The Barry Buckner Biological Preserve and Research Area
Austin College and its three preserves and research areas are located in Grayson County in North Central Texas, just south of the Red River which forms the Texas-Oklahoma border.
The
department is fortunate in having three field laboratories totaling nearly
300 acres in close proximity to the campus. The Barry Buckner Biological
Preserve and Research Area, The Lee Harrison Bratz Field Laboratory, and
The Clinton & Edith Sneed Environmental Research Area provide excellent
examples of natural habitats and allow classes and student researchers
ready access to field experiences.
The
Barry Buckner Biological Preserve and Research Area was donated to Austin
College in early 1995 by Mr. and Mrs. Andy Buckner of Sherman, in memory
of their late son. This 110-acre gift of land is located in northeastern
Grayson County near Iron Ore Creek. The Buckners have protected the area
since the late 1950's when they acquired the property. One of their reasons
for originally obtaining the land was its interesting biology and geology.
Deep wooded ravines, large sandstone outcrops, and sizeable areas that
have never been plowed or highly modified all made the area an excellent
candidate for a preserve. The Buckners donated the area to Austin College
not only as a preserve but also as an outdoor teaching laboratory and as
a site for student and faculty research. Shortly after acquiring the property
over 35 years ago, Mr. Buckner planted a grove of loblolly pines in an
open area on the eastern side of the preserve. Despite being native further
east, because of the sandy soil these pines have grown well and are reproducing.
The result is the Preserve has one of the few pine stands in Grayson County,
with the largest individual having a diameter breast height of over 30
inches.
The
Buckner Preserve, in northeastern Grayson County, is located at the western
edge of the Oak-hickory vegetation zone. Because of its location in an
ecotone or contact zone between three vegetation zones, the Oak-hickory,
the Blackland Prairie, and the East Cross Timbers, the plant life is particularly
interesting. Two examples include the May-apple, Podophyllum peltatum (pictured
above), reaching its western limit in Grayson Co., and occuring in the
bottomland forest of the Buckner Preserve, and the Blackstem spleenwort,
Asplenium resiliens, a rare fern, which occurs on rock outcrops in the
Preserve's ravines. Much of the property is forested with dominant trees
including post oak, blackjack oak, chestnut oak, elms, and hickories. Several
deep, forested ravines cross the area and provide important habitats for
plants and animals. Large sandstone outcrops above these ravines are an
unusual feature for north Texas. Other habitats present include successional
fields, three small ponds, and a grove of pines planted by Mr. Buckner
approximately thirty-five years ago.
One of the most important uses of the Buckner Biological Preserve and Research
Area is as an on-site teaching laboratory for a number of Austin College
courses including Animal Behavior, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Invertebrate
Biology, Ornithology, and Plant Biology. The area is also being used as
a site for student and faculty research. Many students in our advanced
classes carry out independent research projects and the Buckner area is
a valuable resource for these students. Because the Buckner property is
quite different ecologically from the College's other two field laboratories,
the Bratz Field Laboratory and the Sneed Environmental Research Area, the
potential for comparative studies is important. The Buckner site also functions
to preserve an interesting and unique piece of the natural vegetation of
Grayson County and the north Texas area. Rare and unusual plant and animal
species and the unusual geology present make preservation of the area in
its natural state an important priority.
For more information contact Dr. George Diggs (gdiggs@austincollege.edu) or Steve Goldsmith (sgoldsmith@austincollege.edu) by email or at:
Department of Biology
Austin College
Sherman, Texas 75090