Overlook at Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway. Photo by Emma Montgomery.
By Emma Montgomery
The Llano Estacado, meaning the “Staked Plains,” is one of the largest plateaus on the North American continent, according to the Texas State Historical Association. This grand landscape covering the panhandle of Texas houses the southernmost tip of High Plains of North America.
Here, a short-grass prairie with plentiful flat miles boasts buffalo and blue grama grasses with sporadic appearances from juniper and mesquite shrubbery.
Amid the never-ending landscape and under the big, blue Texas skies are species so integral to their ecosystem that their absence would drastically change the habitat. The presence and conservation of keystone species define the High Plains.
While not a formal scientific designation, keystone species are defined as organisms that are critical to the survival of other species in an ecosystem, according to experts. Without their presence, their ecosystem could be thrown into decades-long disarray that would fundamentally change it.
A Charismatic Resident
Raising on its hind legs after emerging from its elaborate burrow, a small mammal scans the vast prairie and glares at any creature brave enough to disrupt its peace. Its front legs rise into the air with a warning sound as it quickly scurries into the safety of its burrow, leaving its last sight to the world above ground the black tip of its tail.
The Black-tailed Prairie Dog, weighing no more than three pounds, is small and yet has a large impact on the ecosystem in which it lives. As a keystone species, they serve as a food source for predators and leave vacant burrows for species including the Burrowing Owl, Black-footed Ferret, Texas Horned Lizard, rattlesnakes, and other rodents, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Black-tailed Prairie Dogs in their natural habitat. Photo by Emma Montgomery.
John Hoogland, professor of biology at the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science, has dedicated 45 years to the study of prairie dogs. His research highlights the heavy importance of the small creatures.
“They do things to the vegetation– they cut it short, they clip it when they eat it,” he said. “It creates a habitat with low vegetation, and that’s favorable to many, many animals. Things like Mountain Plovers, things like Burrowing Owls, and lots of other avian species.”
Despite their importance to the plains, prairie dogs are rapidly depleting. The original range of their habitat has shrunk to 5% of its initial size, according to the National Park Service.
In West Texas, the economy heavily relies on agriculture. Farming and ranching are major components of land usage, in addition to the development of Texas towns. This poses a risk for prairie dogs and credits habitat loss and depletion of population.
Farmers and ranchers argue two significant points, Hoogland said. First, the burrows in which the prairie dogs reside pose a risk to livestock and their legs, and second, prairie dogs compete with livestock for vegetation.
“I have not found a single rancher that has lost a cow or a horse because it broke his leg in a prairie dog burrow,” Hoogland said confidently. “I’m not gonna say it never happens, but it’s so rare that to make that argument is just vacuous.”
Hoogland added that while there is “no question” that prairie dogs and cows have overlap in their diets, the bovines tend to feed on the vegetation around prairie dog colonies anyway. If cows, buffalo, or pronghorn are given a choice, Hoogland said they prefer to eat near prairie dog colonies because the overall habitat is “better there.”
Majesties of the Plains
However, it’s not just small creatures that protect the plains. Colossal creatures embody resilience and redefine the red dirt-covered Texas landscapes, standing with confidence as living paintings of the American frontier. Shaggy, deep brown fur and strong horns crown their heads, making them the majesties of the plains.
Bison have come to symbolize America as some of its most recognizable and iconic fauna. Far and few between as they stand, the State of Texas’s official herd of bison can be found at Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, located in Quitaque, Texas.
A great plains bison in its natural habitat. Photo obtained from the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.
It is thought that between 30 to 60 million bison once roamed the plains of North America. Following a yearslong period of over-hunting in the 1870s known commonly as the “great slaughter,” fewer than 1,00 remained were estimated to have remained by 1888.
Now, the Texas State Bison Herd find their home at Caprock Canyon State Park, and genetic testing by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reveals the herd may be the last remaining group of southern plains bison.
Beyond representing a historical marvel, the bison also represents a pillar in the High Plains ecosystem. Juliette Garza, a park interpreter at Caprock Canyons State Park, referred to the great creatures as pollinators and ecosystem engineers.
“As [bison] walk through the prairies, they do grab onto all those grass seeds, those burrs and whenever they walk around the park, they disperse them,” she said.
“We do have a lot of wallow areas in the park where bison take their dirt baths and depending on how often they wallow and the rain that we get, those can turn into wetlands,” Garza continued. “That creates water habitats for other animals like amphibians or birds, especially for how dry this area is. We will take any place of water where animals can drink from to survive out here in the South Plains.”
West Texas Wonders
Just two of several keystone species in West Texas not only impact the ecosystem in which they live, but also the cultural and natural significance of the Llano Estacado.
Lubbock Lake National Historic Landmark in Lubbock, Texas, is an active preservation of the old plains. As a living museum, the archeological preserve contains evidence of people on the High Plains for nearly 12,00 years. Marking one of the most significant archeological sites in North America, it also preserves the native species on the plains while educating visitors about their importance.
Geological lines within the canyons of the Caprock. Photo by Emma Montgomery.
In safeguarding the High Plains, the preservation efforts extend to keystone species. Black-tailed prairie dogs and bison contribute to the delicate balance of a historic ecosystem that paints the image of the Great American West and the natural, unsuspecting beauty it beholds.
Kippra Hopper, operations manager at the Lubbock Lake Landmark, said she recognizes the significance of keystone species on the plains.
“What lives among the prairie dogs is more wildlife, that’s the key to other wildlife in West Texas,” Hopper said, “it is the keystone species.”
About Reece Nations
