VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Cercocarpus ledifolius | Curlleaf Mountain-Mahogany 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Curlleaf mountain-mahogany is good forage for all classes of browsing
animals in both summer and winter [9,14,52,65]; it is one of the few
browse species that meets or exceeds the protein requirements for
wintering big game animals [9].

In mature stands, much of curlleaf mountain-mahogany foliage is out of
reach of browsing animals but provides excellent winter cover [52].

Deer mice in western Nevada consumed curlleaf mountain-mahogany seeds
[15].



PALATABILITY : 
The palatability of curlleaf mountain-mahogany to livestock and wildlife
is rated as follows [13]:

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



NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Curlleaf mountain-mahogany is highly nutritious and less seasonally
variable than its associates.  In southwest and central Montana, the
crude protein content of current annual growth averaged 10.5, 10.4, 9.5,
and 9.8 percent for spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively [14].
Curlleaf mountain-mahogany in southeastern Oregon had a high calcium
content and intermediate phosphorous content; the ratio of calcium to
phosphorus ranged from 5:1 to 9:1.  Fiber content was low in mid-spring
and high in summer and fall.  Curlleaf mountain-mahogany retained a high
level of crude fat longer in the spring than its associates [21].



COVER VALUE : 
Curlleaf mountain-mahogany stands provide hiding and thermal cover for a
variety of wildlife species.  Cover values are as follows [13]:

                      CO         MT       OR       UT         WY

Pronghorn            ----       ----     ----     Fair       Poor
Bighorn              ----       ----     Good     ----       Fair 
Elk                  Poor       ----     Good     Good       Good
Mule deer            Fair       Fair     Good     Good       Good 
White-tailed deer    ----       ----     ----     ----       Good
Small mammals        Good       Fair     ----     Fair       Good 
Small nongame birds  Good       Fair     ----     Good       Good 
Upland game birds    ----       Fair     ----     Good       Good 
Waterfowl            ----       ----     ----     Poor       Poor 



VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Curlleaf mountain-mahogany may be planted to help stabilize soil in
disturbed areas such as roadcuts and mine spoils [25,68].  It was used
to revegetate roadcuts in northwestern Montana (out of its normal
range); established plants remained in good condition after 9 years
[25].

Curlleaf mountain-mahogany may be seeded to improve range [54], although
shrub seedlings may exhibit low seedling vigor and slow initial growth
rates [40].  It is particularly recommended for southwestern exposures
[54].



OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Because curlleaf mountain-mahogany wood burns slowly, it was the
preferred charcoal wood used for smelting ores in the nineteenth century
[33].  It is also highly prized as a barbecue fuel [64].

Because of its tolerance to heat and drought, curlleaf mountain-mahogany
can be used for water-efficient landscaping in arid environments [19].



MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Pruning curlleaf mountain-mahogany can increase available browse by over
200 percent for 5 years, sustain increased forage production for up to
20 years, encourage the establishment of new seedlings, and increase
understory vegetation [59].  On summer range in northern Utah, forage
production of plants that were pruned by less than 50 percent increased
and remained high for 13 years [2].  Thompson [58] recommended pruning
in spring or fall because late fall or winter pruning in Emory County,
Utah, resulted in complete loss of all pruned trees.  Pruning of trees
less than 12 feet tall, with stem diameters of 2 to 4 inches, yielded
the best results.  Large, mature trees were difficult to prune, had
fewer branches suitable for pruning, and often died as a result of
pruning.

Related categories for Species: Cercocarpus ledifolius | Curlleaf Mountain-Mahogany