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Wildlife, Animals, and Plants
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Introductory
SPECIES: Ephedra nevadensis | Nevada Ephedra
ABBREVIATION :
EPHNEV
SYNONYMS :
Ephedra aspera Engelm. ex S.Wats
E. reedii Cory [10]
SCS PLANT CODE :
EPNE
EPNEA
EPNEN
COMMON NAMES :
Nevada ephedra
Nevada jointfir
gray ephedra
Mormon tea
TAXONOMY :
The fully documented scientific name of Nevada ephedra is Ephedra
nevadensis S. Wats. Varieties are [10]:
Ephedra nevadensis var. nevadensis
Ephedra nevadensis var. aspera (Engelm. ex S. Wats.) L. Benson
LIFE FORM :
Shrub
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
COMPILED BY AND DATE :
D. Tirmenstein, March 1987
LAST REVISED BY AND DATE :
D. Tirmenstein, August 1990
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Tirmenstein, D. 1990. Ephedra nevadensis. In: Remainder of Citation
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Ephedra nevadensis | Nevada Ephedra
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Nevada ephedra occurs from Utah and Arizona through Nevada to Harney
County, Oregon, and into southeastern California and Mexico [4,26]. It
grows in the Mojave Desert of California and in the transition zone
between the Mojave and the Great Basin [3].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES29 Sagebrush
FRES30 Desert shrub
FRES36 Mountain grasslands
FRES40 Desert grasslands
STATES :
AZ CA CO NV OR TX UT MEXICO
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS :
DEVA GRCA GRBA JOTR LAME NABR
ZION
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
7 Lower Basin and Range
12 Colorado Plateau
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K038 Great Basin sagebrush
K039 Blackbrush
K040 Saltbush - greasewood
K041 Creosotebush
K044 Creosotebush - tarbush
K046 Desert: vegetation largely lacking
K051 Wheatgrass - bluegrass
K055 Sagebrush steppe
K057 Galleta - three-awn shrubsteppe
SAF COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Nevada ephedra is an indicator of edaphic or biotic climax in a number
of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)-grassland communities. It is described as
codominant with big sagebrush (A. tridentata) and Indian ricegrass
(Oryzopsis hymenoides) in the following Nevada vegetation typing:
Vegetation and soils of the Churchill Canyon Watershed [2]
VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Ephedra nevadensis | Nevada Ephedra
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Nevada ephedra is reportedly the most important forage species of all
North American ephedra (Ephedra spp.) [26]. It provides valuable browse
for mule deer, mountain sheep, and pronghorn [21,22,26]. Nevada ephedra
may be heavily utilized on mule deer winter ranges, particularly during
times of food shortages, but is often largely ignored during the summer
months [26]. However, in Utah, Smith and Beale [21] observed that
pronghorns consumed significant amounts during brief periods of the
summer. Quail, cottontail rabbits, mule deer, and mountain sheep often
feed on Nevada ephedra during critical drought periods [22].
Nevada ephedra provides food for all classes of domestic livestock. It
is, however, considered poor quality forage for horses [15]. Throughout
much of the Great Basin, this shrub is an important winter food source
for sheep, goats, and cattle [5].
PALATABILITY :
Nevada ephedra browse is at least moderately palatable to mule deer and
to all classes of domestic livestock. Young stems are preferred over
older, tougher foliage [22]. Seeds are palatable to a wide variety of
small birds and mammals. Overall palatability of Nevada ephedra in Utah
has been rated as follows [6]:
Cattle fair
Sheep fair
Horses fair
Pronghorn fair
Elk poor
Mule deer fair
White-tailed deer ----
Small mammals good
Small nongame birds fair
Upland game birds fair
Waterfowl poor
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
Nevada ephedra browse is low in sodium and phosphorus. Specific
nutrient content varies according to plant part, phenological
development, and site characteristics [27]. Food value has been
examined in detail [16,27]. Selected values are as follows [16,27]:
Mature, aerial part
Ca 5.81%
Mg 1.28%
P 0.50%
date sampled percent dry weight
P Na K Ca Mg Si
Feb. 11 .06 .003 .25 2.43 .18 .04
March 17 .09 .007 .31 2.21 .30 .07
April 4 .12 .012 .86 2.65 .34 .12
May 21 .08 .007 1.80 1.02 .17 .05
June 19 .08 .006 2.26 1.41 .20 .04
July 29 .05 .008 1.45 1.72 .18 .05
Sept. 24 .04 .007 .91 2.37 .21 .10
Dec. 31 .07 .009 .61 2.37 .19 .11
date sampled ppm
Zn Cu Fe Mn B Al Sr Be
Feb. 11 23 14 101 77 14 82 82 45
March 17 19 10 142 136 12 134 97 24
April 4 17 5 143 149 22 167 67 30
May 21 20 20 186 13 18 145 50 11
June 19 21 14 161 17 12 149 66 12
July 29 24 12 248 26 9 184 91 13
Sept. 24 22 19 240 38 10 188 96 18
Dec. 31 27 14 121 47 16 152 52 33
COVER VALUE :
Cover value of Nevada ephedra has been rated as follows in Utah
(Dittberner and Olson 1983):
Pronghorn fair
Elk poor
Mule deer poor
White-tailed deer ----
Small mammals good
Small nongame birds fair
Upland game birds fair
Waterfowl poor
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
Nevada ephedra commonly forms dense, slowly spreading colonies [J. A.
