Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU
U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Forestry Depository)
1983
Winter Injury of Sagebrush and Other Wildland Shrubs in the Western United States
United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/govdocs_forest
Part of the Other Earth Sciences Commons
Recommended Citation United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, "Winter Injury of Sagebrush and Other Wildland Shrubs in the Western United States" (1983). Forestry. Paper 10. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/govdocs_forest/10
This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository) at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Forestry by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. /l /3· n: fiJ"/- 31t!/-
United States Department of Agriculture Winter Injury of ORIGINAL THE AUTHORS Forest Service DAVID L NELSON Is plant pathologist with the Statlon's shrub improvement and revegetation project at Provo, Inlennountain Sagebrush and Utah. His training in plant pathology is from Utah State FOAISt and Range COMPLETED Unl ....sity and the Unl..... lty of Gallfomla, Berkeley. He Experiment Station Ogden, UT 84401 !}O studied native rusts of western conifers for the Station at Other Wildland Logan, Utah, prtor to his present assignment. Research Paper INT-314 CHARLES F. TIERNAN Is ecologist for Cooperative July 1983 Forestry and Pest Management, Northern Region, Shrubs in the Missoula, Mont. He received a B.S. degree In 1983 In forest management and an M.S. degree in 1965 in forest entomology from Syracuse Unl..... ity , New Yori<. Since Western United beginning Forest Service research in 1965, he has worked on insecticide evaluation for the Pacific Southwest Station, Berkeley, Galif.; Interdisciplinary forestry and States teaching at Tuskegee Institute, Ala., for the Southern Station; and research on the ecology of wildland shrub insects at Reno, Nev., and Provo, Utah, and effect of David L Nelson and spruce budworm on seed production at Missoula, Mont., Charles F. Tieman for the Intermountain Station. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors acknowledge the contribution of the many USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and State Divisions of Wildlife Resources units throughout the Western United States whose observations and survey r.. ports made this publication possible. E. Arto Richardson, State climatologist, at the Utah State Department of Agriculture, gave valuable assistance to our Interpretation of weather records and Insight Into the winter Injury phenomenon. RESEARCH SUMMARY extenSive winter Injury of native wildland shrubs occurred in the Western United States during the winter of 1975-n. Artemisia tridentata was damaged most extensively followed by Ceanothus spp., Arctostaphylos spp., Purshia spp., and 32 other species of shrubs. The record low precipitation during this period, and conse quential low snow cover In areas of normally heavy snow cover, combined with other factors that led to the Injury.
Cover Photo-A mountain valley at the headwa tfJrs of the 81g Lost River on the Challis National Forest In south-centralldaho. Virtually a/l mOun lfJ in big sagebrush plants were killed. BEST DOCUMENT AVAILABLE BEST DUCUMENT AVAILAk»LE
of plant species to these factors In the initiation and length of METHODS Winter Injury of Sagebrush and dormancy is hereditarily controlled. Prior to dormancy or full rest formation in faU or early winter. an unusual cold wave can Extensive kill of sagebrush was called to our anention by result in freezing injury to native as well as exotic plants. In Walt Mueggler and Ed Schlatterer of the USDA Forest Service, Other Wildland Shrubs in the late winter after d?rmancy has ended, an unusual warm spell and G. A. Schumaker, USDA Science and Education Admini,s. that stimulates growth activity, followed with a relurn to winter Iration, Boise, Idaho. They observed areas of recently killed Western United States cold, can result in freezing injury. Leaf and shoot kill of plants in central and southern Idaho during summer 1977. We evergreen plants durin, winter and spring is usually expressed visited these areas and others in Utah during September 1m in David L Nelson and later duri ... ~ the summer as the foliage