VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula | Gray Low Sagebrush 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Gray low sagebrush is an important food source for mule deer, pronghorn,
sage grouse, and other wildlife species [10,63].  Gray low sagebrush
greens up early in some areas, making it an especially important spring
forage [39].  It also a valuable browse species during winter and fall
[42,71] but is used only to a limited extent during the summer [73].
Heavy winter snows may sometimes bury this low-growing plant, limiting
its winter importance in some locations [73].  In other areas it may be
used preferrentially when shorter grasses are buried by snow [45].  Gray
low sagebrush is a preferred winter food of sage grouse [47].  Flocks
frequently winter on low sagebrush flats [13,52].  Gray low sagebrush
provides food and cover for a variety of smaller birds and mammals.

Domestic livestock utilize gray low sagebrush, although sheep use this
species to a much greater extent than do cattle.  Sheep prefer gray low
sagebrush during the fall and winter [74].  Both cattle and sheep use
gray low sagebrush on route to summer range in spring and when leaving
in the fall [16].


PALATABILITY : 
The palatability of gray low sagebrush varies by ecotype but generally
ranges from low to moderate [2].  In Nevada the lighter gray-green form
is more palatable to livestock and wildlife than the darker green form
[42,43].  Gray low sagebrush is particularly palatable to mule deer,
pronghorn, and sage grouse [17,47].

In Oregon feeding trials, mule deer preference for gray low sagebrush
was described as high to moderate [74].  Mule deer in eastern Oregon
feed on tender young leaders during the early spring [17].  Gray low
sagebrush is also highly palatable and a preferred food of pronghorn in
some areas [10].  It is also at least moderately palatable to bighorn
sheep during the summer, fall, and winter [56].  This sagebrush is
readily consumed by sage grouse during much of the year but is
particularly relished in winter [37,47].

Cattle use is probably limited.  Browse utilization by cattle, for
example, was only 5 percent in a Wyoming study [3].  Gray low sagebrush
is far more palatable to domestic sheep [16,74].

Relative palatability of gray low sagebrush is rated as follows
[21,39,45]:

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


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Gray low sagebrush is rated fair in energy and protein values [21].
Nutrient values were measured as follows [4]:

                        Leaves     Stems     Leaves and Stems
                       ---------------------------------------
Crude protein (%)        10.41      3.67         10.69
Crude fat (%)             9.11      1.21          7.73
Crude fiber (%)          18.26     26.79         56.79
Water (%)                 5.03      4.39          4.86
Ash (%)                   4.87      2.83          4.67
CaO (%)                   0.50      0.33          0.68
P2O5 (%)                  0.23      0.07          0.83   
Mg (%)                    ----      ----          0.24
Mn (p/m)                  ----      ----         37.10


COVER VALUE : 
Gray low sagebrush has some value as cover, especially for small birds
and mammals.  Sage grouse use low sagebrush communities for nesting,
roosting, and resting sites [25,37], as well as for escape cover.  Mule
deer use gray low sagebrush communities in Oregon as fawning and
fawn-rearing areas [39].  Cover values for various wildlife species have
been rated as follows [21,39]:

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


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Gray low sagebrush can be planted in some areas to minimize soil erosion
[21].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Gray low sagebrush generally increases in response to browsing but will
decrease if severely overbrowsed [45].  On claypan soils in areas of
high precipitation, livestock trampling may damage soil and vegetation
if grazing occurs in the early spring when the soil is still wet or
saturated [31].  In drier areas with more gravelly soils, no serious
trampling damage occurs, even when the soils are wet [31].  Grass
coverage in low sagebrush communities varies from excellent to poor
[25].  On certain sites removal of gray low sagebrush can sometimes
improve the productivity of such grasses as Idaho fescue, bluebunch
wheatgrass, and Thurber neeedlegrass [24].  Response of grass to
sagebrush removal is not always good.  Revegetation of drier sites may
be extremely difficult because of moisture stress and a short growing
season [24].  Severely disturbed gray low sagebrush communities,
particularly those on heavy clay soils, are susceptible to invasion by
medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae) [15,67,68,69].

Control:  The application of 2 pounds 2,4-D per acre killed an average
of 94 percent of all low sagebrush plants present on one Nevada site
[25].  Picloram mixed with 2,4-D tends to be less effective than 2,4-D
alone [25].  Correct timing of application is important [25].  Depending
on specific site characteristics, spring is generally the best time to
treat gray low sagebrush [10].

Chemical removal of gray low sagebrush can increase herbaceous
production on some sites but on most sites it is counterproductive
[73,68].  Erosion may pose a serious problem on harsh sites, and weedy
annuals frequently outcompete more desirable forage species.  Gray low
sagebrush should not be erradicated in areas where it is heavily used by
wildlife as browse or cover.  Treatment of smaller blocks can minimize
adverse impacts on wildlife.

Related categories for Species: Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula | Gray Low Sagebrush