Sonora

The 3,400-acre Sonora Research Station is located on the Edwards Plateau in West Texas in a semiarid region of shallow, rocky soils. Once covered by grasslands, lack of fire and overgrazing have contributed to the significant expansion of woody species, resulting in dominance of juniper species and diminished herbaceous understory. Due to woody brush encroachment, goats instead of cattle are the dominant grazing species. In 1916, seeing a need for research to address devastating livestock diseases, equal contributions from area ranchers and the Texas Legislature purchased the 3,400-acres of land now known as the Sonora Experiment Research Station. Since then this research station has made significant returns on the initial investment to the livestock industry and to rangeland conservation. The Sonora Station is managed by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and serves as a valuable research site focused on prescribed burning and goat grazing, as well as outreach, education, and hunting opportunities.