VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Elymus lanceolatus | Thickspike Wheatgrass 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
NO-ENTRY


PALATABILITY : 
The palatability of thickspike wheatgrass to cattle is good in the
summer and fair in the winter.  Palatability of this grass to elk is
good yearlong; palatability to deer is fair in the spring [40].

The degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife species for thickspike
wheatgrass in several western states is rated as follows [14]:

                     CO        MT        ND        UT        WY

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


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Compared to other grasses, thickspike wheatgrass is rated good in energy
value and fair in protein value [14].


COVER VALUE : 
The degree to which thickspike wheatgrass provides environmental
protection during one or more seasons for wildlife species is as follows
[14]:

                         MT         ND         UT         WY
Pronghorn               Poor       Fair       Poor       Poor
Elk                     Poor       ----       Poor       Poor
Mule deer               Poor       Fair       Poor       Poor
White-tailed deer       Poor       Fair       ----       Poor
Small mammals           Fair       ----       Fair       Good
Small nongame birds     Fair       ----       Fair       Good
Upland game birds       Fair       ----       Fair       Fair
Waterfowl               Good       ----       Fair       Fair 


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Due to its drought tolerance and ability to form a dense sod, thickspike
wheatgrass and cultivars of it are widely used for soil stabilization on
disturbed range sites and dry areas subject to erosion, as well as on
roadsides, airports, irrigation canal banks, recreation areas,
construction sites, abandoned farm lands, and planting corners where
circle move sprinklers are used [2,32,36].

The cultivar 'Critana' is adapted for use in Montana, Wyoming, and the
western Dakotas in areas with mean annual precipitation of 10 to 16
inches (25-40 cm).  It has been successfully used on mine spoils and in
range seedings in Montana and Wyoming [35]..

The cultivar 'Sodar' is widely used as a low-growing, low-maintenance
cover in the Intermountain area.  It is used for roadside seedings,
recreation areas, disturbed areas, and other sites where a
low-maintenance turf is desirable [35].

Vesicluar-arbuscular mycorrhizae are a common component of arid soils.
They usually increase nutrient and water intake, as well as increase the
dry mass of plants.  The disturbance of land often leads to the
reduction or elimination of mycorrhizal fungi propagules.  Water
relations in thickspike wheatgrass plants are not affected by
inoculation of mycorrhizae or the presence of annuals [1].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Although thickspike wheatgrass is often seeded alone, it is also seeded
in mixtures for cover and forage.  In mixtures with taller species, it
is sometimes used as a spreading undercover plant [15,40].

Cultivars with good seed production and high seedling vigor include
'Sodar,' released in Idaho and Washington, 'Critana,' released in
Montana, and 'Elbee,' released in Alberta [18,30,34].  Commercially
available seeds of thickspike wheatgrass were used successfully to
revegetate subalpine slopes of Montana ski areas [6].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Weed control is usually needed on new seedings of thickspike.  Stands
should not be grazed until plants are firmly rooted.  In the sandy soil
where thickspike wheatgrass usually grows, trampling damage is often as
serious as overgrazing.  Livestock should be managed to prevent overuse
and subsequent wind erosion problems.  As soil becomes stabilized and
plants get older, yields tend to decrease [32].  When seeded alone, a
fertilization program helps to maintain high forage production [40].

Related categories for Species: Elymus lanceolatus | Thickspike Wheatgrass