VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Holodiscus dumosus | Bush Oceanspray 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Bush oceanspray is generally unpalatable to the majority of livestock
and big game [32].  It increases in response to grazing on western
juniper/big sagebrush habitat types in eastern Oregon [16].  Since this
species is typically distributed on the summer ranges of most animals,
Ferguson [10] suggests that bush oceanspray is not an extensively
utilized browse plant.  In southern Colorado, however, bush oceanspray
comprises a portion of the summer diet of bighorn sheep [31].



PALATABILITY : 
Bush oceanspray is generally unpalatable to both livestock and big game
[32].  However, it comprised an average relative density of 10 percent
of the summer diet of bighorn sheep populations in southern Colorado.
Plants are utilized by a variety of small bird species [30], and also by
rabbits in California [34].  The palatability of bush oceanspray to
livestock and wildlife species in several western states has been rated
as follows [5]:

                       CO       UT       WY
Cattle                Poor     Poor     ----
Sheep                 Poor     Fair     ----
Horses                Poor     Poor     ----
Pronghorn             ----     Poor     Poor
Elk                   Poor     Poor     Poor
Mule deer             Poor     Fair     Fair
White-tailed deer     ----     ----     Fair 
Small mammals         ----     Fair     ----
Small nongame birds   ----     Fair     Fair 
Upland game birds     ----     Fair     ----
Waterfowl             ----     Poor     ---- 


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Bush oceanspray has been rated as fair in both energy and protein value
[5].


COVER VALUE : 
The degree to which bush oceanspray provides environmental protection
during one or more seasons for wildlife species has been rated as
follows [5]:

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


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Bush oceanspray appears to be an excellent candidate for use in the
reclamation of disturbed sites within its range.  Plants are naturally
capable of establishing and persisting on rather severe, rocky sites
[6,7] and are also extremely drought tolerant [28].  In additon, this
species is adapted to sites with unstable, shifting surface materials;
it is often the dominant species on sites characterized by moving screes
in both nonforested [17,18] and forested [4] communities.  Despite such
attributes, bush oceanspray has not been widely used in rehabilitation
projects, primarily due to a scarcity of commercially available seed
[10,26,28].  Other factors contributing to problems in the culture of
the Holodiscus genus include:  (1) a pronounced seed dormancy and (2)
low production of viable seed [29,35].  Stickney [29] reported that
germination of oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor) is enhanced following
stratification at 41 degrees Fahrenheit (15 deg C) for 18 weeks.
Although plants can be successfully established via fall broadcast
seeding, nursery culture from fall-sown seed appears to be a more
reliable means of propagation; fall-planted bareroot stock is generally
quite hardy [28].  Propagating Holodiscus accessions via stem cuttings
has been unsuccessful in Nevada [8].

The adaptability of bush oceanspray to high-elevation mountain sites has
been rated as follows [26]:

Adaptational attribute             Rating (1-5)
----------------------             --------------            

Established by seed                 medium (3)
Established by transplant           medium (3)
Seed production & handling          medium (3)
Natural spread (seed)               good (4)
Natural spread (vegetative)         medium (3)
Growth rate                         good (4)
Soil stablility                     good (4)
Adaptation to disturbance           good (4)


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
East of the Cascade Range, bush oceanspray is planted as a showy
ornamental shrub [28,30]; plants are often preferred to oceanspray due
to their more compact growth form [14].  Indigenous peoples used the
extremely hard wood of this shrub to make arrows and digging sticks;
pioneers used it to make nails [16].  The "berries" were once gathered
as food by Indian tribes inhabiting the Great Basin [2].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Species: Holodiscus dumosus | Bush Oceanspray