VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Carex geyeri | Elk Sedge 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Elk sedge is an important spring and summer forage for elk [32].  It is
also eaten by deer, bear, and livestock [31].  It has been rated as good
forage for cattle, horse, and elk; and fair for sheep and deer [13,53].


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
A food value study in western Montana showed that the total
nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC) of elk sedge root crowns were lowest
in spring and summer during leaf emergence, flowering, and fruiting
[28].  Carbohydrate levels increased in late summer.  TNC was greater on
forested sites than on open sites.  Food values during dormancy have
been listed [39]:

                 crude protein = 10.2  percent
                 phosphorous   =  0.18 percent
                 calcium       =  0.58 percent

Stark [45] has listed elk sedge values for 11 nutrients.


COVER VALUE : 
Elk sedge provides good cover for small mammals and nongame birds [13].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Because of its extensive root system and its ability to tolerate high
soil temperatures and moisture stress, elk sedge has been used to
revegetate severely eroded slopes of the Cascade Range in Oregon and
Washington [25].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Native Americans used elk sedge culms for food [53].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Elk sedge decreases under heavy grazing pressure.  Grazing trials in
Oregon, Wyoming, and Idaho have shown reductions in cover and seed
production with continued use [1,3,14,58].  Elk sedge recovers well
following tree harvest [5].  A clearcut subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
stand in Colorado showed an increase in elk sedge cover from 0.2 percent
before harvest to 14.1 percent 5 years after harvest [12].  Chaining and
spraying elk sedge can result in an initial increase followed by a
decrease in production a few years later [30].  Elk sedge competes with
pine seedlings following harvest [1].

Related categories for Species: Carex geyeri | Elk Sedge