1Up Info - A Portal with a Difference

1Up Travel - A Travel Portal with a Difference.    
1Up Info
   

Earth & EnvironmentHistoryLiterature & ArtsHealth & MedicinePeoplePlacesPlants & Animals  • Philosophy & Religion  • Science & TechnologySocial Science & LawSports & Everyday Life Wildlife, Animals, & PlantsCountry Study Encyclopedia A -Z
North America Gazetteer


You are here >1Up Info > Wildlife, Animals, and Plants > Plant Species > Shrub > Species: Nolina microcarpa | Sacahuista
 

Wildlife, Animals, and Plants

 


Wildlife, Animals, and Plants

 

Wildlife Species

  Amphibians

  Birds

  Mammals

  Reptiles

 

Kuchler

 

Plants

  Bryophyte

  Cactus

  Fern or Fern Ally

  Forb

  Graminoid

  Lichen

  Shrub

  Tree

  Vine


VALUE AND USE

SPECIES: Nolina microcarpa | Sacahuista
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : NO-ENTRY IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : Sacahuista has little value for livestock. Cattle graze the foliage only in times of drought. If they are forced to make extensive use of the plant they may be poisoned [15]. Sacahuista is habituative and extremely toxic to sheep and goats. Toxicosis results in loss of appetite, depression, and death within 3 to 10 days from photosensitization, hyperbilirubinemia (excess amounts of bile pigment in the blood stream), and renal damage or renal failure [27]. Deer (Odocoileus spp.), however, can consume large portions of sacahuista seasonally, with no apparent ill effect. The flower heads and stalks comprise 12 percent and 10 percent of white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) and mule deer (O. hemionus) diets, respectively, from May to June [2]. The foliage is used by both species in drought years [30], but in moist years only mule deer browse the foliage, usually for a brief time in the spring [1]. PALATABILITY : Palatability of sacahuista is generally poor for wildlife and livestock. The succulent new growth is the most palatable to cattle and mule deer [24,30]. The palatability of sacahuista to livestock and wildlife species in several western states has been rated as follows [1,2,15,30]: AZ NV NM TX Cattle Poor Poor Poor Poor Mule deer Fair Fair Fair Fair White-tailed deer Poor Poor Poor Poor NUTRITIONAL VALUE : Urness and McCulloch [30] compared the nutritional values of the forage species common in Arizonia chaparral; their results showed sacahuista to be of poor nutritional quality. Protein composition of sacahuista was the lowest of the species sampled. Phosphorus:calcium ratio was 1:4, which is indicative of a nutritionally poor forage species, due to the supression of phosphorus uptake from excess calcium. Catlin [8] reported the nutritional values for sacahuista in the spring as follows: N2-Free Crude Crude Extract Ash Protein Fiber Fat (percent composition) 44.98 3.15 4.68 44.96 2.23 COVER VALUE : NO-ENTRY VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : NO-ENTRY OTHER USES AND VALUES : Native Americans used sacahuista foliage to weave baskets and mats [18] and ate the flower stalks and caudex raw, boiled, or roasted [17]. During World War II, sacahuista was discovered to have commerical value as a source of fiber. Since then, it has been harvested in Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. The fiber is used as a substitute for broomstraw in the production of corn brooms [18]. MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : Sacahuista can be used as an indicator of range condition. Darrow [9] reported the following indicator values for Arizona rangeland: Range Condition Indication Good Flower stalks selectively browsed and foliage exhibits no cropping Fair No flower stalks, and foliage shows signs of cropping Poor Pure stands of sacahuista are noticeably hedged When planning grazing allotments the land manager should inform the livestock owner of the presence of sacahuista and the danger of toxicosis. Preliminary evidence suggests that an oral treatment with an aqueaus zinc sulfate at 0.0235 ounces per pound (30 mg/kg) of body weight may be an effective prophylactic as well as a therapy for toxicosis in sheep [27]. The commerical harvest of wild sacahuista stands on public and private lands every 18 to 22 months yields approximately 38,175 pounds per acre (42,750 kg/ha) of foliage [18]. This harvest increases available forage for cattle and deer by opening areas for more desirable forage species and increasing the production of new, succulent sacahuista foliage [18,24].

Related categories for Species: Nolina microcarpa | Sacahuista

Send this page to a friend
Print this Page

Content on this web site is provided for informational purposes only. We accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person resulting from information published on this site. We encourage you to verify any critical information with the relevant authorities.

Information Courtesy: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Fire Effects Information System

About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy | Links Directory
Link to 1Up Info | Add 1Up Info Search to your site

1Up Info All Rights reserved. Site best viewed in 800 x 600 resolution.