Managing Intermountain Rangelands
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This file was created by scanning the printed publication. Errors identified by the software have been corrected; however, some errors may remain. USE OF ROSACEOUS SHRUBS FOR WILDLAND PLANTINGS IN THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST Robert B. Ferguson ABSTRACT: This paper summarizes information on While many of the early efforts to use shrub Rosaceous shrubs to assist range or wildlife species in artificial revegetation centered on managers in planning range improvement projects. bitterbrush, other members of the Rosaceae were Species from at least 16 different genera of the being studied and recommended. Plummer and Rosaceae family have been used, or are others (1968) listed species that could be used potentially useful, for revegetating disturbed in revegetation programs in Utah, including true wildlands in the Intermountain West. mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus Raf.), Information is given on form and rate of growth, curlleaf mountain mahogany (C. ledifolius reproduction, longevity, and geographical Nutt.), cliffrose (Cowania mexicana var. distribution of useful Rosaceous shrubs. stansburiana [Torr.] Jeps.), desert bitterbrush Information is also presented on forage value, (Purshia glandulosa Curran), Saskatoon response to fire and herbicides, and the effects serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.), Utah of insects and disease. Finally, methods used serviceberry (A. utahensis Koehne), Woods rose for the establishment of the Rosaceous shrubs (Rosa woodsii Lindl.), apache plume (Fallugia are described. paradoxa·[D. Don] Endl.), black chokecherry (Prunus virginiana L. var. melanocarpa [A. Nels.] Sarg.), desert peachbrush (P. fasciculata INTRODUCTION [Torr.] Gray), American plum (P. americana Marsh), squawapple (Peraphyllum ramosissimum William A. Dayton (1931), early plant ecologist Nutt.), and bush cinquefoil (Potentilla of the Forest Service, stated, "The rose group fruticosa L.). Holmgren (1954) listed curlleaf (Rosaceae) is, with the possible exception of mountain mahogany, Saskatoon serviceberry, and the composites, the most widely developed shrub black chokecherry, in addition to antelope family in the west and all things considered, is bitterbrush, as potentially useful species on perhaps the most important as range browse." the Payette River deer winter range in Idaho. Robinette (1972), citing Martin and others Brown and Martinsen (1959) concluded that (1951), listed 18 genera of shrubs widely used antelope bitterbrush, black chokecherry, for food and the numbers of wildlife species American plum, and Douglas hawthorn (Crataegus known to use them. The genera Rubus, Prunus, douglasii Lindl.) were the most promising of the and Amelanchier ranked first, second, ~ native rosaceous shrubs for planting on big game seventh in that list, respectively. winter range in Washington, with several other species of Prunus and one species of rose also Following World War II, range and wildlife recommended for dryland sites. managers in several Western States realized the need to increase the availability of browse on Since about 1946, the plant genera named above numerous deer winter range areas. In the 1950's have been used more than any others in the rose and 1960's much of the research on artificial family in attempts to revegetate depleted game revegetation of depleted game ranges dealt with ranges and other disturbed sites in the western antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata [Pursh] United States. However, several other genera of DC.). Holmgren (1956) noted that of several the Rosaceae could be used to good advantage on browse species adapted for survival on specific sites, including Rubus, Sorbus, southwestern Idaho big game winter ranges, Spiraea, Holodiscus, Physo~s, and Crataegus. bitterbrush showed the most promise for range rehabilitation. He noted that attempts to This paper summarizes information on these establish bitterbrush in southwestern Idaho had Rosaceous shrubs to assist the range or wildlife been made almost every year since 1937. manager in planning range improvement projects. Research on bitterbrush was also carried out in Because numerous plant names are mentioned, a California (Hubbard and others 1959), Oregon list of scientific names, and associated common (Stanton 1959), Utah (Plummer and others 1957), names, is given in table 1. and Washington (Brown and Martinsen 1959). Basile (1967) compiled an annotated bibliography of numerous bitterbrush studies to aid in BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS research and management. The shrubs of the rose family discussed herein all have five petals and five sepals, and Robert B. Ferguson is Range Scientist at the alternate leaf arrangement. The flowers have Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment numerous stamens and both male and female parts Station, Shrub Sciences Laboratory, USDA (except in some species of the genus Rubus that Forest Service, Provo, Utah. 136 Table 1.