While the term “wildland-urban interface” may be unfamiliar, chances are you’re among more than 8 million Texans living in it — the rapidly expanding intersection of undeveloped native landscapes and urban/suburban sprawl.

This merging of vastly different land uses can create unique challenges for natural resource professionals seeking to manage healthy ecosystems and for residents unaccustomed to natural processes like wildfires, flooding or living alongside wildlife.

According to the latest Texas Land Trends Program report, produced by the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, Texas is home to the 15 most rapidly growing cities in the U.S. Between 1997 to 2022, the state’s population surged more than 50% — from 19 million to 30 million. That’s roughly 1,100 new residents each day.

“This type of growth is drastically altering landscapes and putting more Texans in contact with nature and natural processes than ever before,” said Roel Lopez, Ph.D., director of the Natural Resources Institute and head of the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management. “It also impacts how we steward natural resources and manage public safety and human and animal health.”

Texas is home to the 15 most rapidly growing cities in the U.S., altering landscapes and putting more Texans in contact with nature and natural processes. This expanding intersection of undeveloped native landscapes and urban/suburban sprawl is known as the “wildland-urban interface.” (Texas A&M AgriLife)

Land-use change and new land management challenges

Lopez said the interface is not a hard line. He describes it as a checkerboard of urban development across remnants of wild, open spaces.

While habitat loss and land fragmentation impact native wildlife species, they also complicate management actions that ensure healthy, sustainable populations, he said.

In addition to population management for native wildlife like white-tailed deer and coyotes, Lopez said non-native species like feral hogs create challenges in urban and suburban areas.

“Alongside feral hogs, urban areas are dealing with overpopulation of native species like white-tailed deer, which can lead to human-wildlife conflict and negative impacts on the natural ecosystems that do remain,” he said.

Science-based solutions through the land-grant mission

Lopez emphasized the importance of data-driven decision-making information and tools for landowners, policymakers and other stakeholders to balance population growth and sprawl with long-term sustainability.

While the scale of addressing these challenges is daunting, Lopez said he and others across Texas A&M AgriLife are focusing on the core tenets of the land-grant mission — research, teaching and extension — to provide solutions.

Habitat loss and fragmentation threaten native wildlife species, while also complicating management actions aimed at ensuring healthy, sustainable populations. (Texas A&M AgriLife)

“Our students are the next generation of land managers who will undoubtedly be tasked with developing and implementing novel approaches to advance conservation,” he said. “We ensure they engage in critical thinking, research and hands-on management activities like wildlife surveys and prescribed burns to ensure they develop as well-rounded and capable professionals for the 21st century.”

Beyond the confines of campus, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists translate scientific research into practical resources and tools, particularly for small-acreage landowners who make up a growing share of Texas’ landscape. Partnerships between AgriLife Extension and other organizations, like the Texas Wildlife Association, connect these landowners with wildlife resources and information.

Additional research and outreach focus on urban control of feral hogs, prescribed fire implementation to reduce fuel loads, small-scale habitat management, native plant restoration, and educating new rural landowners on land management techniques. 

“We have to be responsive to the needs of Texas as it changes,” Lopez said. “That means adapting our science, our outreach and our tools so they work for today’s and tomorrow’s landowners and communities.”

A model for other states

While the challenges within the growing wildland-urban interface are not unique to Texas, Lopez said the state’s size, ecological variety and rapid growth make it a proving ground for problem solvers who can inform decisions elsewhere.

“Texas is a living laboratory,” Lopez said. “We have the scale, the diversity of landscapes and the rapid growth that pushes us to innovate. If we can meet these challenges here, we can offer a roadmap for communities across the country facing the same pressures.”