REQUIRES REGISTRATION
This field trip will focus primarily on the lower Big Thicket area of East Texas where the Neches River and associated tributaries have dissected the landscape into a myriad of ecological niches. From deep sands associated with river deposition to cypress dominated back swamps, expect to encounter a large diversity of habitats. The primary grass dominated communities in this region are longleaf pine savannahs. On xeric sandhills, yucca, little bluestem, curly threeawn, splitbeard bluestem, white firewheel, and dune sunflower are dominated in the herbaceous layer. On moist flats, yellow-eyed grass, beaksedges, pipeworts, milkworts, yellow colicroot, and paspalums are typically encountered in seasonally saturated soils.
- Potential sites: Candy Abshier WMA, Roy E. Larsen Sandy Lands Preserve, Big Thicket National Preserve, and Watson’s Rare Plant Preserve