Young, pers. comm. 1987]. Growth and establishment characteristics make
this shrub valuable for use on disturbed sites where it can aid in soil
stabilization [17]. Plants establish readily from direct seeding,
transplants, or cuttings [17,26]. Seedlings emerge in late winter or
early spring following fall or winter plantings [18].
Nevada ephedra is well adapted to many basin big sagebrush (Artemisia
tridentata ssp. tridentata), Wyoming sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp.
wyomingensis), black sagebrush (A. nova), gray low sagebrush (A.
arbuscula), northern desert shrub, pinyon-juniper, and salt desert
communities [18,23]. Seedlings have been successfully planted onto
semiarid reclaimed strip mines in southwestern Wyoming and elsewhere,
with survival rates ranging from 12 percent to 94 percent [12,20].
Nevada ephedra seedlings are tolerant of extreme drought but may take 5
to 10 years to grow 2 feet (0.61 m) in height [18].
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
Nevada ephedra is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental [4]. Many
species of ephedra have historically been used to make beverages and as
a remedy for coughs, headaches, cold, fever, and other ailments. Native
Americans traditionally roasted and ate the seeds or added them to
breads [26].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Radiation: Studies conducted at the Nevada test site indicate that
exposure of Nevada ephedra to radiation results in reduced growth,
much-decreased fruit production, and poor germination [27].
Browse: Utilization of Nevada ephedra can be difficult to detect due to
the manner in which the stems break off at joints [18].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Ephedra nevadensis | Nevada Ephedra
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Nevada ephedra is a coarse, erect, opposite-branched evergreen shrub
which grows from 0.82 to 4.1 feet (0.25-1.25 m) in height [4,5]. Stout,
spreading branches are olive to brownish green and nearly leafless [26].
Young stems are pale green and nearly smooth, whereas old stems, which
may exceed 0.16 inch (4 mm) in thickness, are yellowish to gray with
fissured bark [4]. Roots are typically deep and fibrous [22].
Individual plants are often connected by underground "stolons" which are
produced as branches become covered with wind-blown sand or silt [27].
The leaves of Nevada ephedra have been reduced to small scales, and most
photosynthesis takes place in the stems [24].
Nevada ephedra is primarily dioecious with small greenish-yellow flowers
[5,22]. Ellipsoid staminate cones and single light-brown to
yellowish-green ovulate cones are borne at the nodes of young branches
[4]. Smooth brown seeds or "nutlets" of Nevada ephedra occur singly or
in pairs [4,26].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Phanerophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Seed: Nevada ephedra produces large quantities of small, smooth brown
seeds at erratic intervals [4,27]. An abundance of seed is produced in
some years but very little in others [18]. Germination occurs over a
wide range of temperatures [31]. In laboratory tests, good germination
was achieved at constant temperatures of 41 to 68 degrees F (5-20
degrees C), and at alternating exposure of 16 hours at 68 degrees F (20
degrees C) followed by 2 hours at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) [31].
Germination is rapid under favorable conditions and can begin within 2
days. In laboratory tests, germination was 68 percent completed within
10 days after initial plantings [31]. However, at 41 degrees (5 degrees
C), germination did not begin until the 7th day after planting and was
only 36 percent complete after 14 days [31]. Seed has remained viable
for up to 5 years in storage [4,18]. However, germination may be
significantly reduced in seeds stored for only 1 year [31]. Seeds
commonly germinate from the underground caches of rodents such as ground
squirrels [R. Hunter, pers. comm. 1981].
Vegetative regeneration: Nevada ephedra sprouts from roots or woody
crowns after fire and other disturbances [30]. New plants commonly
develop from the roots or "stolons" of older clones in the absence of
disturbance [27].
