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Wildlife, Animals, and Plants
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Introductory
SPECIES: Artemisia spinescens | Budsage
ABBREVIATION :
ARTSPI
SYNONYMS :
NO-ENTRY
SCS PLANT CODE :
NO-ENTRY
COMMON NAMES :
budsage
bud sagebrush
spring sagebrush
TAXONOMY :
The fully documented scientific name of budsage is Artemisia spinescens
D.C. Eaton [12,19]. It is not known to hybridize with any other species [14].
LIFE FORM :
Shrub
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
COMPILED BY AND DATE :
J. Hickerson 8/1986
LAST REVISED BY AND DATE :
NO-ENTRY
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Hickerson, J. 1986. Artemisia spinescens. In: Remainder of Citation
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Artemisia spinescens | Budsage
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Budsage occurs on dry plains and hills from southwestern Montana,
central Idaho, and eastern Oregon southward to southeast California, New
Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado [12,19].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES29 Sagebrush
FRES30 Desert shrub
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
FRES36 Mountain grasslands
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES40 Desert grasslands
STATES :
AZ CA CO ID MT NM NV UT WA WY
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS :
ARCH BICA CANY COLM DEVA DINO
FOBU GLCA MEVE NABR
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
7 Lower Basin and Range
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
12 Colorado Plateau
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K023 Juniper - pinyon woodland
K037 Mountain mahogany - oak scrub
K038 Great Basin sagebrush
K039 Blackbrush
K040 Saltbush - greasewood
K041 Creosotebush
K051 Wheatgrass - bluegrass
K055 Sagebrush steppe
K056 Wheatgrass - needlegrass shrubsteppe
K057 Galleta - three-awn shrubsteppe
K066 Wheatgrass - needlegrass
SAF COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Budsage occurs as a dominant or codominant with shadscale (Atriplex
confertifolia), spiny hopsage (Grayia spinosa), Indian ricegrass
(Oryzopsis hymenoides), and bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides)
in several desert shrub communities. Budsage is listed as a dominant,
codominant, or indicator species in the following publications:
Vegetation and soils of the Cow Creek Watershed [2]
Vegetation and soils of the Churchill Canyon Watershed [3]
Sagebrush steppe [21]
VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Artemisia spinescens | Budsage
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Budsage is generally considered a desirable forage species. It is one
of the first shrubs to become green in early spring and is highly
palatable to livestock. On sheep range, it is one of the most palatable
forage plants during late winter and early spring. The early
availability provides high quality nutrition during the lambing season
[11]. Budsage is also an important, palatable, nutritious forage species
for upland game birds, and small and big game [9].
PALATABILITY :
Mule deer and pronghorn utilize budsage in spring when it is green and
succulent. Mountain sheep tend to use it in winter when it is dry [20].
Black-tailed jackrabbits and small rodents generally eat only the
leaves, smaller branches, and twigs, although black-tailed jackrabbits
sometimes utilize the whole plant. Chukar partridge eat the flower
heads and leaves [20].
After elongation of new twigs, volatile oil content increases, and
budsage is not often eaten by cattle and horses. Wood and Brotherson
[20] report that calves have been poisoned from the green foliage.
The palatability and degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife
species for budsage in several western states is rated as follows [6]:
UT WY
Cattle fair fair
Sheep good good
Horses fair good
Pronghorn good good
Elk fair good
Mule deer good good
White-tailed deer ---- poor
Small mammals good fair
Small nongame birds fair fair
Upland game birds poor fair
Waterfowl poor poor
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
Budsage is especially high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and
protein [20]. Below is a list of critical nutrient content under
moderate utilization in early spring [5].
Phosphorous 0.33%
Carotene 10.80 mg/lb
Digestible Protein 13.7%
Metabolizable Energy 911 cal/lb
COVER VALUE :
The degree to which budsage provides environmental protection during one
or more seasons for wildlife species is as follows [6]:
UT WY
Pronghorn poor poor
Elk poor poor
Mule deer poor poor
White-tailed deer poor poor
Small mammals fair poor
Small nongame birds fair poor
Upland game birds poor poor
Waterfowl poor poor
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
NO-ENTRY
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
NO-ENTRY
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Light grazing in late winter and early spring damages growth of budsage
and could even eliminate it from the area [11]. Budsage was found to
increase under heavy grazing in early winter [4]. Hutchings [11]
recommends 50 percent use of annual growth of budsage.
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Artemisia spinescens | Budsage
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Budsage is a moderately long-lived, deciduous, low-growing,
spiny-twigged shrub 0.5 to 1.5 feet (0.15-0.47 m) tall. It has an
extensive, relatively shallow root system that generally grows in the
top 6 to 22 inches (15-55 cm) of soil. The vertical taproot is short
and thick, and up to 6 inches (15 cm) long with numerous small
horizontal branches. Shrubs occurring in bottomlands occasionally
produce adventitious roots. Root penetration and distribution have been
noted to vary with soils [20].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Chamaephyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Budsage regenerates by seed. However, good seed production is infrequent
because the flowers bloom quite early and are often damaged by frost [14].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Budsage occurs on dry saline plains and hills. The soils have less
gravel (between 20 and 30 inches [50 and 75 cm] deep) than soils
supporting other vegetation. There is an accumulation of lime in this
gravel zone [20].