turns brown (for exam· an anempt to detennine the cause. The extensive nature and Charles F. Tieman pIe, Felt 1943). The other type of winter injury, desiccation, is pattern or damage, not only to sagebrush but also to other thOUght to result from lethal dehydration resultmg from contin· shrub species, implicated winter injury as the probable cause. ued transpiration with lack of sufftcient water absorption from In view or !he extraordinarily low precipitation during winter the root system (Kramer 1969). With the absence of snow 1976-n throughout most of the West, it seemed worthwhile to cover. th, soil and root systems may freeze; or with severe determine the extent of winter injury to sagebrush and other cold , lower stems may freeze, preventing replacement oftran· shrub species throughout the West. To accomplish this. it spirational water loss in upper plant parts (Olberg 1955; Sakai seemed expedient 10 make a survey of land management units I fJ'jO) . Rapid temperature nuctuations, drying winds, and bright of the forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and State suhny winter or early spring days are ~lieved to be related to Divisions of Wildlife Resources. Because our primary interest INTRODUCTION April that stimulated bud growth (Smith and others 1965). Ex· this type of winter injury (White and Weiser 1964; Watanabe was big sagebrush (Artemisia tridenta/a), we limited the survey posed bitterbrush foliage was damaged in nonhern Utah ap 1969). to the general distributionaJ limits of this species (Little 1976), Wildland shrui.ls are increasingly important on western parently from extreme temperatures of -35°F (_37°q and excluding Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, and southem rangelands (McKeU and others 1972; McKeU 1975a, I97Sb; _37°F (_38°q in early December and January following California (fig. I). Information requested included (I) shrub McAnhur and others 1974) in the restoration of disturbed aJea5 relatively warm periods (Jensen and Urness 1979). Fourwing species affected, (2) location, (3) elevation, (4) intensity of in· (McArthur and others 1974; Monsen 1975) and for use on big saltbush (Alrip/excanescenr) received winter injury in two off· jury, and (5) symptoms observed. game ranges (Plummer and others 1968). Sagebrush, ArtemisW site performance plantings in central Utah (Van Epps 1975). spp., alone occurs on more than one-third of the 82D million The injury in this case was attributed primarily to unusuaUy acres (332 million hal of western shrublands (Beetle 1960; low temperatures; hardiness varied with the point of origin 'Jf PluJ1lJ11eT 1974). Its importance stems, if not from its ubiquity. the 20 accessions. Schumaker and others (1979) and Hanson (rom its awessiveness and tremendous diversity and adaptabil and others (1982) reponed the loss of Artemisia lridentala ssp. ily(Bect1e 1960; McArthur and Plummer 1978). vaseyana (mountain big sagebrush) in an area of southwestern Weather extremes are a recognized important environmental Idaho that oct'Urred during winter 1976-n. Areas of most in· element in the survival and natural selection of plants. The low tense kill were those nonnaUycovered by 3.3 ft (1 m) or more precipitation period during the winter of 1976-77 may have of snow. They hypothesized that sagebrush plants remained ac~ been an example of such an extreme. Precipitation during this live during most of the winter and became desiccated due to period was near the lowest in recorded history over most of the lack of normal so il moisture. A SO percent loss of shrub cover West . Following that winter, extensive areas of ~brush kill and increase in grass and forbs followed the sagebrush kill. were observed in Idaho, Nevada. Utah. western Wyoming, and Buckbrush (Ceanothus sp.) (Stickney 1965) and manzanita western Colorado. 