Album: Tracking the Grassland Plants of Padre Island National Seashore Using Long-Term Monitoring Plots

Padre Island National Seashore

Life for a grassland plant in coastal Texas is no bed of roses. Plants must tolerate fire, drought, sandy soil, and dramatic island weather. These conditions make it hard for trees and shrubs to survive, but many other plants thrive there. The island's vibrant flora includes diverse wildflowers, purple and green-hued grasses on sandy hills, and bristling sedges in small wetland "pockets". Through careful monitoring of this unique and varied plant life, scientists keep their fingers on the pulse of Padre Island National Seashore.