VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Salix arbusculoides | Littletree Willow 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Littletree willow is one of many willows that produces the "diamond
willow" pattern on their trunks.  These willows are carved into canes,
lamp posts, furniture, and candle holders [36].  However, the small size
of littletree willow makes it unsuitable for timber harvest [36].  Carey
and Gill rated Salix spp. value for firewood as fair [7].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Littletree willow is an important browse species for moose, deer,
caribou, snowshoe hares, beavers, small mammals, and some birds
[15,16,28,29,31,42].  In young, seral communities in Alaska, moose in
the winter feed primarily on willow shoots, quaking aspen (Populus
tremuloides), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), and balsam poplar
(Populus balsamifera) [28].  Of these plants, willow is considered the
most preferred by moose, and littletree willow the most preferred willow
[28,29].  In one study willows accounted for 94 percent of the biomass
consumed by radio-collared moose during observed foraging periods, with
littletree willow comprising 14 percent of total biomass consumed [32].
Snowshoe hares also utilize Salix spp. a great deal in interior Alaska,
occasionally showing a preference for littletree willow [31].
 


PALATABILITY : 
Littletree willow is highly palatable to moose [29].  On fertile sites,
littletree willow has a high nutrient content which can contribute to
the palatability level [29].  Littletree willow is comparatively
unpalatable to showshoe hares when other species are available [6].
Willow palatability increases as the season progresses [29].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Littletree willow is rated as fair in energy value and fair in protein
value [28].  Protein content for littletree willow at the Kenai
Peninsula study areas during the winter was 4.2 percent [28].

Nutrient composition of littletree willow consumed by moose in the
winter in Denali National Park, Alaska, was as follows [32]:

gross energy: 5.03 kcal/g
% in vitro digestible organic matter: 40.9
% of dry matter crude protein: 6.8
lignin: 15.4 
ash: 1.5
ether extract: 8.4



COVER VALUE : 
Littletree willow characteristically produces dense thickets along
streams and rivers, which provide cover and protection for many avifauna
and mammals.  These thickets also provide shade for fish in streams and
ponds [1,36].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Littletree willow is useful in stabilizing streambanks and providing
erosion control on severely disturbed sites [15].  Littletree willow
successfully colonized local seismic lines in the Northwest Territories
and borrow pits in continental tundra regions of northwestern Canada
[19,20].  Littletree willow was found to be a poor colonizer of crude
oil spills; plant recovery and establishment was extremely slow on these
spills [18].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Native Americans used the flexible willow stems for baskets, arrow
shafts, scoops, and fish traps.  Willows also provided medicine for a
variety of ailments such as diarrhea, indigestion, cuts, and worms [21].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Littletree willow is an important browse source for moose in Alaska.
When assessing moose range conditions only the amount of browsing
sustained by the highly and moderately preferred willow species, such as
littletree willow, should be considered.  Where these species are
overutilized, certain nonpreferred species will scarcely be touched by
moose [29].
 

Related categories for Species: Salix arbusculoides | Littletree Willow