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You are here >1Up Info > Wildlife, Animals, and Plants > Plant Species > Shrub > Species: Artemisia frigida | Fringed Sagebrush
 

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VALUE AND USE

SPECIES: Artemisia frigida | Fringed Sagebrush
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : NO-ENTRY IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : The value of fringed sagebrush to wildlife and livestock varies seasonally and geographically. For many wildlife species it is a preferred forage during spring, fall, and winter but is of little value during summer. Winter use may be limited in some areas, as deep snows cover this low-growing shrub [14]. Wildlife: Elk, pronghorn, mule deer, white-tailed deer, bison, bighorn sheep, Dall sheep, and mountain goats feed on fringed sagebrush [14,33,43,55]. In Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, fringed sagebrush is an important late summer, fall, and winter food for elk and pronghorn [R. Klukas, pers. comm.], and on some western rangelands, fringed sagebrush is the most important food of pronghorn. Fringed sagebrush has comprised 35 to 63 percent of the winter diet of bighorn in parts of British Columbia. In some areas, it is the single most important forage plant of Dall sheep from December through April. In parts of the shortgrass prairie, bison use may be significant (more than 20 percent of the diet) during March [14]. Bison often frequent disturbed sites such as black-tailed prairie dog colonies, which are commonly dominated by fringed sagebrush [4,15]. Smaller mammals, such as the black-tailed prairie dog and desert cottontail, may also utilize this plant [14,31]. A number of bird species consume fringed sagebrush wherever available. It is the most important sage grouse food in central Montana, where it is readily eaten from March though November [76]. Livestock: Fringed sagebrush is used to some degree by cattle and by domestic sheep and goats. It is considered good cattle forage in some areas [14], but in other locations it is not utilized until more preferred species become scarce or unavailable [35]. In many areas, fringed sagebrush is considered very good forage for domestic sheep and goats, particularly during the spring, fall, and winter. In parts of Montana, it comprised up to 60 percent of sheep diets during February and March, even though cover amounted to less than 1 percent [14]. PALATABILITY : Palatability varies geographically and seasonally. Ecotypic variants apparently differ in palatability [14], with overall preference highest in the Southwest [74]. The volatile oil content of fringed sagebrush peaks in summer, rendering the plant unpalatable to many ungulates during this season [14,54]. Seasonal palatability to white-tailed deer of the Black Hills was rated as follows [33]: Season Palatability January - March medium April - June low July - September unpalatable October - December low Palatability to livestock and wildlife by geographic location has been rated as follows [14,24]: .NS CO MT ND UT WY Cattle Poor Poor Poor Fair Poor Sheep Good Fair Fair Good Good Horses Fair Poor Poor Fair Fair Pronghorn Good Good Fair Good Good Bighorn Good ---- ---- ---- ---- Elk Good Good ---- Good Fair Mountain goat Good ---- ---- ---- ---- Mule deer Good Fair Fair Good Good White-tailed deer ---- Poor ---- ---- Fair Small mammals ---- Fair ---- Good Fair Small nongame birds ---- Fair ---- Fair Fair Upland game birds ---- Fair Poor Good Fair Waterfowl ---- ---- ---- Poor Poor NUTRITIONAL VALUE : Fringed sagebrush provides at least fair energy and protein value. This species rates relatively high in dry matter digestibility, digestible energy, and digestible protein. Fringed sagebrush provides up to 2,275 kcal/kg of digestible energy in winter and 3,473 kcal/kg in spring [14]. It met or exceeded crude protein and phosphorus requirements for wintering deer in South Dakota. Fringed sagebrush can provide up to 45 percent of digestible dry matter content in spring, and 59.5 percent in winter. The overall average crude protein level is 9.3 percent, which equates to approximately 2.20 pounds per acre. In South Dakota, gross energy content of fringed sagebrush averages 5.068 kcal per gram, or 54,530 kcal per acre [23]. The food value of fringed sagebush varies according to phenological development and perhaps ecotype as well. Nutritive information for fringed sagebrush at different phenological stages is provided below [14,35]. month/stage ash crude EE CF NFE protein June/vegetative 17.4 21.3 2.4 14.6 34.3 July/floral shoots forming 7.4 11.9 3.2 32.3 45.2 Sept/full bloom 8.7 10.1 3.6 35.7 41.9 Oct/dormant 7.7 8.8 4.9 39.0 39.6 North Dakota - maturity moisture% ash% crude ether crude N-free protein% extract% fiber% extract% max. growth July 10 15.00 6.75 11.92 4.42 31.06 30.85 full bloom Sept 2 15.00 5.46 7.99 1.69 28.25 41.61 COVER VALUE : The low-growing fringed sagebrush has minimal cover value for larger wildlife species, but it does provide some cover for smaller birds and mammals. The degree to which fringed sagebrush provides environmental protection during one or more seasons for wildlife species is as follows [24]: CO MT ND UT WY Pronghorn ---- ---- Poor Poor Poor Elk ---- ---- ---- Poor Poor Mule deer ---- ---- ---- Poor Poor White-tailed deer Poor ---- ---- ---- ---- Small mammals ---- Poor ---- Good Poor Small nongame birds ---- Poor ---- Fair Poor Upland game birds ---- Poor Poor Poor Poor VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : Fringed sagebrush is tolerant of drought and salt and can grow well on a variety of sites [14]. Its rapid growth and wide distribution make it a useful rehabilitation species [58]. Fringed sagebrush has a relatively deep and extensive root system which enables it to stabilize soils and minimize erosion [38,74]. It is well adapted for rehabilitation projects on many arid lands in the subalpine zone of the Wasatch Plateau of Utah and on depleted rangelands of southwestern Idaho [38,58,63]. Fringed sagebrush is generally rated as having a high to moderate value for long-term revegetation and moderate value for short-term revegetation projects [24]. Fringed sagebrush can be seeded onto a variety of disturbed sites, although direct seeding is sometimes erratic [58]. Seeds are generally planted in the spring [68] at a rate of 0.2 to 0.3 pounds per acre [63]. Hay from native grasslands which contains fringed sagebrush seed has been successsfully used on