This file was created by scanning the printed publication. Errors identified by the software have been corrected; however, some errors may remain. IMPORTANT SHRUBS FOR WILDLAND PLANTINGS, COMPOSITAE (ASTERACEAE) E. Durant McArthur Two major shrub-dominated vegetative types ABSTRACT: The shrublands of the Intermountain contribute to the prominence of the chenopod and West include a significant portion of composite composite families. These are the salt desert shrubs. Sagebrush (Artemisia) is a continental and sagebrush types. Each type can be scale dominant; rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus), subdivided. Stutz (this proceedings), Blauer goldenbush (Haplopappus), matchbrush and others (1976), and McArthur and others (Xanthocephalum), and horsebrush (Tetradymia) (1978b) treat the salt desert spec1es, mainly are also important. These shrubs provide soil Atriplex. Sagebrush (Artemisia, subgenus stabilization, feed, cover, and other present Tridentatae) dominated lands were separated into and potential uses. Their value for wildlife the sagebrush steppe, Great Basin sagebrush, and habitat is substantial. Of the wildlife wheatgrass-needlegrass shrubsteppe types by species in sagebrush vegetation types, 87 are K~chler (1964). Finer divisions into habitat identified. Positive values of composite types listing two to four major species have shrubs have generally been underestimated. been and are being made (Hironaka 1979; Winward 1980; 1983; Blaisdell and others 1982). One should bear in mind, however, that mosaics of INTRODUCTION the various salt desert and sagebrush types often occur. Other composite family shrubs, The Intermountain West is, in large measure, rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus), goldenbush shrubland (Kuchler 1964; Bailey 1976). For (Haplopappus), matchbrush or snakeweed example, about 46 percent of Wyoming's land (Xanthocephalum), and horsebrush (Tetradymia) area, under natural conditions, is dominated by also occur in considerable numbers in the salt shrubby vegetation (McArthur 1981). Several desert and sagebrush vegetative types. Atriplex families contribute species to the West's and especially Artemisia species are found in shrubby flora. The most important, in terms of other vegetative types besides those they number of species and area of land occupied in dominate. the Intermountain Area, are the Compositae, Chenopodiaceae, and Rosaceae (Blauer and others Although in this paper I do not treat each of 1975; 1976; McArthur and others 1979). Two the composite species in detail, the major families (Compositae and Chenopodiaceae) species are mentioned. I also make comments dominate large tracts of land, often in closed about uses and values and give literature or semiclosed stands. The rose family includes references to more thorough treatments of the 19 genera of western shrubs, but they are species. For more information, I recommend two usually found in mixed vegetative communities major recent reviews of sagebrush areas (Tisdale or in scattered stands. If the criterion of and Hironaka 1981; Blaisdell and others 1982) providing dominant plants to Kuchljr's (1964) and a symposium proceedings (Utah State vegetative types is used (McArthur), then 12 University 1979). other families are also important contributors to the western (west of 100° W longitude) shrubby flora. IMPORTANT COMPOSITE RANGE SHRUBS There are 18 genera of composite shrubs in the United States west of 100° W longitude E. Durant McArthur is Principal Research (McArthur, see footnote 1). However, the most Geneticist, Shrub Sciences Laboratory, important shrubs, in terms of number of taxa and Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment area of land covered in the Intermountain area, Station, USDA Forest Service, Ogden, Utah. belong to the genera Artemisia, Chrysothamnus, This review was facilitated by cooperative ~lopappus, Tetradymia, and Xanthocephalum research between the Intermountain Forest (table 1). Artemisia is by far the most and Range Experiment Station and the Utah important. Division of Wildlife Resources, Pittman Robertson Project W-82-R. These shrubs are all common in the sagebrush ecosystems or vegetative types. And like the Artemisias, each genus has its species 1 McArthur, E. D. Natural diversity of western distributed along moisture and elevation range shrubs. In: Cooley, J. L.; Cooley, J. H., gradients (Barker 1981; Shultz 1983). Soils are eds. Natural diversity in forest ecosystems; also important. Soil types interact with 1982 November-December; Athens, GA. Athens, GA: elevation and especially moisture gradients in Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia. In influencing plant distribution. The sagebrush press. vegetative types are climax, and from the 150 Table 1.