5cvcrc damage to other shrub species was (Arctostaphylos spp.) commonly incur winter injury throughout also observed. Winter injury appeared to be the primary cause. the West during winters of incomplete snow cover. Perhaps due Some plant spc:cics appear to have been killed or damaged by to the commonness of this inj ury and usual recovery Iiule at· drought alone. tention is given. Tarry and Shaw (1966) associated Armillaria The objective of Ihis paper is to briefly review winter injury mel/ea, a root pathogen, with a dieback disease of Ceanothus of plants and shrubs in particular, document the observed spp. following winter injury in the PaciflC Nonhwest. winter injury of 1976-n , and correlate the occurrence with Winter injury has a rather broad meaning. and the mech~ weather records. anism is not completely understood (Slatyer 1976). Plants pre· sumably suffer winter injury by freezing due to a lack of suffi· REVIEW cient innate cold hardiness or absence of winter dormancy in Winter injury of conifers , hardwood trees, and ornamental cold-hardy plants. and due to winter drought or desiccation shrubs ~ wdl docum OimalologicaJ data for the States falling within the area of elevation (that is. mountains. valleys. plateaus) and distribution Even in the most severe kill areas, however, some young plants subspecies is not universal enough to make this generalization. interest were obtained from the National Oceanic and Almos· of shrubs. particularly big sagebrush. up to 12 inches (JO cm) high were not affected (fig. 4) . Partial Junipemscommunis, a procumbent shrub (fig. 6), was injured pheric Administration. National Oimatic Center. Ashville. kill of large plants was common (fig. 5), with increased fre virtually everywhere it occurred over the southeastern pc.rtion N.C. Monthly precipitation and temperature records were ex RESULTS quency bordering normally exposed areas, protected areas, and of the Challis National Forest. The foliage on the entire to up amined for October through Apri1I97~77 . The monthly actual Description of Winter Injury areas ascending from vaUey or canyon bottoms. It was typical per portions of plants had turned brown, but it did not appear and percentage of normal climatic divisional ... erage precipita for mountain big sagebrush to be killed in canyon bottoms, but that the plants were entirely killed . On the Targhee Nat.~nal lion was computed for each State. Only those divisions thallell In the areas of sagebrush injury we visited in south-central not injured at aU on adjacent normally exposed or partially ex Forest in southeastern Idaho, huckleberry (YQC."('inium spp.), within the survey limits W~ used to obtain the average for and southern Idaho and .,orthern Utah, damage occurred pri posed slopes. Of the areas we visited, mountain big sagebrush which grows under a canopy of lodsepole pine, was damaged each Slale. The average monthly means and degrees (OFaren marily above 6,000 fl (I 800 m). This was generally true with (Artemisia lridenlala ssp. vaseyana) was the only big sagebrus'. over large areas. CharacteristicalJy the upper 6 to 12 inches (IS heit) temperature depar.ures from normal were computed for survey reports, although in California and Oregon the elevation observed to be injured. Basin or valley big sagebrush (Arteff.isia 10 30 em) of plants were dead and leafless. Snowberry (Sym each Stale for the same climatic division as for precipitation. was somewhat lower. Typically the most severe damage oc lridemala ssp. IridenlDla) occurs at lower elevations and ap phoricarpru spp.) damaae on the southern Sawtooth National Precipitation and temperature normals were based or. the curred in mountain valleys (cover photo) and other areas of parently was not damaged as extensively. This appeared to be Forest (fig. 7) in Idaho was similar to that of Yorx!nium. 1941 -70 ret'ord. Precipitation in areasofliule or no reported nonnally deep snow cover (fig. 2). Southwesterly exposures and generally true from survey reports although familiarity with the Spotty to intense winter injury of Ceanothus sp . was present winter injury was compared with that of those where the most windswept ridges were usually rree of injury. Virtually aU large almost everywhere the plant occurred (ftg. 8). eXlensiv(' injury was reported. This was done by ma:ching plants of mountain big sagebrush were kilJed on the high management areas with climatic divisions and selecting those plateau areas we surveyed on Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest that corresponded most closely. Other factors considered were and Utah 's Uinta and Manti-LaSaJ National Forests (fig. 3). FIgIn4.-_wttllwtntor·ldl!od_ 1>Nah. _polchof """HeeI"' __ brush plante In cent., of photo. ...1 of Figure 2.-A c»presHd.,... the ... of on a Oak~, klaho., Sawtooth National FotHt. gledal moraln wtth wtnt.,.