VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Arctostaphylos patula | Greenleaf Manzanita 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
A 1986 study describes the feasibility of using greenleaf manzanita and
Parry manzanita (Arctostaphylos manzanita) as raw material for
processing into products such as torula yeast, furfural, methanol,
brewer's yeast, and other assorted sugars and acids.  These products
were obtained through hydrolysis of various wood components [6].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Greenleaf manzanita is virtually worthless to livestock as browse
[43,49].  Even domestic goats only browsed this shrub when nothing
preferable was available [49,59].

Greenleaf manzanita is of considerable value as a food source for
wildlife.  Mature berries are eaten by bear, grouse, turkey, and song
birds [59].  Use of the foliage as browse by deer is ample in the fall,
winter, and spring [39].  Deer also browse sprouts and seedlings [49].

Both livestock and deer prefer the tender young shoots and seedlings
common the first couple of years following fire to the mature foliage
[49].


PALATABILITY : 
The palatability of greenleaf manzanita is listed as poor for cattle,
sheep, and horses.  It ranges from fair to good for various wildlife
species.  The degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife species for
greenleaf manzanita in Colorado, Utah, and California is rated as
follows [12,49]:

                                CO      UT      CA

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


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
No species of manzanita provides high quality browse [49].  The
percentage of crude protein of browse material of greenleaf manzanita is
relatively low year-round, ranging from 5.2 to 7.8 percent [4].


COVER VALUE : 
Chaparral generally harbors numerous species of seed-eating birds and
rodents [51].  The value of greenleaf manzanita as cover for small
mammals and birds is good, but for large mammals is poor.  The degree to
which greenleaf manzanita provides environmental protection during one
or more seasons for wildlife species in Colorado and Utah is as follows
[12]:

                                  CO     UT

    Elk                          Poor   Poor      
    Mule deer                    Poor   Poor
    Small mammals                Good   Good
    Small nongame birds          Good   Good
    Upland game birds            Fair   Fair
    Waterfowl                    ----   Poor


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Because of its ability to resprout quickly from the lignotuber (as
little as 10 days to 3 weeks), this is an important species for
rehabilitating disturbed sites, especially burned areas [3,43,59].  The
shrub forms a good ground cover, and through the addition of humus tends
to improve the site [51,59].

Seeds of this species are produced annually in large quantities and lie
dormant in the soil [30,51,68].  These seeds will not germinate until
exposed to heat from fire or unless they are otherwise mechanically
scarified [43,51,53,66].  Seedling establishment is dependent upon seed
production prior to fire, protection during fire, microsite
characteristics, and postfire weather [24].

Greenleaf manzanita is listed as a superior shrub species for erosion
control on sites in the Tahoe Basin of California [52].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Food:  Native peoples of the Great Basin ate the fruits occasionally and
made an extract from the leaves for use as a diuretic [43].  They also
made cider from the ripe fruits [59].  The berries can be made into
jelly, and the seeds can be ground into flour [43].

Landscaping:  The shrub is recommended for use in native and dryland
landscaping in California [3].

Livestock barrier:  Using brush fields of this shrub as natural fencing
is suggested as a method to prevent the unwanted free movement of cattle
on open range.  Unless special trails are built and maintained within
the brush, the cattle are not able to move through it [59].

Watersheds:  This shrub is an important cover for many critical
watersheds, especially in California [59].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Timber management:  Timber concerns related to the competition of
greenleaf manzanita with regeneration of desirable tree species are as
follows:

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) - A recent study showed that the
uncontrolled development of canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis) and
greenleaf manzanita sprouts following site preparation caused a
significant reduction in Douglas-fir seedling growth.  Growth of
Douglas-fir seedlings was enhanced by the removal of these sprouts.
Management practices that allow the development of even moderate levels
of sprout competition with newly planted seedlings will substantially
lengthen the rotation age of the stand [25,54].  The leaves of greenleaf
mazanita have shown allelopathic qualities that have the potential to
contribute to slow regeneration of managed stands of Douglas-fir in
southern Oregon [57].

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) - The growth of ponderosa pine
seedlings is severely limited by the presence of sprouting greenleaf
manzanita shrubs.  The decline in growth is due to root competition for
water.  A greenleaf manzanita crown density of only 25 percent of the
total cover resulted in a nearly 60 percent loss in tree productivity
[47].  Established tree seedlings seldom die from the suppressing
effects of the competing vegetation, but the growth loss could be
substantial.  Shrub crown cover of greater than 30 percent can cause
significant growth loss, and rotations can be lengthened from 1 to 20
years [42].

Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) - The growth of sugar pine seedlings is
severely retarded by the presence of greenleaf manzanita in the
overstory; only 18 percent will survive in the understory over an 18- to
24-year period.  However, sugar pine seedlings will compete if given an
even start with shrub seedlings [37].

Brewer spruce (Picea breweriana) - The seedlings of Brewer spruce can
establish under greenleaf manzanita shrubs.  They have the ability to
grow well despite competition for soil moisture and light [55].

Control treatments:  The application of herbicides such as 2,4,D;
2,4,5-T; 2,4,DB; and Triclopyr ester have been proven effective in
controlling greenleaf manzanita [7,9,17,46,61].  The nonsprouting form
of this shrub is particularly vulnerable to herbicidal treatment
[17,61].  The sprouting form may be more persistent and require more
frequent applications of higher concentration herbicides carried in oil
emulsions rather than water [17,61].  Mechanical treatments, such as
slashing, disking, brushraking, and controlled burning (when done in
open areas, not in the forest understory), were ineffective as a means
of hrub control when applied alone.  This is due to the sprouting
ability of root burls, and the presence of viable seeds in the soil
[38,54].

Related categories for Species: Arctostaphylos patula | Greenleaf Manzanita