VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Rhus trilobata | Skunkbush Sumac 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Because the fruit of skunkbush sumac persists through the fall and
winter, this species can provide a ready food source for birds and small
mammals when other foods are scarce or unavailable [34].  Birds
utilizing skunkbush sumac fruit include the prairie chicken, wild
turkey, pheasant, sage grouse, ruffed grouse, many species of quail, and
numerous songbirds [39].  Squirrels, mice, and other small mammals also
consume large quantities of the fruit [39].

Skunkbush sumac provides some browse for deer, elk, and pronghorn when
other more preferred forage is unavailable [17,31,38,39].  In most
locations, big game use tends to be heaviest during the winter when food
supplies are most limited.  Skunkbush is reported to be an important
summer food for mule deer in the Missouri Breaks of Montana [38].
However, east of this area in the North Dakota Badlands, very little
mule deer use was reported for any season [38].  The foliage and twigs
of skunkbush sumac are browsed by rabbits in many areas and to a more
limited extent by porcupines in the North Dakota Badlands [38].

In certain locations, livestock use skunkbush sumac to some degree, but
it is not a preferred species [17].  Skunkbush sumac is most palatable
to livestock in Colorado and the Southwest [39,42].  Domestic goats
consume fairly large amounts of skunkbush sumac in some areas [9].  It
is described as "well-used" by horses in parts of Colorado [38].


PALATABILITY : 
The palatability and degree of use shown by livestock and and wildlife
species for skunkbush sumac in several western states has been rated as
follows [12]:

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


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Skunkbush sumac is rated fair in energy value and poor in protein value
[12].  The fruits are reported to provide a good source of vitamin A
during the winter [39].


COVER VALUE : 
Skunkbush sumac often forms dense thickets that provide good hiding
cover for many small birds and mammals.  This species also furnishes
excellent nesting sites for many species of songbirds.  The degree to
which skunkbush sumac provides environmental protection during one or
more seasons for wildlife species has been rated follows [12]:

                      CO       MT       ND       UT       WY

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


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Skunkbush sumac has low potential for short-term revegetation but high
to moderate potential for long-term revegetation [12].  This
low-maintenance species may have value for erosion control [24,37,39]
and dune stabilization [25].  Skunkbush sumac has been used for roadside
plantings in disturbed areas [42].

Var. trilobata has been successfully transplanted onto phosphate mine
spoils in Idaho [29].  'Bighorn,' a cultivar from Wyoming, has been
widely planted on pinyon-juniper sites and is reported to have good
rehabilitation potential for many parts of the Southwest [17].
Skunkbush sumac has been successfully transplanted in aspen (Populus
tremuloides)- maple (Acer spp.), pinyon-juniper, and mountain-brush
zones [28,34,35].

Skunkbush sumac can be readily propagated from root cuttings and
transplanted onto disturbed sites [6].  Properly treated seed can be
planted in the fall without stratification or in the spring if the seed
is treated and then stratified before planting [39].  However, fall and
winter plantings produce the best results [42].  The presence of seeded
grasses has reduced the survival of skunkbush sumac at some sites [14].
Smooth sumac exhibits a moderate growth rate [34] and generally takes 10
to 20 years to reach maturity [27].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Skunkbush sumac, first cultivated in 1877, has been used as an
ornamental and for windbreaks and shelterbelts [6,17].  It has been
widely planted at recreation sites and rest areas [17].  Skunkbush sumac
is relatively unpalatable and has been planted in some locations as a
deterrent to grazing animals [42].

Native Americans valued the skunkbush sumac and made use of the fruit,
twigs, leaves, and shoots.  The fruits were used in foods and medicines,
and in the preparation of lemonadelike beverages [40].  Pliable young
stems were woven into durable baskets, and the leaves were smoked by the
Comanches [1].  Skunkbush sumac was also used in making dyes for
clothing [1].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
The morphologically and ecologically diverse skunkbush sumac exhibits
variable responses to grazing.  It is generally reported to be tolerant
of heavy grazing [27,42].  Mueggler and Stewart [31] reported that in
Montana, continued livestock overgrazing can cause skunkbush sumac to
increase, while winter overuse by big game often causes it to decrease.

Although skunkbush sumac is generally tolerant of drought,
water-stressed seedlings may be stunted for several years and sometimes
fail to recover [27].  Seedlings are intolerant of crowding, even under
optimal conditions, and competition with other species can be
detrimental to the growth of young seedlings [27].

Related categories for Species: Rhus trilobata | Skunkbush Sumac