disturbed sites both as a mulch and as a seed source [62]. Good establishment of fringed sagebrush has been achieved through this method. Seedling establishment tends to be greater after hay is stored for a year [61]. Seedling establishment varies in different years, depending on seed production. Ries and Hoffman [61] reported from 35 to 283 seedlings established annually per kg of hay. Fringed sagebrush can also be propagated vegetatively. Successful results have been obtained from cuttings taken in February through May and then treated wilth 0.1 percent IBA powder [38]. Natural spread through vegetative means is moderate compared with other native species [58]. OTHER USES AND VALUES : Fringed sagebrush is potentially valuable as a biogeochemical indicator of mineral deposits. In a Colorado study, Lovering and Hedal [44] found that levels of silver, copper, and lead present in ashed samples of fringed sagebrush leaves, stems, and blossoms were closely correlated with the degree of mineralization in the area in which the plant grew. Evidence suggests that fringed sagebrush may be a good indicator of metallic ore deposits in the Basin and Range and possibly of uranium in the Uravan mineral belt of Colorado and Utah [44]. Researchers have observed traces of the following elements in fringed sagebrush tissues: iron, magnesium, silver, boron, barium, cadmium, copper, lanthamum, molybdenum, nickel, lead, strontium, vanadium, zinc, zirconium, sodium, beryllium, bismuth, cobolt, cromium, niobium, tin, yttrium and anomalous amounts of silver, bismuth, copper, lead, tin, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium [44]. Generally, both the number and intensity of the anomolies are related to the amount of mineralization. Higher anomalies are typically observed in fringed sagebrush plants growing on bedrock rather than on alluvium [44]. Fringed sagebrush may be valuable as a biogeochemical indicator both because of its tendency to accumulate anomalous amounts of a number of elements and because of its extremely wide distribution. The attractive foliage of fringed sagebrush makes it a potentially useful landscaping plant [38]. It is well suited for use in borders, as gravel cover, or for a colorful accent [70]. Fringed sagebrush was historically considered to have certain medicinal values [69]. MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : Fringed sagebrush typically increases in response to livestock grazing [12,17,18,35,37,53] and may replace more desirable forage species such as rough fescue (Festuca scabrella) and other native perennial bunchgrasses [13,52]. Fringed sagebrush can be an important indicator of overgrazing [35,64]. In the northern Great Plains, fringed sagebrush increased rapidly during the first 10 years after heavy grazing and then decreased during the next 15 years. Within 25 years, the density of fringed sagebrush approximated the density on lightly grazed ranges [14]. In a Colorado study, summer cattle grazing had little effect on fringed sagebrush cover or percent composition [14]. However, Houston and Woodward [37] observed that in the northern Great Plains, fringed sagebrush cover was greatest under moderate cattle grazing on summer ranges and on heavily or moderately grazed winter ranges. Although little evidence is available, fringed sagebrush may respond somewhat differently to sheep utilization. A study of vegetative response to sheep utilization on needlegrass (Stipa spp.) and blue grama range revealed a general decrease in fringed sagebrush over time [66]. Although populations of fringed sagebrush often increase following heavy grazing, individual plants may be harmed. Fringed sagebrush produces increased amounts of seed and more but smaller plants in response to heavy grazing pressure. Individual plants are relatively slow to recover [14]. The short stature of fringed sagebrush presumably provides some protection for this plant. A number of clipping studies have concentrated on the effects of defoliation on fringed sagebrush. Two defoliations during the later part of the growing season are most injurious to the plant [11]. Damage is typically most severe when plants are defoliated during rapid growth and when plants are near maturity, or by two heavy defoliations during quiescence and rapid growth. Moderate defoliation during quiescence and rapid growth stages is apparently less damaging [11]. Grazing damage may be particularly severe when carbohydrate reserves are low [49]. Typically, defoliation reduces herbage yield, with a single heavy defoliation producing reductions of 50 percent or more, and multiple defoliations reducing plant height by 75 percent or more [11,73]. Overall vigor, live crown cover, height, live crown diameter, and total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) reserves were also much reduced by multiple defoliation [11,14]. Clipping studies suggest that complete rest in late phenological stages during some years may be required to maintain the health of fringed sgebrush [11]. A rest period of even 14 to 24 months may be insufficient for fringed sagebrush to recover vigor, herbage yield, and carbohydrate reserves [73]. Results from a northeastern Wyoming suggest that summer cattle grazing may cause fringed sagebrush to respond as an increaser, but heavy winter elk use may cause populations to decrease [40]. Fringed sagebrush has been found to increase in response to black-tailed prairie dog colonization of mixed-grass prairie communities in South Dakota [16]. Removal or reduction of fringed sagebrush could potentially increase forage production on some degraded ranges. However, control is extremely difficult due to the prolific seeding capabilities of this species. Limited evidence suggests that sheep or goat utilization during the winter months may be more effective in eliminating fringed sagebrush than herbicides or mechanical removal. Fringed sagebrush removal may be extremely deterimental to wildlife species. Therefore, caution should be used where wildife utilization occurs in early spring, fall, or winter [14]. Efforts have been made to increase herbage yields in native grasslands of the northern Great Plains by the application of nitrogen fertilizers. The plant density of fringed sagebrush was found to increase significantly each year with the application of greater amounts of nitrogen in a North Dakota study [30].

Related categories for Species: Artemisia frigida | Fringed Sagebrush

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