--Important composite range shrubs Table 1. (con.) Artemi.sia; tribe Anthemideae Important No. of Important 400 species, mostlfNorthern Hemisphere, herbs species subspecies subspecies and shrubs (Keck 1946; McArthur 1979; 1982; McArthur and others 1979; 1981). Tetradymia, tribe Senecioneae l Important No. of Important 10 species, endemic to western North America, species subsEecies subspecies all shrubs (Strother 1974; McArthur and others 1979). A. arbuscula 2 arbuscula, thermopola A. argillosa T. axillar is A. bigelovii T. canescens A. cana 3 bolanderi, cana T. glabrata viscidula-- T. nuttallii A. dracunculus 3-5 T. spinescens A. filifolia T. stenolepis A. frigida T. tetrameres A. longifolia A. longiloba Xanthocephalum, tribe Astereae A. ludoviciana 7 A. nova 11 species, endemic to the Americas, mostly in A. Eedafifida North America, shrubs and herbs (McArthur and A. Eygmaea others 1979; McArthur, see text footnote 1). A. rigida A. rothrockii X. microcephala A. spinescens X. sarothrae A. tridentata 4 sp1c1. "f orm1s. 2 , tridentata, Species common in parts of the Intermountain vaseyana, area or deemed useful for revegetation work. wyomingensis, Not formally described at the subspecific rank A. tripartita 2 rupicola, although it has been described at the species tripartita and form levels. Chrysothamnus, tribe Astereae 14 species, endemic to western North America, human perspective, have been in place for a long shrubs only (Anderson 1970; McArthur and others time. In terms of geological time, they are 1979; McArthur, see text footnote 1). young (Axelrod 1950; McArthur and others 1981). The most stable parts of the sagebrush c. albidus vegetative types are the shrubs. In many c. depressus locations formerly associated forbs and grasses c. greenei have been severely reduced in number or c. linifolius eliminated by the introduction of grazing c. nauseosus 21 albicaulis, consimilis animals. In those areas the shrubs have often graveolens, become more numerous, or introduced weeds hololeucus, junceus, (cheatgrass, medusahead, and others) have become leiospermus, common. salicifolius, turbinatus C. parryi 12 attenuatus, howardi, USES nevadensis, parryi C. vaseyi Soil Stabilization C. ViSCidiflorus 5 lanceolatus, Euberulus, viscidiflorus Many of the composite shrubs of the Intermountain region grow in dry areas and thus Haplopappus, tribe Astereae keep soil in place. In addition to providing natural soil binding, several species of 150 species, endemic to the Americas, more herbs Artemisia and Chrysothamnus are suitable for than shrubs (Hall 1928; USDA 1937; McArthur, see stabilizing disturbed soils by transplanting or text footnote 1). seeding (McArthur and others 1974; Plummer 1977). Some special cases can be made for H. bloomeri planting species to stabilize disturbed areas H. greenei based on their natural distribution and H. macronema adaptation. When doing so, it is important to H. suffruticosus try to match precipitation, soil, and elevation with the plant's original source site and to bear in mind the importance of special care in initial establishment. The suggested plantings: 151 Poorly drained, heavy soils-­ (Artemisia tridentata) has excellent values for !::_. argillosa crude protein, total digestible nutrients, A. cana calcium, phosphorus, and carotene (Welch and A. fri:gida McArthur 1979; Welch 1981). The practical feed A. longifolia value of sagebrush species is reduced because A. longiloba the plants are not as palatable to wildlife and C. nauseosus, ssp. consimilis especially livestock as are other shrubs (Smith and Hubbard 1954; Welch and McArthur, Intermittent drainage channels-­ unpublished). A notable exception to the A. ludoviciana reduced palatability of sagebrush is the dietary C. parryi ssp. attenuatus habit of the pygmy cottontail, whose meals are C. linifolius 99 percent sagebrush in the winter, about 66 percent on an annual basis, and no less than 43 Sandy areas-- percent during any period (Green and Flinders A. filifolia 1980). Despite the low preference for sagebrush C. nauseosus ssp. turbinatus and rabbitbrush, large amounts of various kinds C. nauseosus ssp. junceus of the two shrubs are consumed by ~ildlife (Leach 1956; Kufeld and others 1973; McArthur Well drained, dry rocky areas-­ and others 1978a) and livestock (USDA 1937; Cook A. arbuscula and others 1954; Holmgren and Hutchings 1972; A. bigelovii Sheehy and Winward 1981). There are dramatic A. nova differences in preference by browsing animals A. rigida among the composite plant taxa, even among A. tridentata ssp. wyomingensis subspecies (Hanks and others 1973; 1975; Scholl C. nauseosus ssp. albicaulis and others 1977; McArthur and others 1978a; C. viscidiflorus Sheehy and Winward 1981; Welch and others 1981). Nagy and others (1964) proposed that essential Saline, moist areas-­ oils of Artemisia