Plant species from the eastern forests, Edwards Plateau, South Texas shrub, and mowed lawns are found.
Parks perform two roles in our society, wildlife sanctuary and a place to relax and enjoy nature.
To accomplish both goals a balance between disturbed areas and native plants must be maintained. Studies of the effects of disturbance are needed to understand the interactions of disturbed areas and the native vegetation. GSHP is a good area for this kind of study since it has a long history of disturbance, from the ranches of the mission to more recent changes. These recent changes have been documented in aerial photographs taken over a several decades. Successional stages from different degrees of disturbance and different temporal stages can then be studied.