VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Crataegus douglasii | Douglas Hawthorn 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Douglas hawthorn has no known wood products value.


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Forage production is usually low from Douglas hawthorn thickets.  Stands
may be so dense as to preclude most livestock use.  Livestock will,
however, readily eat Douglas hawthorn foliage when it is accessible
[11,17].  Douglas hawthorn thickets produce an abundant amount of food
and cover for wildlife species [27].  Dried fruits and stems provide
autumn food for frugivorous birds such as blue and sharp-tailed grouse
in Washington and Idaho [10,17,27].  Mule deer and small mammals consume
dry Douglas hawthorn fruits in Utah during winter [1].  Marks and Marks
[27] found that sharp-tailed grouse in western Idaho fed exclusively on Douglas
hawthorn fruits.  No documentation, however, is available concerning bud
consumption when ripened fruits become unavailable.


PALATABILITY : 
Seasonally, Douglas hawthorn was found to be moderately palatable to
livestock.  Evidence of hedging was apparent on many smaller individuals
on a site in northeastern Oregon [20].  Cattle prefer Douglas hawthorn
thickets less than 3 feet (1 m) tall; stem utilization can often exceed
50 percent [28].  In Utah, Douglas hawthorn is a poor browse species for
sheep, cattle, and horses [12].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
In general, the energy and protein value of Douglas hawthorn is fair.
For ungulates and waterfowl in Utah, the food value is rated fair to
poor; for small nongame birds and mammals, it is rated good [12].

Nutritional information on Douglas hawthorn fruit from the Rainbow Creek
Research Natural Area, southeastern Washington, is presented below [29]:

                Mean             Standard Error
               ------           -----------------
% Protein       3.740                  0.02
% Lipid         3.760                  0.08
% Neutral  
  Detergent
  Fiber        19.340                  2.14
% Ash           3.990                  0.02
% Calcium       0.310                   NA
% Magnesium     0.106                   NA
% Phosphorus    0.156                   NA
% Potassium     1.513                   NA

* Percentages based on dry pulp masses


COVER VALUE : 
Douglas hawthorn has good structural diversity, and provides both
thermal and hiding cover.  Birds such as magpies and thrushes are
especially attracted to Douglas hawthorn for cover and nesting due to
its thick, intricate branching [17].  Avian use is heaviest during the
nesting/brooding season, and at the time of fruit ripening [11].  During
the winter, Douglas hawthorn continues to provide dense escape cover
[27].  Black-billed magpie nests are built mainly in Douglas hawthorn
crowns, and long-eared owls will build their nests atop magpie nests
[11].  Fourteen species of birds were found to use Douglas hawthorn for
nesting/brooding cover in northeastern Oregon [27].  Small mammals also
use Douglas hawthorn stands for cover.  Rickard [32] found deer mice and
long-tailed voles living in Douglas hawthorn thickets. In a 1979 summer
census, it was estimated that 280 to 320 individuals/acre (700-800/ha)
were inhabiting a Douglas hawthorn community.  Mountain voles made up 80
percent of the population in all seasons [20].

The degree to which Douglas hawthorn provides environmental protection
during one or more seasons for wildlife species is presented below [12]:

                       Utah       Wyoming
                      ------     ----------
Pronghorn              poor         poor
Elk                     na          fair
Mule deer              fair         good
White-tailed deer       na          good
Small mammals          good         good
Small nongame birds    good         good
Upland game birds      good         good
Waterfowl              poor         poor


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Douglas hawthorn is an excellent soil and streambank stabilizer.
Successful seedling establishment, however, is difficult, and growth
rates are slow.  The use of transplanted nursery stock is recommended
[17].  In north-central Washington, over 6,700 Douglas hawthorn saplings
were planted across 93 acres (37.5 ha) to provide forage and cover for
wildlife adjacent to an altered reservoir site [9].  In Utah, the
erosion control potential of Douglas hawthorn is considered medium,
short-term revegetation potential is low, and long-term revegetation
potential is medium [12].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Douglas hawthorn's brushy growth form makes it a desirable species for
biological barriers between recreational areas and physical structures
[17].

Native people of the Nuxalk Nation, Bella Coola, British Columbia,
utilize Douglas hawthorn fruits in the summer as food.  It has been
estimated that one person can harvest 250 ml of fruits in approximately
1.5 minutes.  One Douglas hawthorn tree averages 550 fruits [23].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Little is known about cultivating this genus.  Most hawthorns develop a
long taproot and should not be kept in seedbeds more than 1 year [4].
Limited agriculture/livestock development will help maintain Douglas
hawthorn thickets, thus protecting an important food and cover species
for wildlife [27].

Related categories for Species: Crataegus douglasii | Douglas Hawthorn