-kll*i mountain big aogobruoh. North of !lor'" PNk. 1.401 _ Rongo In Idoho. FIgIn 5.-A partially kltlod ...... taln big ugebrul;h on the Sawtooth Nltlonal FotHt. IOUIh 01 AIbIon.-' FigIn 3.-E.1_ ugot>ruohwtntor-ldtt on tho high Caalo _01-.._. k-'Ooth Nat.ioMI Fornl BEST DOCUMENT AVAILABLE BEST DOCUMENT AVAILADLE Results of the survey of Federal and State land management dentata injury was reported to occur in 190 localities through units are given in tables 1,2. Md 3; and the shrub species out the survey area, followed by Ceanothus (liS), Af('to damaged are summarized in table 4. Within the survey area, staphylos(49), and Purshia (33). Based o n the survey estimate, which corresponds generally to the distributional range of big almost entire kill of sagebrush occurred in locations totaling sagebrush, there were large areas with no reported winter in· 340,(0) acres (138 (0) hal, with spotty kill in 80 additional jury. These were primarily almost aU of Montana and the east· locations. The actual area of winter kill was undoubtedly much em two-thirds of Wyoming and Colorado. The areas with the greater. Injury to other species occurred in a much lesser most severe winter injury were most of southern Idaho; south number of locations (table 4). This is probably a reflection of westem Wyoming; northwestern Colorado; northeastern Utah, the relative abundance of the various species at least for those Nevada, and California; and south-central Oregon. (Refer to at elevations higher than 6,(0) ft (I 800 m). We suspect that tables I through 3 for more specific locations.) At least 36 the lower elevation desert shrubs, Atriplex. Cera/oides. Grayio. species in 21 genera were reported damaged. Artemisio tri- Sof('obotus, and especially Coleogyne were probably killed o r injured by drought alone. Table 1.- Wlnter injury of western wildland shrubs on National Forest lands No. of ___",, ___ on IM locaUons1 Approxlmllte FlgureS.-Commonjl.Wlipor(lrrowl,o _ of winter eleotlon Intensity Shrub species InjlllY (1 .000 H) of Injury' Symplom l~ CfwIMt NatIonal r-'OI'. ' of IdIIho. CALIFORN IA Eldorado Arctostaphylos spp. 5.2 1 1-2 Ceanothus leucodermls 2.0-3.0 2 1 Ceanolhus In!egerrimus 3.2- 6.0 1-2 2-4 Inyo Arctostaphylos spp. 7.0-8.5 2-4 Ceanothus velutlnus 7.0-8.5 1-3 Modoc Arctostaphylos patuta 4.6-7.0 2-3 1-2 ArtemisIa trldenlala 5.0 2 1-3 Ceanothus velutinus 4.5 2-3 2-3 Cercocarpus ledifollus 5.0 3 1-2 Juniperus occldentalls 3 1,3 Purshla trldentata 4.2-4.8 1-2 2 Plumas Arctostaphylos spp. 5.0 1.3 Artemisia trldentata 5.0 2 Ceanothus cordulatus 5.0 1,3 Ceanothus cuneatus FIgon 7.-Wlntor-ldIIod.-.y pIonUon 5.0 1,3 Ceanothus velutinus 5.0 1M Notional F.... I. IIOUIh 0/ AlbIon. 2,3 _ooth Stanislaus -. Ceanothus cordulatus 6.0 2.3 Tahoe Arctostaphylos paWls 5.0-7.0 2-3 Ceanothus cordu/stus 6.0-7.0 1-3 Ceanothus vetutlnus 4.0-5.5 2-3 Prunus emsrglnsta 6.9 2 COLORADO Arapaho·Roosevelt None reported Gunnlson-Grand Mesa Uncomphagre ArtemisIa trldentata 9.4 2.4 Purshla trldentata 9.0 2,3 Rio Grande None reported Routt Ceanothus spp. B.8-1'.0 1-3 2.3 Juniperus spp. 8.2-11.0 2 1,3 Quercus spp. 6.6-7.0 2-3 2-3 San Juan None reported c..FIgure__ II.-TypIcaIMt. __ __ Injury 0/,.. WhiteRiver Quercus gambelll 7.5 _F .... ~_ Symphorlcarpos oreophlfus 7.5 (con.) I5t~ I OUl;UMENT AVAI LABL E BEST DOCUMENT AVAILA ~LE Table I .-(eon.) No. of 1oca11on1' ApproxIIMI. Table 1.-(con.) of wlRl.,. _ .Ion Inlentlty Shrub species Injury (1.000 HI ot lnjury' No. of OREGON loallons' Approximate Deschutes of wlnlet' _1eY_tlon Intensity Arctostaphylos patula 5.0-1.0 2-3 1-' Shnbapodoo I"JIIIY (1.000 h I at Injuryl Symptoms' Cesnothus velullnus 6.0-1.5 2-3 1-' IDAHO Chrysothsmnus nauseosus ' .5 21 2 Boise PUrshia tridentats '.7 Artemisia Iridenlals 5.0-8.0 2 Fremont Arctostaphylos spp. 4.5-5.5 1-' Ceanothlls sangu;neus 8.0 3 Artemisls triden'sts 5.0-5.5 1- 2 1-2 Ceanothus ve/ulinus 6.2-7.' Cesnothus prostratus 5.5 1 1-3 Ceanothus spp. 3.0-8.0 2 Cesnothus velutlnus 5.0-1.0 1- 2 1-' Caribou PUrshla tridents's ' .7 1-2 Artemisia trldenlals 8.6-8.0 1-2 1-2 Malheur Ceanothus WI/ul/nus 5.8-8.0 1-2 1.3 Cesnothus ssngulneus 5.5-6.5 1-2 Ceanothus spp. 2 2.3 Cesnothus velutinus 5.0 2 Challis Sslix spp. 5.2 Arctostaphylos spp. 2 7.0-8.0 1-2 1-3 Ochoeo 4.0-6.5 Artemisia tridentala 2' 