D•MAP TOOL

(will be activated by 6/2027)

WHAT IS D•MAP?

D•MAP (Decision-Making Analysis & Planning) is an online land management tool that teaches Texas Hill Country landowners how to be their own stewards.

It can be tailored for other regions and applied to any scale.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

D•MAP guides landowners through a step-by-step process that divides their land into smaller units, assesses the health and tree cover of each unit, and then offers tailored management and monitoring techniques based on their specific goals, budget, and timeline.

D•MAP ROAD MAP

SUMMARY: Divide land into smaller, site-specific Land Management Units (LMUs).

credit:

OBJECTIVE

Divide one’s land into land management units (LMUs) to allow for less overwhelming and more site-specific land management.

WHY DO IT?

Optimize resource management
Increase productivity
Reduce risk and conflict
Target ecosystem conservation
Improve decision-making

HOW IT’S DONE

Create a land map using the Texas A&M Forest Service online program, Map My Property
Use the LMU Quiz to divide land into LMUs based on streams, contours, soil depth, and slope.

SUMMARY: Characterize tree cover as bottomland forest, upland forest, motte, shinnery, or scrub based on LMU, structure, species, and age.

credit: Elizabeth McGreevy

OBJECTIVE

Identify existing tree cover in each LMU that distinguishes between established, regenerating, and pioneer cover.

WHY DO IT?

Identify LMUs where forest cover is more appropriate (Floodplains, Bluffs, and Hills)
Learn how to distinguish general scrub from potential forest regrowth and oak shinneries

HOW IT’S DONE

Outline tree cover using your land map’s aerial photo.
Use the Tree Quiz to identify different types of tree cover

ROLE OF MOUNTAIN CEDARS

SUMMARY: Use guides to visually assess ecological patterns and evaluate the health of each LMU.

credit: Fletcher Thorne-Thompson

OBJECTIVE

Rapidly gather information by examining a series of general indicators for each LMU to assess overall health and identify problem areas.

WHY DO IT?

Determine if the land is functioning properly
Improve predictions
Locate special ecological resources
Identify problem areas
Foster a stronger connection to one’s land
Increase awareness of the land dynamics

HOW IT’S DONE

Use the Upland and Bottomland Assessment Guides to quickly assess conditions for each LMU.
Plot results on Bullseye Charts to illustrate LMU health and problems.

SUMMARY: Choose LMU-specific techniques based on health and tree cover to align with landowner goals, budget, and timeframe.

credit: Jess Mayes

OBJECTIVE

Use bullseyes scores and tree stand data to choose techniques recommended for each LMU based on its current state of health and one’s goals and budget.

WHY DO IT?

Enhance long-term resilience to droughts, floods, and wildfires.
Enhance or sustain ecosystem services function for now and future generations.
Reduce degradation and mitigate risk
Optimize productivity.

HOW IT’S DONE

Use Step 3 results to find recommended techniques.
Select methods that best support each LMUs health, and your goals/budget.

SUMMARY: Write a strategic roadmap that clarifies long-term goals.

credit: Bureau of Land Management

OBJECTIVE

Combine data collected into one form to create a ten-year plan that provides a long-term, strategic roadmap to achieve your land’s specific goals and ensure more cost-effective stewardship.

WHY DO IT?

Sets clear seasonal and yearly prescriptions so a landowner knows when to carry out different actions.
Allows a landowner to systematically spot and manage problems areas and species before they causes widespread damage.
Ensures smooth transition of the property to future generations.

HOW IT’S DONE

Prioritize methods for each LMU and determine budget.
Fill out the Planning Spreadsheet to create a management plan

SUMMARY: Track outcomes over time to evaluate technique effectiveness and cost efficiency.

credit: NCAT Soil for Water

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate progress toward meeting ecological, economic, and social goals, enabling managers to adapt practices based on reliable data.

WHY DO IT?

Transforms static land management plans into dynamic strategies. If objectives are not being met, a landowner can adjust techniques.
Tracking indicators provides hard evidence of stable, upward, or downward trends.

HOW IT’S DONE

Monitor two or more indicators over time for each LMU.
If successful, continue the method; if not, select another method

WHY IS D•MAP NEEDED?

The Texas Hill Country, on the eastern half of the Edwards Plateau, is a fragile limestone karst landscape where ecological processes are deeply interconnected. Sustaining and regenerating its essential ecosystem services requires holistic, site-specific management that builds long-term resilience to floods, droughts, and wildfires.

Texas karst country is not like the rest of Texas.

We need site-specific management solutions that address the fragile limestone bedrock and shallow soils.