birds, insectivorous songbirds, predatory mammals and birds, 

 reptiles, and various invertebrates. 



The maritime woodland is particularly susceptible to surface 

 water alterations which may increase the soil water volume and 

 thus effectively raise the water table height. Root respira- 

 tion is inhibited and eventual replacement may occur by more 

 shallow-rooted woody shrubs or herbaceous grasses. If the road 

 is to provide only temporary access then recovery or restora- 

 tion becomes an important consideration. Restoration tech- 

 niques are treated as a separate section of this discussion. 

 Restoration of woodland conditions, even to a semioriginal 

 state, requires considerable time and management effort. 



3.2 Grasslands 



Recovery times are relatively rapid in grasslands (less than 

 two yr). Restoration to near original conditions can be 

 easily accomplished with application of known management tech- 

 niques. Notable examples of specific consumer populations 

 intimately linked to coastal grassland communities are the red 

 wolf and Attwater's prairie chicken. 



3.3 Brush-grass complex 



Recovery by grasses is rapid, with woody species requiring more 

 time (approximately 5 to 10 yr) for reestablishment. Woody 

 shrubs may be excluded for long intervals if fire occurs fre- 

 quently. Depending upon the degree of plant group intersper- 

 sion, this complex may support extremely diverse consumer 

 populations. Notable associates are the white-tailed deer, 

 javeline, coyote, bobcat, Rio Grande turkey, bobwhite, 

 red-tailed hawk, and great horned owl. Vegetational altera- 

 tions creating further habitat diversification are probably of 

 minor consequence to ecotonal consumers. At the Aransas 

 Refuge, whooping cranes occasionally seek protective cover and 

 food from portions of this community type. 



Disturbance factors should be recognized as an important con- 

 sideration because they extend project impacts beyond the 

 boundaries of the immediate site. 



4. Key attribute alterations 



The key attribute alterations involve primary and secondary effects. 

 The primary effect is the direct long-term removal of plant assem- 

 blages and directly dependent consumer groups within the road 



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