The original tall-grass prairie habitat, which once surrounded Galveston Bay, has been completely altered. The four most dramatic changes to the coastal prairie were brought about by the use of the land for cattle production, agricultural cultivation, industrial development and urban growth.
Today there is an environmental focus on prairie restoration.
The vast grasslands were an important resource for the first settlers to the Texas coastal region. A large percentage of the prairie habitat being preserved today was used in the past primarily as cattle range, and some of these preserves still have cattle grazing leases. To help facilitate a better understanding of the changes made to the lands being preserved this research focuses on both the original Galveston Bay prairies before European B American immigration impact, and the management and changes to the prairies by the cattle industry. The early prairie habitat is explored through the descriptions reported by the first visitors to the shores around Galveston Bay. Their journals and letters are filled with details about the rich wildlife and plant diversity.