The University of Houston Coastal Center holds one of the best examples of native coastal prairie in Texas. It has been managed for over 25 years by periodic mowing, but recently an effort was made to add burning to the management regime. This study compared the effect of mowing and fire on prairie areas that had been maintained for many years and areas that had recently been restored by clearing trees. Vegetation analysis employed a list of 48 species of plants commonly found in coastal prairies that were indicative of high, neutral or low prairie quality. Plants associated with low quality are introduced exotic species.
Neutral species are native, but associated with succession to other non-prairie ecosystems.
The remainder are grasses and forbs associated with mature coastal prairies. Fifteen transects were monitored in seven prairie areas that differed in time under prairie management. One square meter areas were located at random compass positions and distances from evenly spaced points along each transect. All plants on the list were identified in the sample plots, except Bermuda grass. Species abundance data were used to calculate species diversity indices.