6.0-7.8 1-2 1-2 Ceanothus velutinus Ceanothus ssnguineus 1 3.8-8.0 1 2.3 Umatilla NOlle reported Ceanothus spp. 1 6.0 1 1.3 Wallowa·Whitman Juniperus communis 1 7.0 1 1-3 Ceanolhus spp. 5.u-9.0 Purshia tridentala 2 6.0-6.5 1-2 1 Winema Vaccinlum spp. 8.0 2 2-3 Arctostaphylos spp. 4.4-8.0 Salmon Ceanothus velutlnus 4.4-8.0 1-2 Artemisia tridents's 15 8.3-8.5 1-2 1-2 Purshis tridents'a 4.2-1.0 1-2 Ceanothus veiutinus 5.8-8.6 2 2.3 UTAH Sawtooth • Ashley Artemisia trldents'a 12 5.5-8.0 1-3 1.2 Arctos,aphylos patula 1.4-8.4 1 2-3 Ceanothus spp. 2 5.5-8.0 1-2 2.3 Artemisia trldentala 7.0-9.0 1-2 1-2 6.0-8.2 1-2 PUfshla tridenlals 1 6.6 2 1 Cercocarpus mon,snus 7.0-8.2 1-2 Symphorlcarpos spp. 1 6.5 2 2 Purshia tridents's Dixie Targhee Arctostsphylos spp. 6.9-9.0 Artemisia ',Identals 8.5-7.0 2 1 Artemisis spp. 7.0-9.0 Ceanothus spp. 5.0-7.' 2-3 1-2.3 Pursh;a trldentats 8.5-9.5 1-2 1-2 Vacclnium app. 5.0-6.0 2 2.' Fishiake MONTANAaeav .... _ Amefanchier spp. 7.5 Arctostaphylos spp. 8.5 1.3 Artemisia tridenlala 8.9-7.8 1-2 1-2 Artemisia tridents ts 7.5-9.1 2 Cusler Purshle trldentsts 7.5-9.1 1- 2 1-3 None reported MantH..aSaI Arctos taphylos spp. 7.0-8.0 1-2 Oeer1odQe 71)-10.0 1-2 1- 2 None reported Artemlsls trldentata Artemisia spp. 9.0-10.0 1-2 1-2 Gallatin Ceanothus spp. 7.5 2 3 Ceanothu$ vB/ul/nus 2-3 Juniperus spp. 8.0-9.0 3 3 lewis and Clark Uinta None reported Artemisia cana 6.0-8.0 NEVADA Artemisia trldentsls 8.0-8.0 1-2 1-2 Humbo'dt Ceanothus spp. 7.0-n.O 2 Ame/anehler spp. 8.0-8.0 1-2 Chrysothamnus spp. 6.0 2 Artemisia trldenl.'. 8.0-8.' 1.2 Juniperus osteosperms 8.5 3-' CHnothus spp. 8.0-8.0 1-2 Pa chlsl/ma spp. 7.0-9.0 2 (AfrC0C8.rpus spp. 8.0-8.0 1-2 Quercus gsmbeJII 7.0-9.0 2 Purahl. trldenlst. 8.0-8.0 1- 2 Wasalch-Cache 8.5-9.0 1-3 Symphorlcarpos spp. 8.0-6.0 1-2 Artemisia ' rlden'a t ~ 2-' Ceanothus spp. 6.6-9.0 2 1.' Toiyabe WYOMING Altem/sls trldentst. 7.0-9.5 1- 2 1-2 BighOrn Conothus vttlutlnus 8.5-10.0 2 JunIperus communis 7.0-9.0 C1J8nothus spp. 1-3 Brldger·Teton Artemlslt. triden'a's 8.0-9.0 1-3 1- 2 Ceanothus vefu tinus 6.5 2 2-3 Salix spp. 7.2-10.0 2 1-2 Medicine Bow None rt!JX)r1ed ShoshOne Artemisia trldenla'a 8.0 1-2 ' Locations represent separale areas of shrub winter Injury t!'lat vaned In size lrom iess t!'lan an acr. 10 thousands 0 ' acres. (con.) ' (I) Areas 01 Irom a few 10 thouSands 01 acres where virtually ali planls suffered winter injury, (2) areas of from a few to thousands 01 acres where winter injury occurred in scattered patches, (3) &feu us .... Uy smali l" slle where a lew plants recel'Md winter Injury. '(1) Entire kill, (2) partlai kill, (3) reddlsh-bfown foliage, ,e) dAd ieallesa shoots. reble 2.-,CC=on.)_ __---=-= BE=S-=-.T ...!::D~OC=U:!.!!M~EN!..!...T.....!A~' V!!!AI~LA~BL!"!"E ___ BEST DOCUMENT AVAILA ~ lE No. of l0C8tlons' ApproxlFNte of winter elevatkM1 Intensity T.... 2.-Winler injury of weslern wildland shrubs on Bureau 01 Land Management lands Shrub specl.s Injury (1,000 H) 01 inJury' Symptoms' No. of l0C8tions' Approxlm.l. NEVADA ofwlnt. • ....t ion Intensity Battle Mountain Injury (1 ,000 ft) 0' Injury' Symptoms' None reporterJ Carson City Arctostaphylos spp. 6.0 CAUFORNlA Elko --BiShop Artemisia trldentata 6.0-7.5 1-2 None reported Ceanothus spp. 6.5-7.0 I Folsom Purshla trldenlala 6.0-7.5 1-2 1-' None reported Ely Redding Arctostaphylos spp. 8.0-9.0 None reported Artemisia tridentala 8.0-8.8 Riverside Las Vegas None reported None reported Susanville Winnemucca ArtfHT/;$la tridenlal. 5.8 Ceanothus ve/utlnus 6.5-7.8 Jun/I»rus occldMrtalis 5.2 OREGON COLORADO Baker City Gannon None reported None reported Burns Ctalg Ssrcobatus vermicula tus 4.0-4.2 Am-'anchlttr a/nlfol/a 7.0-8.0 2 Lakeview Artemisia spinesctH!s 6.0 2 2-' Artemisls tridenlsta 4.6 1- 2 Artemisia ,rid""ta'! 6.8 2-3 2 Juniperus occfdenlalls 4.5 2-3 Atrlple. conferllfolla 6.0 2 1-' Prineville Atriple. f}tlrdnerl 6.0 2 1-2 None reported C¥atoides lanata 6.0 2 2 Vale CerctJCllrpus mOiltanus 7.3 3 2-4 5.6 2,3 Juniperus spp. 62-6.9 3 3 Purshia trl' 'entata Pinus edufls 82-6.9 3 3 OREGON·WASHINGTON Purshla lridllnlllia 72 2 Spokane Sarcobalus yerm/culalus 6.0 2 None reported Grand Junctiort UTAH Cedar City Arctostaphyl~ patula 7.7 Artllmisla tridentals 6.0-8.5 1-2 1-2 Co/eogyne ramos/ssima 3.0 2,4 Ouercus f}lJmbttlll 7.5 2 Moab Montrose None reported Art.m/s/, trld."t.,. 