VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Vicia americana | American Vetch 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
American vetch provides excellent forage for livestock and wildlife.
Mule deer, black bear, and grizzly bear browse the leaves and flowers.
American vetch also provides forage for game birds and small mammals
[7,18,19,21].


PALATABILITY : 
Palatability ratings for American vetch are as follows [12]:

                       UT      CO      WY      MT      ND
Cattle                fair    good    good    good    good
Sheep                 good    good    good    good    good
Horses                fair    good    good    good    good             
Elk                   good    ----    good    fair    ----
Mule deer             good    ----    fair    good    ----
White-tailed deer     fair    ----    ----    ----    ----
Pronghorn             poor    ----    good    good    ----
Small mammals         good    ----    good    ----    ----
Small nongame birds   good    ----    fair    ----    ----
Upland game birds     good    ----    good    ----    fair
Waterfowl             poor    ----    poor    ----    poor
 


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
American vetch is rated poor in protein and energy value [12].


COVER VALUE : 
Cover values for American vetch are as follows [12]:

                       UT       WY      MT      ND
Elk                   poor     poor    ----    ----
Mule deer             poor     poor    ----    ----
White-tailed deer     ----     poor    poor    ----
Pronghorn             poor     poor    ----    ----
Upland game birds     fair     fair    ----    fair
Waterfowl             poor     poor    ----    ----
Small nongame birds   fair     good    ----    ----
Samll mammals         fair     good    ----    ----


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
American vetch may be useful revegetating open or depleted trembling
aspen game rangelands in Utah including burned over or thinned conifer
areas.  It is also useful for revegetating coal-mined lands, roadsides,
and in critical-site stabilization and beautification [30,35].  American
vetch has been successfully planted in disturbed alpine rangelands in
the western United States [10].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Species: Vicia americana | American Vetch