Elevational ranges of budsage are as follows [6]:
UT 4400-5600 ft (1340-1710 m)
CO 4500-8000 ft (1370-2440 m)
WY 4000-7000 ft (1220-2130 m)
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Budsage is a dominant in climax vegetation in Montana, California, and
Nevada [16].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Budsage usually blooms from the last week in April to the last week in
May, but blooming may vary as follows:
Flowering
State earliest most frequent latest
month month month
--------------------------------------------------------
UT Apr --- May
CO Apr May Jul
WY Apr May Jul
The shrub normally becomes dormant by early or midsummer but may break
dormancy in response to summer rains. When dormancy is broken in early
spring and before the the buds elongate, the bark can be easily pulled
from the previous season's growth. This is known as "slipping" and is
the time when budsage is most palatable to sheep [20].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Artemisia spinescens | Budsage
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
After a fire, establishment of budsage depends on seed transported from
adjacent sites [10].
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Secondary colonizer - off-site seed
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Artemisia spinescens | Budsage
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Fire effects information on budsage is lacking. Since the species does
not resprout, it is assumed that fire would result in a decrease in
frequency, cover, and density for some time afterwards.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
NO-ENTRY
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
NO-ENTRY
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Artemisia spinescens | Budsage
REFERENCES :
1. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p.
[434]
2. Blackburn, Wilbert H.; Eckert, Richard E., Jr.; Tueller, Paul T. 1969.
Vegetation and soils of the Cow Creek Watershed. R-49. Reno, NV:
University of Nevada, Agricultural Experiment Station. 77 p. In
cooperation with: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land
Management. [458]
3. Blackburn, Wilbert H.; Tueller, Paul T.; Eckert, Richard E., Jr. 1969.
Vegetation and soils of the Churchill Canyon Watershed. R-45. Reno, NV:
University of Nevada, Agricultural Experiment Station. 155 p. In
cooperation with: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land
Management. [460]
4. Blaisdell, James P.; Holmgren, Ralph C. 1984. Managing Intermountain
rangelands--salt-desert shrub ranges. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-163. Ogden,
UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest
and Range Experiment Station. 52 p. [464]
5. Cook, C. Wayne; Stoddart, L. A. 1953. The halogeton problem in Utah.
Bulletin 364. Logan, UT: Utah State Agricultural College, Agricultural
Experiment Station. 44 p. In cooperation with:U.S. Department of the
Interior, Bureau of Land Management. [4597]
6. Dittberner, Phillip L.; Olson, Michael R. 1983. The plant information
network (PIN) data base: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and
Wyoming. FWS/OBS-83/86. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Fish and Wildlife Service. 786 p. [806]
7. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
8. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
9. Holmgren, Ralph C.; Hutchings, Selar S. 1972. Salt desert shrub response
to grazing use. In: McKell, Cyrus M.; Blaisdell, James P.; Goodin, Joe
R., eds. Wildland shrubs--their biology and utilization: Proceedings of
a symposium; 1971 July; Logan, UT. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-1. Ogden, UT:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and
Range Experiment Station: 153-164. [1188]
10. Humphrey, L. David. 1984. Patterns and mechanisms of plant succession
after fire on Artemisia-grass sites in southeastern Idaho. Vegetatio.
57: 91-101. [1214]
11. Hutchings, Selar S. 1954. Managing winter sheep range for greater
profit. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 46 p.
[23306]
12. Kearney, Thomas H.; Peebles, Robert H.; Howell, John Thomas; McClintock,
Elizabeth. 1960. Arizona flora. 2d ed. Berkeley, CA: University of
California Press. 1085 p. [6563]
13. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
14. McArthur, E. Durant; Blauer, A. Clyde; Plummer, A. Perry; Stevens,
Richard. 1979. Characteristics and hybridization of important
Intermountain shrubs. III. Sunflower family. Res. Pap. INT-220. Ogden,
UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest
and Range Experiment Station. 82 p. [1571]
15. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
16. Ross, Robert L.; Hunter, Harold E. 1976. Climax vegetation of Montana
based on soils and climate. Bozeman, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Soil Conservation Service. 64 p. [2028]
17. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern
Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire
Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p. [20090]
18. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982.
National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names.
SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p. [11573]
19. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry
C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo,
UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
20. Wood, Benjamin W.; Brotherson, Jack D. 1986. Ecological adaptation and
grazing response of budsage (Artemisia spinescens). In: McArthur, E.
Durant; Welch, Bruce L., compilers. Proceedings--symposium on the
biology of Artemisia and Chrysothamnus; 1984 July 9-13; Provo, UT. Gen.
Tech. Rep. INT-200. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, Intermountain Research Station: 75-92. [2593]
21. Young, James A.; Evans, Raymond A.; Major, Jack. 1977. Sagebrush steppe.
In: Barbour, Michael G.; Major, Jack, eds. Terrestrial vegetation of
California. New York: John Wiley & Sons: 763-796. [4300]
Index
Related categories for Species: Artemisia spinescens
| Budsage
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