VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Castanea pumila | Allegheny Chinkapin 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Allegheny chinkapin wood is light, hard, close-grained, and durable.  It
is used largely for fenceposts and fuel.  It is not exploited for
commercial timber because of its small stature and scattered occurrence
[32,35].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Allegheny chinkapin nuts are excellent wildlife food and are consumed by
squirrels, chipmunks, opossums, white-tailed deer, bluejays, pileated
woodpeckers [31], red-headed woodpeckers [34], and many other birds
[4,31].  Allegheny chinkapin is usually not a primary wildlife food due
to its scattered occurrence [35].  It is, however, listed as an
important species in the diet of southeastern fox squirrels (including
five subspecies) [17].  White-tailed deer browse the foliage of
Allegheny chinkapin [34].


PALATABILITY : 
In North Carolina, Allegheny chinkapin had a high utilization rate (81%
browsed) by white-tailed deer, even though it occurred in relatively low
abundance [36].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Chestnut (Castanea spp.) meats were reported to contain 2.9 percent
protein (fresh weight), 41 percent N-free extract, and 1.1 percent crude
fiber [20].


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Allegheny chinkapin (cultivar 'golden') has good potential for use in
revegetation of disturbed sites, particularly because of its wildlife
value and adaptability to harsh sites [9,10].  It is likely that many
planners hesitate to use it because of the threat of chestnut blight
infection.


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Allegheny chinkapin nuts are sweet and palatable, considered better
tasting than those of American chestnut (Castanea dentata), and have
been bartered and sold commercially [28].  Allegheny chinkapin may be of
value for breeding blight-resistant chestnuts with good-tasting nuts [10].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Allegheny chinkapin has been variously reported as very susceptible to
chestnut blight [34], moderately resistant to chestnut blight [28], and
almost completely resistant to chestnut blight [35].  The disease has
been blamed for the extirpation of Allegheny chinkapin from most of
Alabama, and as having severely reduced populations in the Ozarks.  It
is considered a threat to Allegheny chinkapin in Texas [28].  Campbell
and others [3] placed Allegheny chinkapin on a list of species which are
rare in Appalachian Kentucky, because there are fewer than 10 records of
Allegheny chinkapin for the region.  They speculated that Allegheny
chinkapin has decreased in abundance because of fire suppression and
chestnut blight [3].  Roedner and others [24] included Ozark chinkapin
in a checklist of rare plants of the Ozark Plateau, Missouri, and
reported it as endangered due to chestnut blight.  It has been
considered for inclusion in the Federal Register [19].

Allegheny chinkapin is a host to oak wilt [25].

In central Louisiana, an all-aged loblolly pine (Pinus taeda)-shortleaf
pine (P. echinata) stand was selectively harvested in 1958 for pines,
and in 1959 and early 1960 for hardwoods.  The stand had not
experienced any fires since the early 1940's.  Allegheny chinkapin was
listed with a group of species whose importance value increased after
overstory removal, from 1960 to 1970 [2].

Allegheny chinkapin is listed as susceptible to the following
herbicides:  2,4,5-T, bromacil, dicamba, picloram, and silvex.  It may
resprout after herbicide treatment [1].

Related categories for Species: Castanea pumila | Allegheny Chinkapin