Economics of redberry juniper control in the Texas Rolling Plains

Redberry juniper (Juniperus pinchotii Sudw.) is a common invasive brush spe cies that reduces rangeland productivity over vast acreages in the Rolling Plains and Edwards Plateau regions of Texas. The objectives of this study w ere to evaluate the economic feasibility of redberry juniper control and de termine the optimum treatment cycle for maintenance burning. A response equ ation was used to estimate the relationship between herbage production and redberry juniper canopy, Data to estimate the relationship was obtained for a site in the Texas Rolling Plains. The analysis used chaining as the init ial treatment and periodic prescribed burns as maintenance treatments. Addi tional livestock production resulting from brush treatments and the costs o f treatments were estimated and used to calculate net present values of the investment in brush control over a 30-year time horizon. Net present value s indicated that juniper control was economically feasible across a wide ra nge of economic and environmental conditions. Prescribed burn intervals wer e found to be optimal at 7-year intervals under most conditions.