Eisenhower's Savannah EarthCache
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Texas Savanna Restoration at Eisenhower Park, San Antonio, Texas
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Park guidelines require all personnel to stay on the trails. Those seeking adventure off the trails will be asked to leave by Park Police and Park Rangers and can be cited. Please note uniformed and plain clothes officers patrol the park.
LOGGING REQUIREMENTS:
Note: Logging requirements are posted at the begining of the cache to assist paperless cachers. ** UPDATED DUE TO SIGN BEING REMOVED **
1. From this location, how may bird houses do you see on posts?
2. There is a sign at this location, tell me what plant species is being mechanically removed from this area. *** NO LONGER REQUIRED, SIGN REMOVED. ANSWER: JUNIPER ***
3. Describe the vegetation you see, and your opinion if you think the restoration is working.
4. Not mandatory, but requested, please post a picture of you &/or your GPSr with the Savannah behind you.
WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE COORDINATES:
This park was once part of a savannah of grasses, trees and shrubs. Juniper (Mountain Cedar) and other woody plants were limited by natural fire, and so primarily found on steep slopes and corridors along waerways. Today, much of the hill country is heavily vegetated by juniper and grasslands are non-existent or in poor condition.
The San Antonio Natural Area Staff is attempting to restore the grassland savannah at this location.
GEOLOGY OF THE AREA:
The Texas savanna originally may have been largely mixed prairie grassland, but currently is a high-shrub savanna. It occupies the western end of Gulf Coastal Plain and the southern end of the Great Plains. Elevation ranges from 200 meters near the Gulf of Mexico to over 1000 meters at the western edge of the Edwards Plateau. The area is relatively flat but is cut through by ravines and arroyos.
Climate. The climate of this region is relatively warm and humid with the frost-free season ranging from 200 to 350 days to frost-free. Precipitation comes mostly in summer and ranges from 50 to 75 centimeters. Potential evaporation is roughly twice that of precipitation.
Soils. The soils of the region include mollisols, alfisols, vertisols, and entisols. Mollisols make up a major portion of the region and support the juniper-oak and the mesquite-acacia savannas. The entisols are covered by the mesquite-liveoak savanna type. Alfisols support the mesquite oak savanna.
Vegetation. The entire area could be classed a mesquite shrubland. Five distinct vegetation types exist in the region: (1) the mesquite-liveoak savanna, (2) the mesquite-acacia savanna, (3) the mesquite-oak, (4) the juniper-oak savanna, and (5) the ceniza shrub.
Mesquite-liveoak savanna occurs in the West Gulf Coast Plain and has live oaks and mesquites as dominants of the overstory. Seacoast bluestem (Andropon littoralis), Texas wintergrass (Stipa leucotricha), curylmesquite, and threeawns are the dominant grasses. Numerous forbs are also present.
Mesquite-acacia savanna varies greatly in the amount of tree overstory from nearly open to closed. Acacia species are the most abundant shrubby tree species. Seacoast bluestem, plains bristlegrass (Setaria macrostachya) and buffalograss are the dominant perennial grasses. Forbs make up nearly one-third of the composition.
The juniper-oak and mesquite-oak savannas are characteristic of the Edwards Plateau of Texas. Mesquite and oak dominate the deciduous shrubby tree portion of the mesquite-oak savanna, while live oaks and Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashii) are codominants in the juniper-oak savanna. Both have similar understory vegetation with little bluestem, curylmesquite, tobosa, and buffalograss as the principal perennial grasses. Cacti are moderately abundant in these two vegetation types.
The ceniza shrub type is dominated by deciduous and evergreen shrubs with scattered openings with grass species. Located along the Rio Grande valleys and bluffs, the dominant shrubs are creosotebush, ceniza (Leucophyllum frutescens) and mesquite. Grasses, curylemesquite, alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides) and threeawn are the principal perennial grasses. Cacti are common as well as other spring shrubs.
Sources: (visit link)
Address to Eisenhower Park:
19399 NW Military Highway
San Antonio, Texas
TIP: Take the paved trail and the cache is available to wheelchair cachers. If you would like adventure, take any of the trails throughout but beware of the elements and plan accordingly.
Congrats to Electric Waterboy on being FTF!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
FGNL BA GUR GENVY. Qb abg iragher bss bs gur genvyf.
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