THE SPREAD OF TIMBERED AREAS IN CENTRAL TEXAS 443 



The Edwards Plateau is a common meeting ground for species 

 from the Atlantic forest belt, the southern Rocky Mountains and the 

 north Mexican highlands. Ninety species of trees and shrubs have 

 been identified. Many of the species found along the streams which 

 flow through the Edwards Plateau, or which flow from springs along 

 the eastern escarpment, are those of the Atlantic flora — extensions 

 of the eastern bottomland type. One is amazed to find within these 

 canyon bottoms bald cypress of -the southern swamps growing several 

 feet in diameter. There is evidence that considerable quantities of 

 cypress existed along the eastern escarpment at the time of the early 

 settlements. Many of the oldest buildings in San Antonio and other 

 cities and towns adjacent to the hill country were constructed of this 

 species and some are standing today. American elm, sycamore, pecan, 

 live oak, overcup, Texas red and burr oaks, cottonwood, hack- 

 berry, and walnut are among the most important Atlantic species in 

 this canyon type. One occasionally finds burr oak five feet in diam- 

 eter and live oak and pecan nearly as large. These forests are not 

 of recent origin and in the early days the type probably did not dift'er 

 materially from that which exists today. 



Forest areas have long existed to a limited extent on rough slopes 

 and hillsides, breaks of streams and summits of plateaus and mesas, 

 generally where erosion has been severe, but where the rock debris 

 was not so unstable as to prevent capture by woody growth. Among 

 the species of trees found in these original types the most important 

 are mountain cedar (luniperus sabinoides) , mountain oak (a form of 

 Quescits t ex ana), live oak, mesquite, cedar elm, hackberry, and shin 

 oak (Quercus iindulata). These occur either in mixed stands of open 

 growth or in pure stands, such as cedar brakes and oak thickets, over 

 limited areas. The cedar brakes consist of dense stands of mountain 

 cedar, generally short and scrubby, growing on dry, crumbly lime- 

 stone soils. They are of decided commercial importance and for ten 

 miles or more back from transportation points are cut for posts and 

 poles and shipped to all parts of central and west Texas. Cedar 

 cutting has been going on for many years and since the brakes are 

 usually not cut clean, they tend to renew themselves, except where 

 fires burn through the brakes, and even then a return to cedar is not 

 unusual. Fires, however, are a serious obstacle to cedar reproduction 

 and fortunately there is a strong sentiment against burning. Mountain 

 oak thickets are common on the sides of gorges and on the 



