Stengl Lost Pines Biological Station

Stengl Biology Station (Lost Pines) is a 200-acre outdoor facility. Photo: Phil Schappert.

An outpost of the Brackenridge Field Laboratory, the Stengl facility is a 208-acre field operation for a steady stream of students and researchers. The property combines characteristics of the typical grasslands and woodlands of central Texas, the oak-dominated temperate deciduous regions of eastern Texas, and relict elements of the pine forest that dominated the area 5,000 years ago. This rich combination of Texas vegetation provides an outstanding natural laboratory for studies in biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology, and a striking biotic contrast to Brackenridge Field Laboratory within the same climatic zone.

History

The Stengl Station was officially established on May 9, 1992, by Dr. Lorraine “Casey” Stengl and Ms. Lorraine Wyer, who donated the 208 acres of land and outbuildings to the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Stengl established the Lorraine I. Stengl Endowment Fund in 1987 to provide support for students, and has contributed to many other endowments in the School of Biological Sciences. Stengl continues to support the maintenance as well as facilities improvement at the station. The recent completion of a residence field laboratory allows overnight visits by researchers and students.

Research

Several projects at the Stengl facility, involve inventory of its flora and fauna:

• Smithsonian National Ant Inventory visit by Dr. Ulrich Mueller
• phorid fly releases and monitoring surveys of fire ants by Dr. Gilbert's group
• Dr. Schappert and Dr. Abbott's continuing general survey of insects and the latter's specific concentration on life history and molecular phylogeny of telegeusid beetles
• Mueller's fungus growing ants survey and collection
• Mueller and Klein's (Univ. Arizona) ant survey
• Dr. Michael Ryan's frog call survey/video recording

Other active research activities included the residence of Dr. Don Feener’s group from Utah during their ant survey work at the Brackenridge and Stengl stations, Dr. P. Schappert’s students examination of the age and structure of the pine forest community at Stengl Station and his discovery (and planned future population studies) of the occurrence of an endangered species, the Navasota Ladies Tresses (Spiranthes parksii), and two graduate student's study of the Venus' Looking Glass wildflower.