Cedar Fever

I awoke last Saturday morning to a hazy smoke filled sky. As I stepped onto the upper balcony atop my house, I had a birds eye view of the yellowish smoke that was being whipped all about by a fierce wind that day. Except...it wasn't smoke. It was pollen. The dreaded yellow powder of the male Ashe Juniper that creates such misery and suffering upon tens of thousands of Hill Country dwellers every year. These dreaded allergies of the Ashe Juniper, more commonly known as cedar 'round here, is a prime reason folks in the Hill Country have a love/hate relationship with this common, native tree. Or should I say a 'hate/hate' relationship? I've often wondered if all the hostility against this tree was deserved. The cedar has been accused of, but not limited to, being, a voracious water thief, non- beneficial to wildlife, non-native, and if you kill all the cedar the natural springs will come back. So I took some time to look into a few of these age old questions that I too, have believed to be true. My research led me to some interesting findings that I'd like to share with you.
Fist off, Ashe Juniper, is indeed native to these parts of Texas. Pollen evidence has been gathered in a cave in Bexar county that shows it dates from the Ice Age, over 10,000 years ago. And European settlers report seeing the tree dotted all over the uplands and prairies yet it is a commonly held belief that the tree grew most vigorously in the deeper canyons and drainages in the Hill Country.
And the tree did indeed grow in canyons and lowlands, as it was better protected from any natural fires that may have occurred at that time. Hundreds of years ago when a thunderstorm produced a lightening bolt that hit the ground and started a fire you couldn't call Oak Hill Fire Department's finest to come put out the blaze in a matter of minutes. These fires would burn for days, even weeks, clearing the pastures of any cedar saplings and rejuvenating the existing grasslands. Yet all the while protecting the old growth cedar that grew in lower, safer regions.
One of the biggest arguments for aggressive cedar removal, aside from the pollen allergies, is without a doubt, its' reputation as a 'water hog'. I must preface this with, in my research I discovered many differing opinions on this matter, each with a very passionate reasoning. But all in all, after consulting with biologists, land managers and botanists, they all said the same thing, while there is some partial truth to the 'myths' surrounding this tree, the reputation that cedar has earned is not deserved. So let's address a possible reasoning about the 'myths'.
Once upon a time the Hill Country of Texas was home to many a cattle and livestock ranch. With this increase of ranching, barbed-wire fencing was introduced and used extensively to control the movement of the herds. Thus resulting in more and more land being grazed by sedentary herds of livestock. What does this have to do with cedar? Well, much of the heavy grass cover was eaten by cattle, sheep, ect., thus facilitating cedar propagation on this new bare landscapes that the overgrazing had created. Also, at this point in time, ranchers began to control any wildfires that happened. Thus, fire stopped being a means of natural cedar management. So cedar flourished. And ranchers cursed it because it was competing and overtaking the lush native grasses that their livestock fed on. And because these ranchers despised the cedar and spent a great deal of time and energy removing it from their pasture land, some believe, that they began to 'rally folks onto the anti-cedar bandwagon'.
One of their biggest accusations was that the cedar was 'stealing water'. The amount of information I discovered concerning this matter is far too abundant to relate here. Therefore, I will attempt to make some generalizations and encourage you to look into some of the links I will provide at the end of this entry, that will delve into detail.
Cedar have a dense, evergreen foliage that has the ability to absorb, or 'catch' any available moisture, thus preventing it from getting to the ground. This is true. So if you have a thick, dense stand of young, immature cedar, then much of this water is being intercepted and the surrounding ground is not getting any water or light to allow for understory growth. The immature cedar, like any young, vigorous growing plant, needs lots of nutrients and water, so their root system tends to be shallower and widespread. Taking much of the available moisture that comes into contact with the ground. These immature cedar can form impenetrable thickets as they compete with each other for available nutrients. (There is an actual benefit to this in some situations. Such as assisting in erosion control on rocky slopes) The mature, old growth cedar, on the other hand, has a deep root system that works very efficiently and doesn't necessarily require vast amounts of water. You can identify an established, old growth cedar by a very straight trunk and a high canopy. If the canopy is high enough it will let enough light and water in to allow for grasses and other plants to grow underneath. As well as letting wildlife pass underneath (and people!) A great example are the big cedars that grow near the 'big tree' at the spring. You recall how grassy and green that meadow is in the spring?
So if we cut down all the cedar, will the natural springs come back? Well, yes. And no. My research (and I encourage you to look into it as well) has indicated that if we cut all the cedar, for example, near the creeks, then yes, some of the springs will most likely pop back up. That is until some other woody plant grows in its place. And then starts using the water. As much as we would like to lay blame on the cedar for sucking the water from the ground, the fact remains that there are a whole lot more people and development in these parts than there were a hundred years ago. Even 10 years ago! Our reservoirs of water are shrinking. This is a common fact in drought stricken Texas. The only way to control this is through conservation.
Another, yet very important, aspect to consider when thinking of cedar management is habitat. The Hill Country in and around Austin is home to one of the most endangered songbirds in North America, the Golden Cheeked Warbler. And the ranch is home to several nesting pairs. (more on that later in the month) These birds will only nest where old growth cedar stands exist and our beloved ranch is home to some beautiful stands. The warbler favors the stringy bark of the cedar to make their nests. There are also many, many other species of birds that favor the little blue berries of the female cedar as a form of sustenance. As do coyotes, ringtail cats and foxes, just to name a few mammals. Cedar also provides important shelter and cover for countless number of animals.
So with all this information and conflicting opinions about cedar, how does one plan for its management? Such a good question. It can be very overwhelming on a ranch the size of ours. I know we are required by the City to maintain the existing grasslands and pasture, meaning that we keep it free of cedar. I also know that any cedar under ten feet in height and less that four inches in diameter is free to go. Aside from those parameters, then we have to start looking at the location and its possible benefits. Bottom line is...cedar IS invasive. Yes, it is native, but it does need to be controlled, without a doubt. I don't believe a 'clear-cutting approach is good, but 'selective' management of stands is a smart thing to do. At my house, I located all the oaks and cleared any small cedar away from them. Leaving mature cedar, but trimming up any low branches as to encourage the tree to grow 'up' rather than 'out'. I have been very pleased watching native grasses return and more and more wildflowers pop up in the spring now that they don't have a closed canopy of cedar over them. My cedar management plan is also 'a little bit at a time'. I am very aware of the benefit the roots have on erosion control so I only clear a few trees in one spot every year and then move to another location.
I would be very interested to hear anyone else opinion on this matter and if anyone has any ideas on a cedar clearing plan. The road will soon need to be trimmed back, so that is always a good place to start, and it is an important 'fire break' as well. Everyone seems to agree that the Big Tree location is also one they would like to maintain, so that is also a good place to
start. There are several beautiful pecan trees along the creek that are getting choked out a bit by the cedar and I think that would be another place to clear. Just remember to always consider the size of the tree when clearing. Even if it's a big dead tree, it is probably home to some critter, so you can just leave it. And I'm always happy to show you where I think ideal places for clearing should occur if anyone gets motivated with a chainsaw. I'll probably join you! ( -:
I'm sure I've left many question unanswered, there is so much information yet to be addresses concerning this matter. But I welcome all comments and suggestion, that's how we learn. I promise all entries won't be this long, I'm just getting the hang of this. If anyone is interested here are the links to two different websites with different points of view.

http://www.landsteward.net/mountain_cedar.html
http://www.peopleagainstcedars.com/index.html

Till next time,

Sally Anne