--Scientific and common names of plants mentioned in this paper. Scientific name Common name Agropyron desertorum (Fisch.) Schult. desert wheatgrass Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt. Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier oreophila A. Nels. mountain serviceberry Amelanchier utahensis Koehne Utah serviceberry Bromus tectorum L. cheatgrass cercocarpus intricatus S. Wats littleleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. curlleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus Raf. true mountain mahogany Cowania mexicana var. stansburiana (Torr.) Jeps. Cliff rose Crataegus douglasii Lindl. Douglas hawthorn Fallugia paradoxa (D. Don) Endl. apache plume Holodiscus discolor (Pursh) Maxim oceanspray Holodiscus dumosus (Hook.) Heller bush oceanspray Malus seiboldi (Reg.) Rehd. Toringo crabapple FeraPhyllum ramosissimum Nutt. squawapple Physocarpus alternans (Jones) T. J. Howell dwarf ninebark Physocarpus capitatus (Pursh) Kuntze Pacific ninebark Physocarpus intermedius (Rydb.) Schneid. Illinois ninebark Physocarpus malvaceous (Greene) Kuntze mallow ninebark Physocarpus monogynus (Torr.) Coult. mountain ninebark Potentilla fruticosa L. bush cinquefoil Prunus americana Marsh American plum Prunus andersonii Gray Anderson peachbrush Prunus besseyi Bailey Bessey cherry Prunus emarginata (Dougl.) Walp. bittercherry Prunus fasciculata (Torr.) Gray desert peachbrush Prunus munsoniana Bailey wild goose plum Prunus virginiana L. var. demissa (Nutt.) western chokecherry Prunus virginiana L. var. melanocarpa (A. Nels.) Sarg. black chokecherry ~a glandulosa Curran desert bitterbrush Purshia tridentata (Pursh) DC. antelope bitterbrush Rosa acicularis Lindl. prickly rose Rosa arkansana Porter Arkansas rose Rosa gymnocarpa Nutt. baldhip rose Rosa nutkana Presl. Nootka rose Rosa woodsii Lindl. Woods rose Rubus leucodermis Dougl. blackcap Rubus parviflorus Nutt. thimbleberry Sorbus scopulina Greene Green~mountain ash Sorbus sitchensis Roemer Sitka mountain ash spiYaea betulifolia Pall. shiny-leaf spirea Spiraea densiflora Nutt. subalpine spirea Spiraea douglasii Hook Douglas spirea growing than other plant species used in have male and female flowers on separate revegetation projects, such as many of the plants). Table 2 gives additional information Chenopods and Composites. Curlleaf mountain on flowers, fruit, leaves, height, and ecotypic mahogany exhibits rapid root elongation variation. following seedling emergence--3.7 ft (1.1 m) in 4 months. The top, however, may reach a height Growth form varies from almost viney in some of only 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 em) the first species of Rubus to small trees in serviceberry, season (Dealy 1975). After becoming well chokecherry, bittercherry (Prunus emarginata established, growth of some species can be quite [Dougl.] Walp.), hawthorn, and mountain ash rapid on good sites. Medin and Ferguson (1980) (Sorbus). However, most species occur as observed current shoot lengths of 20 to 31 multiple-stemmed shrubs, with some inches (50 to 80 em) on many young antelope (bittercherry, spirea, and ninebark) forming bitterbrush shrubs in southwestern Idaho in dense clumps. In the genus Purshia some 1967. ecotypes of antelope bitterbrush are nearly prostrate, while others are entirely erect in The life span probably varies from 10 to 20 form. The most useful of the wild roses also years for species of Rubus to over 150 years for tend to exhibit an erect habit. curlleaf mountain mahogany, antelope bitterbrush, and cliffrose. Very little As seedlings, and often during the first 2 or 3 information on longevity is available in the years of life, the rosaceous shrubs are slower 137 Table 2.--Some botanical characteristics of important genera of Rosaceae Flowers Fruit Leaves Maximum height Recognized ecotypes Amelanchier w R p S,D 25 1 Yes Cercocarpus s A S,D-E 25 1 Yes Cowania W-Y s A S,E 15 1 Yes Crataegus W-Re Co p S,D 35 1 No Fallugia w s A S,E 7 I No Holodiscus w p A S,D 10 1 No PeraEhyllum W-Pi s p S,D 7 I No PhysocarEus w Co F S,D 7 I No Potentilla y Cy A C,E 41 No Prunus w R D S,D 30 1 Yes Purshia y s A S,D-E 131 Yes Rosa Re-Ro S-Cy A C,D 10 1 Yes Rubus w R-Cy Ag C,D 8 I No Sorb us w Cy p C,D 20 1 No SEiraea W-Re p F S,D 8 I No Key to botanical characteristics: Flowers: Pi = pink, Re red, Ro rose, w white, y yellow, Co corymb, Cy cyme, p panicle, R raceme, s solitary Fruit: A achene, Ag = aggregate, D = drupe, F = follicle, p pome Leaves: c compound, D = deciduous, E = evergreen, s = simple literature. Nord (1959) reported a maximum age Amelanchier, and Crataegus. Stutz (1972) of 160 years for antelope bitterbrush in discusses mutations and hybridization in California. Brotherson and others (1980) found Cercocarpus