Stengl “Lost Pines” Biological Station

The Stengl “Lost Pines” Biological Station (SLP) is a satellite facility of Brackenridge Field Laboratory (BFL), administered through the Section of Integrative Bioloy in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. Stengl Ranch (as it is commonly known) is located at approx. 30° 04' 51" N and 97° 10' 23" W near Smithville, TX in the heart of the “Lost Pines”, a geographic outlier of Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) more than 120 miles west of the current limits of the species range.

The 208-acre property, approx. 55 minutes southeast of the UT Austin campus, is the newest field research site available to students and faculty. The property, almost one mile long and a half mile wide, contains a pond and one of the permanent springs of J. D. Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River. The site combines the characteristics of the typical grasslands of north central Texas (Blackland Prairie), the oak-dominated temperate deciduous regions of central and eastern Texas (Post Oak Savannah), and also relict elements of the pine forest that dominated the area 5,000 years ago (Piney Woods). The “Lost Pines” area, because of its rolling topography, sandy substrates, and permanent springs, has retained the westernmost stands of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and bog-associated flowering plants, ferns, and bryophytes. This rich combination of Texas vegetation typical of old moister habitats with xeric elements which have since come in from the south provides an outstanding natural laboratory for studies in ecology and evolutionary biology. There has been no logging in the area for many years, and grazing has been light. The complex management for the maintenance of some habitats, and for allowing natural regeneration to take place in others, will be integrated with the long-term research and educational goals developed for the area. To facilitate the development of a management plan, biological inventory surveys are currently being conducted. The availability of overnight accommodation for up to 10 people with austere but modern living facilities makes the field station a valuable resource for education and training in ecology and conservation biology.

The property, house, and outbuildings were donated to The University of Texas at Austin in September 1991 by UT alumna Dr. Lorraine “Casey” Stengl.

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All contents Copyright (C) Phil Schappert, 1997-2003. All rights reserved.
Comments to: philjs@mail.utexas.edu

Last revised: February 17, 2003.