VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Calamovilfa longifolia | Prairie Sandreed 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Prairie sandreed is one of the most important forage grasses of
sandhills, where it produces stable and uniformly high amounts of forage
[9,41].  It cures well on the ground, providing an important source of
winter feed for cattle [26,47].  It is sometimes cut for hay, which is
of acceptable quality if not cut too late in the season.  It is grazed
primarily in late summer through winter, as other grasses it is
associated with are more palatable earlier [41].  On sagebrush rangeland
in southeastern Montana, prairie sandreed comprised up to 40 percent of
the diet of sheep [2].  On good-condition ranges in the sandhills of
Nebraska, stands composed of 30 percent prairie sandreed and 10 percent
each of sand bluestem, needle-and-thread, blue grama (Bouteloua
gracilis), and hairy grama (Bouteloua hirsuta) can produce 1,600 to
3,000 pounds per acre (1,793-3,363 kg/ha) of air dry herbage [38].  In
Wyoming, sandy range sites composed of 35 percent prairie sandreed, 25
percent sand bluestem, and 15 percent needle-and-thread and receiving 10
to 14 inches (25-35 cm) mean annual precipitation commonly produce the
same amount of air dry herbage.


PALATABILITY : 
Prairie sandreed is a coarse and stemmy grass.  Its palatability is fair
to good for cattle from late summer through winter [50].  Cattle, sheep,
and horses eat it readily [2,11,41].  Its forage usability is generally
considered to be fair from early spring through late spring, poor in
summer and fall, and fair in winter [25].

The palatability of prairie sandreed to livestock and wildlife species
in several western states has been rated as follows [11,13]:

.NS                                    
                      CO        MT        ND        NE        WY

Cattle               Good      Fair      Fair      Good      Good
Sheep                Fair      Fair      Fair      ----      Fair
Horses               Good      Fair      Fair      ----      Good
Pronghorn            ----      Poor      Poor      ----      ----
Elk                  ----      Fair      ----      ----      ----
Mule deer            ----      Poor      Poor      ----      ----
White-tailed deer    ----      ----      Poor      ----      ----
Small mammals        ----      ----      ----      ----      ----
Small nongame birds  ----      ----      Poor      ----      ----
Upland game birds    ----      ----      Poor      ----      ----


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
The nutritional value of prairie sandreed is lower than that of other
grass species it is commonly found with [8,36].  Its highest nutritional
value is in the spring, but it is generally not utilized by cattle then
as other grass species are preferred.  Although analysis shows that
crude protein levels drop significantly with maturity, the dry matter
digestibility remains relatively high, making prairie sandreed a fair to
good winter forage [9,41,47].  Prairie sandreed's protein value is rated
as poor, and its energy value is rated as fair [4].

Seasonal trends in the nutritive content of prairie sandreed in Nebraska
are listed below [9]:

Date                    5/31      7/12      8/23      11/1

% crude protein          11        5.3       3.6       1
% dry matter digest      65        53        45.5      38.5
% lignin                 3.6       5.5       6.7       7.0


COVER VALUE : 
Since prairie sandreed is generally not grazed by cattle during the
spring and early summer, it retains its vegetative structure and is used
as cover by smaller wildlife species.  On upland sites, it may be used
heavily for nesting cover by dabbling ducks during the breeding season.
In an Alberta study, 67 percent of all dabbling duck nests found in the
study area were located in prairie sandreed stands [28].  The degree to
which prairie sandreed provides environmental protection during one or
more seasons for other wildlife species has been rated as follows [13]:

                      MT        ND

Pronghorn            ----      Fair
Mule deer            ----      Good
White-tailed deer    ----      ----
Small mammals        Fair      ----
Small nongame birds  Fair      Good
Upland game birds    Good      Good
Waterfowl            ----      Fair


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Prairie sandreed has excellent sand-binding properties
[11,13,23,36,41,47,50].  Its vigorous rhizomes and adaptability to
sandblown environments allow it to quickly produce cover on disturbed,
sandy sites.  In Nebraska, prairie sandreed was the most effective of
eight plant species studied at stabilizing windblown sand [32].  The
application of prairie hay mulch with a large number of prairie sandreed
seeds or any mulch underseeded with prairie sandreed and placed over
windblown sand is recomended for revegetating these disturbances [32].
For large windblown disturbances, small strategic areas can be hay
mulched and underseeded with prairie sandreed, and the remaining area
planted to a cover crop [11].  Prairie sandreed may also be sprigged in
sand dunes and blowouts to improve stand establishment, but its
effectiveness may be limited [50].  Spring is the best time for seeding.

'Goshen' and 'ND-95' are the only commercially available cultivars [25].
'Goshen' originates from Wyoming and is adapted for portions of Wyoming,
Montana, the western Dakotas, and Nebraska [50].  'ND-95' originates
from southwestern North Dakota.  On four different sites in Minnesota,
North Dakota, and South Dakota, 'ND-95' consistently averaged higher
yields than 'Goshen' [25].  Seeding problems may arise, however, due to
an inadequate seed supply of possibly low-quality seed [49].  Stands
tend to develop slowly and may require 3 years or longer to become fully
developed [50].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Prairie sandreed generally has good grazing tolerance but may be killed
by prolonged overgrazing.  It is considered an increaser when associated
with bluestems (Andropogon spp) and a decreaser when associated with
bluegrasses (Poa spp.) [26,50].  Four years after the cessation of
intensive cattle grazing in Nebraska, prairie sandreed showed no
significant changes in biomass, while sand bluestem, little bluestem
(Schizachyrium scoparium), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) all
increased.  Rangeland or seeded stands should be managed by moderate
continuous or rotation grazing in summer or yearlong.  Poor stands or
range condition may be improved by winter grazing or deferred rotation
grazing [50].
              
Prairie sandreed is recomended in warm-season grass mixtures for seeding
on sandy-textured soil sites, where it establishes fairly easily.  In
some areas it is seeded in mixtures which approximate the climax
composition, while in others it is seeded alone for management of harsh
sandy sites.

Related categories for Species: Calamovilfa longifolia | Prairie Sandreed