6.0-10.0 12 Richfield Junll»rlJs communis 9.0-11 .0 2-3 Artemisia trldentata 5.4-8.5 2 Purshla trid."ta,a 6.5 1-2 Coleogyne ramos/ssims 4.4-5.2 2,4 Sail. anglorum 7.2 2.4 Ephedra spp. 4.4-5.6 1-4 IDAHO Juniperus osteosperms 5.0-7.0 1-3 801 .. Sail Lake ArtfHTI/s/a tridentata 5.8-7.0 1-2 1-2,4 ArtemisIa tridenlala 4.6-6.6 1-2 c.nothus wlutlnu$ 5.0-7.0 1-2 2-3 Cesnothus ve/ul/nus 7.2 2-3 Junll»rus spp. 5.8 2 2 Juniperus osteosperms 4.8 Burley Vernal Am-'anchltlf,'nllolla 5.8 I I Artemis/a novs 5.0-8.0 1-2 1- 2 Artaml.l. trid."tat. 5.8-6.2 1-2 1-2 Artemisia tridentsts 5.0-6.0 1-2 1-2,4 c.enothu. spp. 6.3-6..1 2 3 A'rlplrK confertifolla 5.0-6.0 2 2.' Chrysoth.mnus nauseo.lJ. 5.8-6.2 I 1-2 Juniperus osteosperma 5.8-8.5 1-3 Punhla trltnntata 5.8-62 I 1-2 WYOMING Idaho Fall. Casper Art.",'.,. tridentata 4.8-7.5 1-2 1-' None leported c..nothu. wlut/nu. 6.0-7.0 1-3 1.3 Rawlins Salmon None reported Art""" /a trkHn"t. t7 8.5-6.8 1-3 1-2,4 Rock Springs CHnothu. wlut/nu. 2 8.0-7.5 2 2 Arctostaphylos spp. 7.0-8.0 2-3 Pun/li. trldenta'a 8.5 2 1-2 Artemisia cana 6.5- 7.0 2,_ Artemisia Irldentats 6.0-8.0 1-2 1-2 Art",,'./a tridentata 5.8 Alrlple. confertifolla 8.1 c..nothu. ~utlnu. 5.8-6.8 Ceanothus spp. 7.5-8.5 -Prunu. vlrglnlana 5.8-6.8 Chrysothamnus spp. 6.1 ~ANA Grayla spinosa 8.1 1kJ11. Sarcobatus yermlculatus 6.1 5.0-5.4 c.nothu. wlutlnu. Worland Lewistown Atrlple. nuttaJIII ' .5 None reported NORTH DAKOTA MilMCity Oickinson Wyo. None reported None reported (con.) 'location. represent sepIIr.te tiUS of ahNb wlnt..-injury It,,! varied In size ftom les. then an acre to thOusands 01 acteA "t l) Areas 01 lrom I lew to thOusandl 01 acres where Ylnuatly lit plants sullered winter Inlury, (2) Men ollrom a lew to Inc"xasands 01 acres where winter Injury occurred In IC.Ittered patches, (3) af ... usually lmalt in size where I lew ptant . received wlnler Infury. "II) EnU,. kill , (2) pattlat kill, (3) redd!lh-brown fonave, (4) dud 'ea"esl shOOt • . 10 BEST DOCUMEr4T AVJUi.A ~LE BEST DOCUMENT AViUtABlE r.bIe 3.-Winter injury of western wildland shrubs reported by State Divisions of Wildlife Resources Tlble 4.-Lis l 01 shrub species reported with winter injury or drought damage No. of No. 01 No. of locations location. Approximate locations' Shrub species obseMCI Shrub opoel" obseMCI of winter elevation Intenslly stwubspodn Injury (1,000 It) of Injury~ Symptoms ' Amelanchler alnifolia Coleogyne ramosissima ~Nutl . ) Nutl. Torr. COLORADO Ame/anchler Medic. spp. 2 Southwest Arctostaphylos paWls Greene 17 Ephedra L sp. Artemisia tridenta's 8.5 Arctostaphylos Adans. spp. 32 Purshia tridenta'a 8.0 Grayia spinosa (Hook.) Moq. Northwest AllemisiB cana Pursh None reported Artemisia nova (A. Nels.) Ward Juniperus communis L IDAHO Altemisia spinescens Juniperus accidentalls Hook. Region 1 D.C. Eaton Juniperus osteosperma Torr. 11 Ceanothus spp. Altemisia Irldenlata Nutt. 190 Little Aegion2 Altemisia L spp. 4 Juniperus L spp. None reported Alrlplex conlertllofia 7 Pschistima Rat. sp. Region 3 (Torr. & Frem.) S. Wats. Artemisia tridenta's 5.6 1 Altiplex galdnerj ~Moq . ) Pinus edulls Engelm. Ceanothu$ spp. 4.0-6.0 1-3 O. O·etr. Region .. Attiplex nuttallil S. Wats. Prunus emarginata (Oougl.) Artemisia tridentala 5.0-7.0 Walp. Region 6 Ceanothus cordulatus Kellogg Prunus vlrglnlana L Artemisia tridents's 6.0-8.0 1-2 Ceanothus cuneatus (Hook.) Ceanothus spp. 6.0-7.0 2-3 Nutt. NEVADA Ceanolhus In tegerrlmus Purshla tridentata (Pursh) DC 33 Region II Hook. & Arn. Quercus gambell! Nutl. 5 Artemisia tridenta'a 6.5-7.0 1- 2 1-2 Ceanothus leucodermis Greene Quercus L spp. 1 Ceanothus spp. 6.8-8.0 2 3 Ceanolhus prostratus Benth. Purshla tridents's 6.5-8.0 1-2 1-2,4 Ceanothus sanguineus Pursh 6 Salix anglorum Schenld. OREGON Ceanolhus velutinus Dougl. 