversity and management is one of your desired objectives then this is a great resource. Great place to explore all the native tree and brush species our great state has to offer. Similar to Extension TPWD is available, at little to no charge, to offer management advice based on sound research.

Natural Resource Conservation Service- Plants Database
This is a national database and this is where I go if all else fails and I can't identify a particular plant. This is also useful to determine which species of a particular plant might grow in a completely different ecoregion. For example, if you want to know what species of oak tree (Quercus spp.) does well in California.

The Noble Foundation- Plant Image Gallery
As a former resident of North Texas & Oklahoma I found the Noble Foundation to be a great resource for agricultural information and management practices. If you live in this part of the world I would highly recommend participating in their programs.

Pestman- Weed & Brush Control Recommendations
When you've identified a weed or brush species and are looking to remove it from your property this website is somewhere you can go to get a recommendation for chemical or mechanical control.

Google Earth
This is a great interactive tool that can be used to delineate your pastures and make notes about specific management practices you have made. You can also email files to other so you can share what you have been doing with professionals like your local County Extension Agent.

These are just a few of the websites that I use. There are tons of others that are very useful, and all you have to do is spend a little time to search for your particular need.