An Assessment of Lomas With Consideration of the Texas Tortoise

Webinar Description:

Lomas are a rare type of windblown dune that have been studied infrequently. They are found exclusively in North America, northern and western Africa, and southern Australia. Tamaulipan clay lomas (hereafter, “lomas”) are found only in coastal areas of northern Mexico and Cameron, Willacy, Kenedy, and Kleberg counties, Texas, within the US. These lomas support distinct vegetation assemblages in both herbaceous and woody plant communities that vary from the coastal mainland. Current threats to lomas include storm surges, prolonged drought, and development in industries such as oil and gas and SpaceX. We characterized vegetation and soil on 15 lomas in southern Texas, as well as their use by Texas tortoises (Gopherus berlandieri). In this presentation, I’ll be discussing the unique features of loma elevation, soil texture and pH, herbaceous and woody vegetation, and Texas tortoise density.