55 Salix L spp. Southeast Region Ceanolhus L spp. 44 Ceanothus prostrs,us 2 1-4 Ceraloides lanala (Pursh) 1 Sarcobatus vermiculatus Symphoricsrpos spp. 2 1-4 J. T. Howell (Hook.) Torr. UTAH Cercocarpus ledllolius Nutl. Symphorlcarpcs oreophllus Southern Region Cercocarpus montanus Raf. A. Gray Artemisia tridenta's Cercocarpus HBK. spp. Symphorlcarpos Duhamel, spp. Pinus edulis Chrysothamnus nauseosus Vacclnlum L spp. Southeastern Region (Pall.) Britton Artemisia 'ridentals 1-2 Chrysothamnus Nutt. spp. Northern Regions Ceanothu$ ve/utinus 6.0-9.0 2,3 WYOMING r8ble 5. - Mon I ,. t~ accumullted ptec:lpi lltlon lor Oetooer Iho'Ough April. !97&--n' Southwest Correlation with Weather Records Artemisia cana 6.0-9.0 1-2 Of the eight Western States included in the study. Oregon. , . Artemisia lridentata 6.5-9.0 1-2 .... ""- ...... Idaho. California. and Utah had the lowest monthly accumu· --' -. ". Ceanothus velutinus 7.0-8.5 2-3 Californll O.f 5 1.11 Ul l .12 . ,.. lated percentage of nonnal precipitation (table 5). Montana and 3J 23 ,. ,. ,. Juniperus communis 8.0-9.0 '" Wyoming were (he highest. with Nevada and Colorado in· 0... " 0.81 0." ", .. " 2." 3." Vaccinlum spp. 8.0-9.0 1-2 1-3 .. .., .. .. 60 Southeast tennediate. This agrees Tughly with the reported extent of 0." O.H 0." '.S3 I.e! 1.78" ,." -- 32 23 ,. 29 3J None reported winter injured shrubs. December had the lowest montWy ac 0."60 1.01 ", 2.07 ,.33 3." 3." cumulaled percenlage of normal. with January, November, and 70 .. os .. 0.79 0." 0." ,..." U7'" ",. U", 'Locations repJesent separate areas of shrub winter injury that varied in size from less lhan an acre to thOusands of acres. February slightly higher. Nonnally. Ihese are months of higher 70 ...... lit) Areas of from a few to thousands of acres where virtually all plants suffered winter Injury, (2) areas of from a lew to thousands of acres where ,,,, l .07 ". precipitation an'd snow cover. A comparison of precipitalioll in . O.eo'" ,.. " . ,.. ,.. winter injury occurred In scattered patches, (3) areas usually small in size where a few pI ..nts recefved winter injury. "'- 29 ,. 32 '(1) Entire kill, (2) partial kill, (3) reddlsh-brown fr-t iage, (4) dead lealless shoots. climatic divisions corre<':'Qnding to areas of high winter injury 0.18 0.83 0.81" 0." ,.," .., ,.80" 70 ., ,. ,. and low winter injury indicates Ihat the average divisional ,.,. l .ft 'Nyorn1no 0." U. ,.. W" " .".., precipitation was from about 20 to 45 percent lower in areas of 13 .. so os 18 high winter injury (tables 6 and 1 and fig . 9). The largest " " percentage difference was during December through April. The ' Average precipitation 0111'1& Climatic dlrislons within the distributional average act ual monthly accumulated precipitation was nearly zone 01 Art.mls/. triden'.'• . the same in the respective areas. 'Upper figure represent s the &c tual precipitation in Inches. lOwer figure reprl!lsents the percent 01 nc)fmal based on the t94t-1O record. II 12 BEST DOCUMENT AVAllfi;;a BEST DOCUMENT AVAILABLE Table e.-Areas of most intense shrub winter injury and average precipitation of corresponding climatic divisions T.ble 7.-Areas of little or no reported winter Injury and precipitation of corresponding climatic divisions Percent monthly prec:lplt.tlon' Cllrnatk: Percent monthly precipitation' Climatic OCt. Now. Dec. Feb. M.r. Apr. AnI_ dIYt.1on Ar.. dJ".1on J.n. COLORADO CAUFORNIA Arapaho N.F. Platte drainage 83 62 59 53 65 89 Eldorado N.F. Sacramento dramage 14 22 15 22 26 29 28 Roosevelt N.F. Tahoe N.F. Plumas N.F. Rio Grande N.F. Rio Grande drainage 39 45 33 41 42 52 Modoc N.F. Northeast interior basin 40 23 13 20 28 30 29 MONTANA Susanville (BLM) Custer N.F. SOutheastern 107 94 87 108 100 121 92 Gallati" N.F. SOuth-central 77 90 82 97 80 COlORAOO 108 90 80 73 77 81 70 Routt N.F. Colorado drainage 23 23 19 28 31 34 39 Deer lodge N.F. Central 51 67 Craig (BlM) l ewis and Clark N.F. Grand Jet. (BLM) OREGON Montrose (BlM) Umatilla N.F. North-central 25 24 21 20 24 30 26 IDAHO Wallowa-Whitman N.F. Salmon N.F. Northeast valleys 34 26 21 30 26 37 34 Baker (BlM) Northeast 30 28 23 25 28 36 35 Challis N.F. WYOMING Salmon (BlM) Bighorn N.F. Bighorn 113 83 73 81 78 70 71 Boise N.F. Central mountains 29 23 24 25 34 32 \&}orland (BlM) powder Little Missouri, and 132 116 100 111 115 131 110 Boise (BLM) Southwest valleys 28 13 20 22 28 27 Tongue drainage Boise (BLM) Southwest r. ighlands 84 31 28 31 31 32 Casper (BlM) Belle Fourche drainage 71 104 93 112 114 130 107 86 92 81 100 103 South Sawtooth N.F. Eastern highlands 72 27 35 35 39 38 Cheyenne and Niobrara drainage 68 94 CaribOu N.F. Medicine Bow N.F. Upper Platte drainage 57 40 40 47 48 85 74 Burley (BLM) Rawlins (BlM) lower Platte drainage 64 56 51 55 52 64 84 Shoshone (BLM) Central plains 81 32 19 23 25 27 25 Wind River 97 70 63 68 67 104 93 NEVADA 'Average percent of accumulated