AgriLife Extension adds rangeland specialist to serve Trans-Pecos ecoregion

Stakeholders in Texas’ Trans-Pecos ecoregion have a new source of science-based guidance and resources related to conservation and rangeland management.

Silverio Avila, Ph.D., recently joined the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service as a rangeland specialist and assistant professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management.

Based in Alpine, the position is a joint appointment with AgriLife Extension and Sul Ross State University’s Borderlands Research Institute.

“The purpose of this partnership is to better serve the rangeland management needs of landowners and producers in the Trans-Pecos,” said Parr Rosson, Ph.D., professor and associate department head for AgriLife Extension in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management. “It reflects the scope of conservation impact AgriLife Extension is working to accomplish across the state.”

Expertise to address an array of land management challenges

Avila brings a diverse range of research interests and experiences, including landscape ecology, rangeland fire ecology, livestock and wildlife management, as well as remote sensing and the use of drone technology — all of which will benefit landowners who contend with the region’s unique challenges and harsh climate.

“The Trans-Pecos is a unique landscape that presents distinct challenges for livestock production and wildlife conservation,” Avila said. “From lower forage production to climate variability, water scarcity and limited livestock market access, producers in this ecoregion face a unique set of limitations.” 

Avila said he looks forward to developing partnerships across state and federal agencies, commodity groups, private industry, private landowners and non-governmental organizations. These partnerships will create educational programming and innovative solutions to emerging and prioritized rangeland management problems, he said.

Avila said some of these research priorities include rangeland restoration, better understanding soil-plant relationships, and exploring plant community response to livestock grazing.

Additionally, Avila will provide technical guidance to AgriLife Extension agents and serve as a research mentor to undergraduates and graduate students at both universities.

“My goal is to be the source of up-to-date, practical and science-based information for landowners, producers and AgriLife Extension county agents regarding range management practices important to livestock production and wildlife conservation,” Avila said. “The joint appointment with the Borderlands Research Institute will enhance the ability to expand this reach to the region’s landowners and producers while conducting research tailored to the ecoregion.”

Partnership part of ongoing collaboration

Over the last 17 years, the Borderlands Research Institute has established a statewide reputation for establishing beneficial partnerships and conducting impactful research in wildlife ecology and management and rangeland management and restoration.

“This partnership is a direct result of the longstanding productive collaboration that the Borderlands Research Institute has with Texas A&M,” said Louis Harveson, Ph.D., Dan Allen Hughes Jr. Endowed Director of the Borderlands Research Institute. “Dr. Avila is a perfect fit for this position and has hit the ground running to develop new resources that will benefit West Texas landowners.”