VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Geranium richardsonii | Richardson's Geranium 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Richardson's geranium is a valuable forage species for livestock, deer
and elk [9,55].  It provides forage for mule deer in wet meadows of Utah
[12].  In mixed conifer forests of Arizona, Richardson's geranium is an
important forage species for deer and elk on logged and unlogged sites
[55].  In Montana, Richardson's geranium is utilized by deer, elk,
pronghorn, upland game birds, passerine birds, waterfowl, and small
mammals [9].  


PALATABILITY : 
Palatability of Richardson's geranium is rated good for sheep and fair
for cattle and horses [9].  


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Richardson's geranium is rated good in nutritional value for elk, mule
deer, and white-tailed deer, poor for pronghorn and waterfowl, and fair
for small mammals, small nongame birds, and upland game birds.  Energy
rating and protein content are poor [9].  

Throughout the Intermountain region, nutritional value of Richardson's
geranium is rated good to excellent for cattle and sheep during early
growth stages, and poor to good in later growth stages [51].
  


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Erosion control, short-term revegetation potential, and long-term
revegetation potential are rated as medium for Richardson's geranium
[9].  


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
The effects of clearcutting on wildlife habitat were studied in a moist
subalpine forest in central Colorado.  Percent understory cover of
Richardson's geranium before and after clearcutting was [11]:  

       before logging             years after logging (1978-1982)
          (1976)                     1     2     3     4     5

            5.1                     3.9   4.2   3.7   3.2   7.5

Richardson's geranium can withstand heavy grazing by cattle because of
its stout woody taproot [51].  It is an increaser species and dominant
forb on cattle-grazed rangelands in Utah.  However, Richardson's
geranium decreases on sheep-grazed rangelands [16].

Half of a 4-acre fenced plot in a subalpine grassland of central Utah
was trapped from 1942 to 1950 to free it from pocket gophers.  Pocket
gophers in the other half were not disturbed.  Richardson's geranium
increased slightly in percent cover on sites where pocket gophers were
present and also on sites where they were absent.  Pocket gophers did
not seem to influence the percent cover of Richardson's geranium [15]. 

Related categories for Species: Geranium richardsonii | Richardson's Geranium