VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Kochia scoparia | Summer-Cypress 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Likestock readlty graze summer-cypress, but it may cause
photosensitization and polioencephalomalacia if overgrazed [17,22,35].
Toxic nephrosis and toxic hepatitis may also occur [22].  Toxic
substances identified in summer-cypress include saponins, alkaloids,
nitrates, and oxalates [22,104].

Despite its potential toxicity, summer-cypress is considered good forage
in arid and semiarid regions [36] and in the Great Plains [9].  In New
Mexico cattle on blue grama rangeland graze summer-cypress [53].  It is
highly preferred by cattle in northeastern Colorado [93].

Pronghorn and white-tailed deer in Montana and Colorado graze
summer-cupress [1,72].  In northcentral Montana the volume of
summer-cypress in white-tailed deer diets increased from 6 to 41 percent
from early to late winter.  Summer-cypress is also grazed in the spring,
summer, and fall [1].  In Colorado, North Dakota, and South Dakota,
black-tailed prairie dogs eat summer-cypress seed [10,52].

  


PALATABILITY : 
Palatability ratings for summer-cypress are as follows [24]:  

                     C0      MT      ND      UT      WY

cattle              fair    good    good    good    good
sheep               fair    good    good    good    good
horses              poor    fair    good    fair    good


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Although summer-cypress is potentially toxic, nutritional levels are
adequate to meet the requirements of most classes of livestock,
especially in the early growth stages [46,97].  Energy and protein
content ratings of summer-cypress are fair [24].  In Saskatchewan in
1984, mean nutrient composition (%) of summer-cypress hay, harvested at
two maturity stages, was as follows [51]:

                              summer-cypress               
                          full bloom   early seed        
                           (Aug. 3)    (Aug. 29)

crude protein                10.5         6.4                
ash                          13.2         9.4                
cellulose                    30.7        34.9                
NDF *                        51.0        61.1                
ADF **                       32.2        38.9                
IVOMD ***                    57.7        48.7                

* neutral detergent fiber
** acid detergent fiber
*** in-vitro organic matter digestibility

Summer-cypress nutritional values are rated as follows [24]:

                            UT      WY      MT      ND

elk                        fair    poor    poor    ----
mule deer                  good    poor    poor    good
white-tailed deer          ----    poor    poor    good
pronghorn                  fair    fair    ----    good
upland game birds          good    ----    ----    good   
waterfowl                  poor    ----    good    ----
small nongame birds        good    ----    ----    good  
small mammals              good    ----    ----    ----


COVER VALUE : 
Summer-cypress cover values are rated as follows [24]:

                             UT      WY      MT      ND

elk                         poor    poor    ----    ----
mule deer                   fair    poor    ----    good
white-tailed deer           ----    poor    ----    good 
pronghorn                   fair    poor    ----    fair
upland game birds           good    fair    poor    good
waterfowl                   poor    poor    ----    good
small nongame birds         good    poor    poor    good
small mammals               good    good    poor    fair


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Summer-cypress colonizes disturbed sites such as streambanks, oil well
pits, and surface-mined lands.  Although an exotic, it has been used for
revegetation of disturbed lands.  It is rated moderately good for
erosion control and long-term revegetation potential and good for
short-term revegetation potential [24].  In Texas summer-cypress, at low
seeding rates in mixtures with perennial species, will establish on
rangelands that have been exposed to on-site disposal of drilling fluids
[58].

Summer-cypress may colonize surface-mined lands very well but persists
for only a few years.  In North Dakota summer-cypress is the dominant
colonizer on surface-mined lands.  Iverson and Wali [44] studied a
series of topsoiled, contoured, and seeded mined lands in western North
Dakota.  Summer-cypress was the dominant species in first year areas,
showed high density but low vigor in second year areas, and was
virtually eliminated by the third year.  Decaying shoots and roots of
large first-year summer-cypress may inhibit the growth of second-year
seedlings [43,45].

In Saskatchewan summer-cypress is the dominant plant in abundance and
percent cover among all pioneer species in sodic soils resulting from
surface mining activity [78].  Summer-cypress seed is the most abundant
species on spoilbanks created by strip-mine coal operations [4].
Summer-cypress offers the possibility for obtaining a rapidly
established but short-lived protective vegetative cover on saline soils
[78].  This cover could be used as a forage species or as a soil
stabilizer, allowing more desirable species to establish [4,78].  On a
strip-mine site on the Illinois prairie, summer-cypress percent cover
was 14.1 the second year after disturbance [3].  

In Alberta summer-cypress was chosen for germination trials on a
phospho-gypsum tailings site.  Germination rates were low for the
control (30%) and for the three tailings treatment sites (20%).  None of
the summer-cypress germinants reached the first leaf stage [83].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Summer-cypress is planted as an ornamental [27,96].  


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
In the Great Plains and the Pacific Northwest, summmer-cypress is
becoming a serious weed in pastures and rangelands [9,26,30]. 

Summer-cypress can be effectively controlled with a variety of
herbicides; but is not controlled by phenoxy herbicides at rates
recommended for crops [67,82].  Grazing or mowing will not control
summer-cypress or stop seed production [9].  


Summer-cypres is allelopathic, inhibiting early growth of other summer-cypress seedlings as well as growth of other plant species
[108].

Related categories for Species: Kochia scoparia | Summer-Cypress