Tanglehead in Southern Texas: A Native Grass with an Invasive Behavior

On the Ground
- Tanglehead is a native bunchgrass with a pan-tropical distribution. Historically, tanglehead was common but not abundant in southern Texas and was considered a decreaser whose presence indicated good range condition.
- Beginning in the late 1990s, the Texas Coastal Sand Plain ecoregion witnessed dramatic increases in the abundance and distribution of tanglehead: thousands of acres of former grasslands were replaced by dense monotypic stands of tanglehead, reducing habitat quality for livestock and wildlife.
- Our research has focused on understanding factors related to tanglehead's expansion, its effects on habitat quality, and management practices that can improve range condition and habitat quality.