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Wildlife, Animals, and Plants |
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VALUE AND USE
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE:Canada wildrye provides good forage for livestock early in the season but is considered inferior forage upon maturity [49,83,93]. It is considered as fair forage in Montana, readily eaten in the early spring, but avoided after development of seed stalks [62]. Cougars in Utah and Nevada may feed on Canada wildrye [72]. Cottontail rabbits in Missouri will also feed upon Canada wildrye [55].
PALATABILITY:When young, Canada wildrye is palatable to all classes of livestock [98]. Overall, Canada wildrye is generally rated as fair, decreasing with maturity [49]. The degree of palatability for Canada wildrye in several western states has been rated as follows [25]:
NUTRITIONAL VALUE:Huston and others [52] evaluated the chemical composition (%) of Canada wildrye from the Edwards Plateau, Texas. Results are summarized below:
COVER VALUE:Canada wildrye provides good habitat for many bird species [7]. The degree to which Canada wildrye provides environmental protection for wildlife species is rated as follows [25]:
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES:Ecotypic variation should be considered when implementing revegetation projects. McMillan [61] observed Canada wildrye individuals obtained from different location after transplanting to a community garden in Lincoln, Nebraska. Individuals obtained from Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado flowered earlier than individuals from the remainder of the Great Plains states. Canada wildrye Individuals from Iowa, Illinois, eastern Nebraska, and Missouri showed the latest flowering dates, generally between 15 July to 19 July. Individuals form Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado generally flower during the middle to end of June. Once established, Canada wildrye increases habitat stability. It provides a good source of litter, seed, and soil organic matter [66]. Canada wildrye also provides good erosion control [7,58]. Seedlings of Canada wildrye are vigorous. Good stands are generally formed the 1st year with peak production occurring the 2nd and 3rd years; after which populations thin rapidly [93]. Canada wildrye is readily grown for seed production [5,21], and seed is commercially available [23,43,67]. Cooper and others [21] along with Atkins and Smith [5], provide suggestions for producing and harvesting Canada wildrye seed within the Great Plains. Greene and Curtis [40] found cold stratification (storing seeds in loam soil at 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 °C) for 2 months) greatly increased germination compared to unstratified seed. Seeds observed were collected in the prairie of southern Wisconsin. Blake [13] found dry storage to produce better germination results than stratification. Mine spoil soils: Canada wildrye is tolerant of heavy metals from abandoned tailings [19,42]. Eddleman and Doescher [27] found no significant difference in Canada wildrye shoot biomass when grown in native soil and strip mine spoil soils of southeastern Montana. Hardell and Darrell [42] achieved high germination from hand broadcast and raking Canada wildrye seed on an open pit surface mine in Wisconsin. Noyd and others [66] had great success seeding Canada wildrye for reclamation of a mine in northeastern Minnesota. The 2nd growing season Canada wildrye was the dominant species. Smith [80] was successful revegetation mine spoil soils in British Columbia with Canada wildrye seed. Amending revegetation sites with 5cm of topsoil allowed for the greatest persistence of Canada wildrye which achieved 5% cover at 5 postseeding years, outperforming all other grass species used in the seed mixture. Robocker and others [74] found Canada wildrye seedlings to have rapid root and shoot growth when compared to the prairie associates big bluestem, switchgrass, and sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) when grown in greenhouse conditions of 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5-18.3 °C) or 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7-29.4 °C). Root and shoot growth of Canada wildrye was approximately 10 times greater at 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5-18.3 °C) and approximately 2 times greater at 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7-29.4 °C). Canada wildrye does not compete well with Kentucky bluegrass or quackgrass (Elymus repens) [74]. Mycorrhizae may decrease Canada wildrye's competitive ability when associated with obligate mycotrophs [43]. Canada wildrye was a component of seed mixtures used to revegetate rural roadsides in Iowa [29].
OTHER USES AND VALUES:A food source for Native Americans [48,54].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:Turnball and Gossan [87] observed an infrequent occurrence of head smut (Ustillago bullata) on Canada wildrye when inoculated with spores obtained from different host plants. The infection (%) of Canada wildrye inoculated with head smut from 3 host species is summarized below:
Seedheads may also become infected with the fungus black sclerotia of ergot (Claviceps purpurea), especially in wet years [22,97]. Application of the fungicide benomyl significantly (p<0.05) reduced Canada wildrye seedling emergence in Konza Prairie Natural Research Area of northeastern Kansas [44]. Grazing: Canada wildrye's high reproductive: vegetative stem ratio lends to its susceptibility to grazing pressure. The presence of Canada wildrye growing points, at grazing height, during the grazing season also contributes to negative grazing effects [31]. As an individual, Canada wildrye decreases under grazing pressure, however temporary persistence of Canada wildrye within the community may occur through reproduction by seed [65]. Harvesting for hay is recommended just as seed heads emerge from the boot [49,98]. At this point harvesting has little effect on following season vigor and yield [74]. Mandan wildrye is a smaller cultivar of Canada wildrye possessing finer leaves and longer lived [7]. It also produces more forage and seed [49].
Related categories for SPECIES: Elymus canadensis | Canada Wildrye |
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