https://txjanr.agintexas.org/index.php/txjanr <p>Welcome to the Texas Journal of Agriculture and Natural Resources' online home!</p> <p>This year marks the 33rd year that the Texas Journal of Agriculture and Natural Resources has published research articles. Check out our archives to see what issues and fields of study that researchers have explored!&nbsp;</p> Agricultural Consortium of Texas en-US Texas Journal of Agriculture and Natural Resources 2165-1205 https://txjanr.agintexas.org/index.php/txjanr/article/view/443 <p>Growing at an annual rate of 3.7%, the Latin American livestock sector has surpassed the average global livestock growth rate of 2.1% and has become the leading region for beef and poultry exports worldwide. In 2018, Nicaragua led beef production and exports in Central America with growth rates of 24% and 16.4%, respectively. Using data on feeder cattle futures prices and on 2,520 sales transactions from 99 cattle auctions in Nicaragua from 2017 to 2018, this study conducts a hedonic price analysis using a basis approach. A basis model is considered a better risk management tool in terms of variations between cash prices and futures prices and potential endogeneity issues associated with these two variables. The study found that weight, lot size, and class are statistically significant factors impacting cattle auction prices. The results of the study are of importance to buyers and sellers of cattle in their decision-making process and help them understand information from the futures market to predict price differences and reduce price risk and uncertainty.</p> Jose A. Lopez Jameson Augustin Ervin Leiva Copyright (c) 2025 2025-04-01 2025-04-01 37 1 12 https://txjanr.agintexas.org/index.php/txjanr/article/view/467 <p><strong>A winter prescribed burn in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland was studied for its effect on arthropod abundance and first-year recovery at the Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Brewster County, Texas.&nbsp; The fire was initiated in early February 1997, resulting in a cool, discontinuous burn.&nbsp; Arthropods were collected pre- and postburn from January-December on unburned control and burned treatment sites using a D-vac suction machine. &nbsp;Insects were identified primarily to the order level, counted, dried, and weighed, whereas arachnids were grouped, counted, dried, and weighed.&nbsp; Preburn vegetation was comparable between treatments, and no differences were detected for insect and arachnid counts and biomass (P ≤ 0.05). &nbsp;Postburn, herbaceous cover was reduced significantly, and count differences were found in arachnids and for nine of 15 insect orders (P ≤ 0.05). &nbsp;Biomass differed (P ≤ 0.05) for the Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, and Psocodea. &nbsp;The fire did not appear to impact diversity and evenness of arthropod populations.&nbsp; Postburn arachnid and insect populations tracked vegetation changes and were highest at peak growing season following seasonal rains.&nbsp; Arthropod abundance and biomass were equal at the end of the first postfire season, and trends indicated that populations would recover within two to three years.</strong></p> Robert Kinucan Copyright (c) 2026 2026-05-08 2026-05-08 37