nonnal based on 19-41 -70 normal. Humboldt N.F. Northeastern 103 57 35 40 39 45 42 Elko (BlM) Toiyabe N.F. South-central 248 128 81 79 63 63 55 OREGON Fremont N.F. High plateau 31 18 13 14 18 24 24 80 Winema N.F. Lakoylew (BlM) -' Winema N.F. South-central 26 21 15 20 23 25 24 ~ 70 LakOYiew (BlM) 0: Malt'leur N.F. 0:: U o w Ochoco N.F. Z 60 Deschutes N.F. 4 g: Prineville (BLM) u. WYOMING o c w Brldgef N.F. Snake drainage 49 39 32 39 35 40 38 .... ~ Teton N.F. Z -' Rock Springs (BlM) Green and Bear drainage 11 11 18 .8 30 31 w :> ~ 40 ~ lITAH :> w u Uinta N.F. Northern mountains 36 18 12 17 28 35 33 .. u Ashley N.F. .. V"'nal (BLM) Uinta Basin 18 10 18 26 28 36 S 30 Flshlake N.F. .... en South-central 71 51 34 36 36 41 36 w North ManlHAnt N.F. ~ :I: Richfield (BLM) :> 20 U ~ Z :> ' A~ pefc;ent of .ccumulated nc:wrnat bUed on 1~1-70 . u ACCU .... 'NOIIY, 0 ~ 10 IN. " CCU .... ',H C, '. 0 Figunl9.-Cornpariaon 01 Pf*'IpJlatlon in OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR .,....0' low and h5gh .mount. 01 wlnt., 1976- 1977 Injury. 13 14 BEST DOCUMENT AVAilAtllE BEST DOCUMENT AVIUlA3LE McKeU, C. M.; DlaisdeU, J. P.; Goodin, J. R. Wildland Table I .-Monthly temperature data tor October through April, 1976- 77' PUBLICATIONS CITED shrubs - their biology and utilization. Gen. Tech. Rep. Alden. J.; Hennann, R. K. Aspects of the cold·hardiness INT- 1. Ogden, UT: U.S. IJcpanmcnt of Agriculture, For IS 16 BEST DOCUrliENT A'JAiLA ~LE BEST DOCUMENT AVAIlA6Lt Tranquillini , W. The physiology of plants at high altitudes. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 15: 345-362; 1964. Van Epps, G. A . Winter injury to fourwing saltbush. J. Range Manage. 28: 157-158; 1975. Nelson, David L ; Tieman, Charles F. Winter injury of sagebrush and other wild· Vegis, A. Dormancy i'! higher plants. Annu. Rev. Plant land shrubs In the Western United States. Res. Pap.INT -314. Ogden, UT: U.S. Physiol . 15: 185-224; 1964. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Watanabe. T. Desiccation damage of forest trees in winter Experiment Station; 1983. 17 p. season: J. On the effect of shade. In: Annual report . Hokkaido , Japan: Forest Experiment Station; 1969: 117-124. Extensive winter injury of native wildland shrubs occurred in the Western White, W. D.; Weiser, C. J. The relation of tissue desiccation, United States during the winter of 1976-n. Artemisia tridentata was damaged extreme cold and rapid temperature fluctuation to winter in most extensively followed by Geanothus spp., Arctostaphylos spp., Purshia jury of American arborvitae. Proc. Am. Soc. Hon. Sci . 85: spp., and 32 other species of shrubs. The record low precipitation during this 554-563; 1964. period, and consequential low snow cover In areas of normally heavy snow Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. Severe winter injury to cover, combined with other factors that led to the Injury. evergreens in Wisconsin. Plant Dis. Rep. 32: 394-395; 1948. KEYWORDS: Western U.S.A. shrub species, winter injury, winter desiccation, winter kill, winter freezing, drought damage The Intermou",~ln Station, headquartered In Ogden, Utah, Is one of eight regional experiment stations charged with providing scientific knowledge to help resource managers meet human needs and protect forest and ranIJe ecosystems. The Intermountain Station Includes the States of Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and western Wyoming. About 231 million acres, or 85 percent, of the land area In the Station territory are classified as forest and rangeland. These lands Include grasslands, deserts, shrublands, alpine areas, and well·stocked forests. They supply fiber for forest Industries; minerals for energy and Industrial development; and water for domestic and Industrial consumption. They also provide recreation opportunities for millions of visitors each year. Field programs and research work units of the Station are main· talned In: Boise, Idaho Bozeman, Montana (I n cooperation with Montana State Unlver4 slty) Logan, Utah (In cooparatlon with Utah State University) Missoula, Montana (In cooperation with the University of Montana) Moscow, Idaho (I n cooperation with the University of Idaho) Provo, Utah (In cooperation with Brigham Young University) Reno, Nevada (In cooperation with the University of Nevada) 17