VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Spartina pectinata | Prairie Cordgrass 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Prairie cordgrass provides fair to poor forage for livestock and
wildlife.  It is seldom grazed because of the large amount of standing
litter produced and the boggy areas in which it grows.  If grazed, it is
usually during the spring before the stems become coarse and woody [28],
or in the fall after other forage has dried [12].


PALATABILITY : 
Early spring growth is the most palatable [28].  The degree of use shown
by livestock and wildlife species for prairie cordgrass in several
western states has been rated as follows [7,22]:

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



NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Prairie cordgrass is low in nutritive value [28].  Energy value is fair
and protein value is poor [7].


COVER VALUE : 
Prairie cordgrass forms thick stands around marshes, providing good
cover for game and song birds and small mammals [22,28].  It also
provides shade and hiding cover for larger wildlife [12].

The degree to which prairie cordgrass provides environmental protection
during one or more seasons for wildlife species is as follows [7,22]:

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



VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Prairie cordgrass has great ability to stabilize soil and prevent water
erosion.  Steep streambanks lined with prairie cordgrass allow little if
any soil to be removed, even when streams run bank full during heavy
rains.  Prairie cordgrass has been useful for preventing erosion on
earthfill dams, spillways, and drainage channels [20].  Moderate soil
deposits will injure this grass much less than other species.  Sharp
points on the shoots allow them to push their way through a foot of sand
or silt [32].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Native Americans used prairie cordgrass for thatching lodges.  Pioneers
used it for thatching roofs and covering haystacks [29].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Prairie cordgrass has a high grazing resistance, but decreases with
intensive use [20,25,26,28].  Prairie cordgrass increased in biomass
following late autumn grazing at a moderate stocking rate (1.13 acres
per AUM [0.46 ha per AUM]) in Colorado [23].

Prairie cordgrass is often cut for hay before it becomes coarse.
Cutting two or three times a year prevents coarseness.  Production has
been as much as 3 to 5 tons per acre (3.08 to 5.14 kg/ha).  Mowing is
not always feasible because high water tables may prevent the use of
equipment.  Smooth leaves make the hay difficult to handle, causing it
to slip easily off the hayrack or haystack [32].

Related categories for Species: Spartina pectinata | Prairie Cordgrass