Seedling establishment: Seedlings are very tolerant of drought and
generally establish well following fall or winter plantings [18,22].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Nevada ephedra is adapted to range of environmental conditions [3] but
typically grows on arid hills and plains [27]. It occurs on dry, open
slopes, ridges, breaks with southern exposures, canyons, floodplains,
arroyos, and in dry watercourses [5,22]. Nevada ephedra grows well on
gravelly or rocky, often alkaline soils and is tolerant of salt
[5,17,22]. Most sites are well drained or subirrigated [5].
Nevada ephedra typically reaches greatest abundance at the edge of the
salt desert zone [J. A. Young, pers. comm. 1987] but also occurs in
basin big sagebrush, Wyoming sagebrush, gray low sagebrush, and black
sagebrush communities. It generally grows as scattered plants or in
small clumps but also occurs in isolated, large, pure stands [22].
Plants commonly growing with Nevada ephedra include grama (Bouteloua
spp.), mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus spp.), saltbush (Atriplex spp.),
juniper (Juniperus spp.), creosotebush (Larrea spp.), and cholla
(Opuntia spp.) [3,22].
Nevada ephedra typically grows below the elevational range of the
closely related green ephedra (Ephedra viridis) [J. A. Young, pers.
comm. 1987]. In Utah, it grows from 4,000 to 6,000 feet (1,220-1,830 m)
[6].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Plants generally flower from April to June, and fruit ripens in July
[5,22,25]. However, significant annual variation in phenological
development has been observed [25]. Flowering and fruiting dates were
documented as follows in a 9-year study in southern Nevada [25]:
year first flowering first fruiting
1968 February 9 April 10
1969 April 25 May 2
1970 None None
1971 March 21 April 15
1972 March 18 March 27
1973 April 18 May 7
1974 April 25 None
1975 April 29 May 21
1976 April 9 None
On harsh sites, plants may exhibit very little vegetative growth, even
during favorable years [27].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Ephedra nevadensis | Nevada Ephedra
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Nevada ephedra generally sprouts from the root or crown after fire
damages or destroys aboveground vegetation [27,28,29]. However, under
certain circumstances, regenerative structures may be eliminated by hot
fires [14,32]. Nevada ephedra may also reoccupy disturbed sites through
seed. Under laboratory conditions, seed has remained viable for up to 5
years [18], and postfire germination of on-site seed is possible. Small
birds and mammals may transport some seed to burned areas.
Fires may not carry on some Nevada ephedra sites due to insufficient
fuels. Periods of above normal precipitation can contribute to
increased stand flammability by promoting the growth of annuals [14].
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Small shrub, adventitious-bud root crown
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Ephedra nevadensis | Nevada Ephedra
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Underground regenerative structures commonly survive when aboveground
vegetation is consumed by fire [28]. However, under certain
circumstances, plants may be killed [22,32]. The effects of fire on
Nevada ephedra varies according to fire intensity and severity, and
season of burn. Following a hot June wildfire, aboveground foliage was
killed on 84 percent of Nevada ephedra at this site. Approximately 76
percent of all plants were completely killed [14].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Nevada ephedra often sprouts vigorously from the roots after aboveground
vegetation is killed or damaged by fire [28]. Recovery is generally
rapid when plants sprout prolifically. In a central Utah study,
significant amounts of Nevada ephedra were present within 1 year after
fire [28]. However, response may vary according to the timing,
intensity, and severity of burn. Only 9 percent of all top-killed
plants sprouted after a hot June wildfire in the Sonoran Desert of
Arizona [14].
Nevada ephedra can sometimes reoccupy a site through seed, but recovery
may be relatively slow.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
Nevada ephedra sprouted readily after a mid-summer wildfire in central
Utah. Coverage values and biomass was documented as follows [28]:
Measured Preburn Control (Unburned) Burned
(percent)
1981 1982 1983 1981 1982 1983 1981 1982 1983
2.5 2.5 2.3 1.0 4.3 2.0 -- 1.3 1.0
Means (kg/ha) - herbage standing crops
1981 1982 1983
23.98 10.18 95.01
Little sprouting occurred after a hot June wildfire in Arizona. Density
and cover on burned and unburned plots were as follows [14]:
unburned burned
1980 1981
density (#/ha) 40 -- 5
cover (%) 0.9 -- trace
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
NO-ENTRY
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Ephedra nevadensis | Nevada Ephedra
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Index
Related categories for Species: Ephedra nevadensis
| Nevada Ephedra
|
 |
