VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Artemisia nova | Black Sagebrush 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Black sagebrush is a significant browse species within the Intermountain
region.  It is especially important on low elevation winter ranges in
the southern Great Basin where extended snowfree periods allow animals
access to plants throughout most of the winter [32].  In these areas it
is heavily utilized by pronghorn and mule deer [3,19,39] and is highly
preferred by domestic sheep [18].  Stands are often contiguous with salt
desert communities in the southern Great Basin.  Relative to the
surrounding vegetation, good condition winter ranges are productive and
also offer a good selection of associated species.  Many of these ranges
have been seriously depleted by past overgrazing.

Black sagebrush may be lethal to sheep if it comprises the bulk of the
diet for even a short time.  This situation is most likely to occur when
animals are concentrated on winter ranges [33].  On spring and
transitional ranges, this sagebrush is thought to cause abortion in
sheep.  Recent studies have shown black sagebrush to be a
preconditioning plant responsible for horsebrush-related
photosensitization in sheep [33].  Apparently small amounts of black
sagebrush, when consumed in combination with horsebrush species
(Tetradymia canescens and particularly Tetradymia glabrata), can cause
liver damage.  As a result, photosensitizing compounds are able to reach
the skin where they absorb large amounts of ultraviolet light.  Acute
cases can result in severe facial swelling (a condition known as
"bighead"), blindness, wool sluffing, abortion, and death [34].


PALATABILITY : 
Black sagebrush is a highly palatable forage throughout much of the
Great Basin.  Plants are heavily utilized by sheep and big game on
winter ranges in Utah.  The lighter gray-green form is usually more
heavily browsed [17].  Some accessions are more highly preferred by mule
deer than others, often with dramatic contrasts in utilization [8,58].
Recent uniform garden studies indicate differences in mule deer
preference for black sagebrush accessions are not related to
monoterpenoid content [9].  One particular accession located on the
Desert Experimental Range near Pine Valley, Utah is highly preferred by
domestic sheep, pronghorn, and mule deer [8,19], and this accession is
presently being tested for cultivar release [9].  Numerous studies have
cited highly variable results when comparing animal preference for black
sagebrush and big sagebrush (A.  tridentata ssp.) [44,47,49,51,58].
McArthur and Stevens [41] suggest that infraspecific as well as
interspecific variations probably account for such inconsistencies.

The relish and degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife species for
black sagebrush in several western states is rated as follows [25,62]:
                     CO        MT        OR        UT        WY
Cattle              ----      ----      ----      Fair      Fair        
Sheep               ----      ----      Fair      Good      Good       
Horses              ----      ----      ----      Poor      Fair      
Antelope            ----      Poor      Good      Good      Good 
Elk                 ----      ----      ----      Good      Fair  
Mule deer           ----      Poor      Poor      Good      Good
White-tailed deer   Poor      ----      ----      ----      ----
Small mammals       ----      ----      ----      Fair      Fair 
Small nongame birds ----      ----      ----      Fair      Fair 
Upland game birds   ----      Fair      ----      Good      Good 
Waterfowl           ----      ----      ----      Poor      Poor



NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Black sagebrush is a highly nutritious winter forage.  Although not as
productive as many other forage species, its winter nutritive quality is
second only to big sagebrush [9,21].  Data from uniform garden studies
indicate that nutritional content, unlike preference, is not
significantly different among accessions [9].  Black sagebrush ranks
high in winter levels of crude protein when compared to other browse
species; mean winter crude protein levels of seven accessions equalled
6.8 percent (5.8 to 7.3 percent).  Furthermore, digestable dry matter
values are very high; mean winter in vitro digestibility equalled 54.8
percent (51.9 to 57.2 percent) of dry matter digested.  Black sagebrush
is also a good source of vitamin A and an above-average source of
phosphorus.  Dittberner and Olson [25] rate this species as fair in both
energy and protein value.


COVER VALUE : 
Black sagebrush provides valuable ground cover in areas where few other
species are adapted.

The degree to which black sagebrush provides environmental protection
during one or more seasons for wildlife species is as follows [25]:
                     CO         MT         UT         WY
Pronghorn           Poor       Poor       Poor       Fair 
Elk                 Poor       ----       Poor       Poor 
Mule deer           Poor       Poor       Poor       Poor 
White-tailed deer   Poor       ----       ----       ---- 
Small mammals       Fair       Poor       Good       Good 
Small nongame birds Fair       Poor       Fair       Good 
Upland game birds   Good       Fair       Fair       Good 
Waterfowl           ----       ----       Poor       Poor 



VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Black sagebrush is an excellent species to establish on sites where
management objectives include restoration or improvement of domestic
sheep, pronghorn, or mule deer winter range.  Although not as productive
as other winter forages such a big sagebrush, mountain mahogany
(Cercocarpus montanus), antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), or
fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), plants are adapted to sites
where these species do not grow.  McArthur and others [42] recommend
using black sagebrush on sites having less than 6.9 inches (17.5 cm) of
rainfall.  Black sagebrush is adapted to big sagebrush, pinyon-juniper,
mountain brush, and shadscale-sagebrush vegetation types.  This species
spreads aggressively from seed on favorable sites and is a good
conservation plant for dry, shallow, stony soils and mine spoils.  It
establishes better from direct seeding than big sagebrush [45].  A
highly preferred black sagebrush accession from Pine Valley, Utah is
currently being studied for release as a superior cultivar [42].
Survival of transplants in several new locations indicates a high
potential for wider planting.


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Decreases in black sagebrush indicate a downward trend in grazing
condition.  Poor condition black sagebrush stands are characterized by
bare ground in the shrub interspaces and are slow to recover.  Moderate
mid-winter or alternate year grazing systems are recommended for
maintenance of black sagebrush [15,18,32].  Utilization levels of up to 70
percent of the current annual growth are considered acceptable [32].
Clary and Beale [19] report moderate sheep grazing (1ha/sheep month) of
black sagebrush winter ranges in Utah caused sites to be avoided by
pronghorn; apparently competitive impacts of sheep grazing on pronghorn
can be reduced by interspersing grazed and ungrazed units.

Related categories for Species: Artemisia nova | Black Sagebrush