• IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE
• PALATABILITY
• NUTRITIONAL VALUE
• COVER VALUE
• VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES
• OTHER USES AND VALUES
• MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE:

Importance of poverty oatgrass to wildlife and livestock is limited to early season utilization. However, palatability and preference vary according to local growing conditions and relative abundance of other forage [40].

PALATABILITY:

Most sources cite poverty oatgrass as rather unpalatable to livestock throughout the growing season [8,13,22,40]. However, Skovlin and others [45] found that poverty oatgrass was second only to bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) for utilization by cattle over an 8-year period at 3 different stocking levels. This study, conducted in the ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)/bunchgrass range of the Pacific Northwest, showed heaviest use of poverty oatgrass during season-long and deferred grazing rotations. If utilized by domestic and wild ungulates, poverty oatgrass' young green blades are preferred in early spring and summer for optimal palatability. Poverty oatgrass is much less palatable by midsummer [15]. The palatability of poverty oatgrass for wildlife in Wyoming has been rated as follows [13]:

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

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

Compared to graminoid associates, nutritional value of poverty oatgrass is low. Ungulate use is generally restricted to early season when protein value is optimal [15].

COVER VALUE:

Given the low-growing stature of poverty oatgrass, cover value for large mammals is negligible. However, Dittberner and Olson [13] found that poverty oatgrass provides fair cover value for small mammals, small nongame birds, and upland game birds in Wyoming.

VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES:

Poverty oatgrass inhabits sites of varying nutrient and moisture content. However, special interest is given to its ability to establish and succeed on sites of particularly poor nutrient and moisture regimes, such as roadsides [22]. It protects soil from erosion and excessive nutrient leaching, and is frost-heave resistant. Poverty oatgrass also has the ability to inhabit acidic soils (pH 4.5-4.7) [54]. Most sources cite poverty oatgrass as a common secondary successor and valuable erosion controller of fire-disturbed areas and clearcuts in the eastern United States [10].

OTHER USES AND VALUES:

No entry

MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:

Poverty oatgrass serves as an excellent indicator of low-fertility agricultural and pasture lands. Its presence and increase in the absence of fire may imply declining soil conditions and overuse [11,22,52]. Active grazing usually favors an increase in the abundance of poverty oatgrass. This is attributed to the almost basal location of cleistogamous flowers, which are generally out of reach and not removed by cattle grazing [9].

The herbicide hexazinone has proven effective in reducing competition imposed by poverty oatgrass and bluegrasses in lowbush blueberry fields in Michigan [58].

Related categories for SPECIES: Danthonia spicata | Poverty Oatgrass