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: Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens | Red Elderberry
 

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: Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens | Red Elderberry
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : NO-ENTRY IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : Many wildlife species use elderberries for food [61,89,91]. Elderberries provide valuable nesting and perching habitat, and their fruit provides food for many species of birds including bluebirds, magpies, woodpeckers, grosbeaks, veeries, warbling vireo, red-eyed vireo, scarlet tanager, western tanager, house finch, green-tailed towhee, Townsend solitaire, American crow, grouse, quail, pheasant, and hummingbirds who visit flowers for nectar [19,34,38,61,99,112]. Elderberries also provide food for mammals such as rabbits, squirrels, foxes, woodchucks, chipmunks, ground squirrels, woodrats, and mice [61]. One study showed that bird use of S. racemosa ssp. pubens is primarily determined by fruit crop size of individual shrubs, and use increases with larger crop size [19]. Use may vary by variety. Elk in Idaho prefer var. melanocarpa and utilize it from June through September, usually stripping all of its leaves. Heaviest utilization is in the fall [120]. It is considered an "ice cream" plant rather than a "key" species because it does not occur in sufficient abundance to be part of the carrying capacity of the range [29,120]. An Arizona study found that Kaibab mule deer use var. melanocarpa, but it is not a major part of their diet [44]. In northwestern Montana, grizzly bears use berry-producing shrubs, including S. racemosa ssp. pubens var. melanocarpa, for summer food, but it is not generally considered a key bear food [121]. When fed to captive mule deer in Utah, var. microbotrys was used only in late June and August and was considerably less important as browse than S. cerulea [93]. It is, however, sometimes extensively browsed during the summer [17]. Sheep in Utah use 80 to 90 percent of the leaves in late August and early September, while cattle use 40 to 70 percent of the leaves plus some stem tissue. During the winter porcupines and mice eat the buds and bark [12]. In the Lake States var. leucocarpa is usually heavily browsed by deer and moose [3,112]. PALATABILITY : The degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife species for Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens in several western states is rated as follows [20,93,101]: ID UT WY CA Cattle mod-good good ---- fair Sheep mod-good good ---- fair-good Horses ---- fair ---- fair Goats ---- ---- ---- good Pronghorn ---- poor poor ---- Elk good poor fair ---- Mule deer ---- fair good ---- White-tailed deer ---- ---- good ---- ID UT WY CA Deer very poor ---- ---- excel-good Small mammals ---- good good ---- Small nongame birds ---- good good ---- Upland game birds ---- good good ---- Waterfowl ---- poor poor ---- Black bear mod-poor ---- ---- ---- The palatability of S. racemosa ssp. pubens appears to vary by variety. Var. melanocarpa is one of the most palatable browse species for elk in Idaho and Montana [29,120]. During the summer palatability varies by area for livestock. It can be fair to very good for sheep and poor for cattle in one area, and worthless in other areas. After frost the palatability is excellent for goats, good to excellent for sheep, and fairly good to good for cattle [17]. In California the palatability of var. callicarpa is rated as good to fair for sheep, goats, and deer; fair to poor for cattle; and poor for horses [93]. In the fall it is good for sheep and fairly good for cattle [17]. Var. microbotrys is most palatable in the late summer and fall [3]. Var. leucocarpa is not palatable until July and then increases in palatability until, by September, it is excellent for sheep and fairly good for cattle in Washington [5]. A Wisconsin study found that fruit sugar content varies between bushes, and birds prefer higher sugar content [7]. NUTRITIONAL VALUE : The energy value of S. racemosa ssp. pubens is rated as fair and its protein value is rated as poor [20]. The fruit is high in ascorbic acid [89]. COVER VALUE : The degree to which Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens provides environmental protection during one or more seasons for wildlife species is as follows [20]: UT WY Pronghorn poor poor Elk poor fair Mule deer fair good White-tailed deer ---- good Small mammals good good Small nongame birds good good Upland game birds good good Waterfowl poor poor VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : S. racemosa ssp. pubens can be useful in stabilizing soil and controlling erosion on moist sites [80,118]. Its growth on moderate and gentle slopes is good, and its growth on steep slopes is fair. In Utah its potential biomass production, erosion control, and long-term revegetation potential is rated as medium. Its establishment requirements are low, but it has poor short-term revegetation potential [20]. Nursery seedlings and container grown stock of var. microbotrys are recommended for planting on disturbed riparian areas in the aspen and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) zones of the western United States. It establishes slowly, but grows well on moist sites, occasional seeps, and streambanks [80]. Best establishment of S. racemosa ssp. pubens in Utah has been obtained by direct seeding [82], but establishment can be erratic [83]. This plant can be propagated by cuttings, either using hardwood cuttings started in the winter or softwood cuttings during the spring or summer [21,89,118]. Cuttings of rhizomes with stems can also be transplanted [12]. S. racemosa ssp. pubens is adapted for use in the forested, northern desert shrub, pinyon-juniper (Pinus edulis-Juniperus spp.), and mountain brush zones of Nevada [100]. Var. microbotrys is useful in the Southwest for rehabilitation in the subalpine zone, in aspen communities, and in mountain brush communities. Its rankings for characteristics that are useful on disturbed areas are as follows [81]: Establishment by seed Medium Establishment by transplants Medium Seed production and handling Very Good Natural spread by seed Poor Natural vegetative spread Very Good Growth rate Very good Soil stability Very good Adaptation to disturbance Medium OTHER USES AND VALUES : Elderberries are good ornamentals and their colorful fruit attracts birds [49,89]. Var. microbotrys may become a sprawling shrub with a longer growing season and plenty of water [49]. The fruit of var. melanocarpa was dried by the Indians and may be used for jelly or wine. Fruit of the other varieties, however, is not palatable to humans and may be slightly poisonous, although it is harmless when cooked [49,51]. S. racemosa ssp. pubens contains a cyanogenetic glycoside and an alkaloid that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal pain [51,103]. The berries contain very little of these substances, the stems contain moderate amounts, and the roots contain enough to cause death to hogs. Medical uses have been made of all parts [89]. Dyes can be made from the bark, fruit, and stems, and an insecticide from the dried leaves [84,89]. The name Sambucus is derived from the Greek sambuca which was a stringed instrument supposed to have been made from elder wood. The hollow stems have been fashioned into flutes and blowguns. The wood is hard and has been used for combs, spindles, and pegs [70]. MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : Browsing: In the Lake States S. racemosa ssp. pubens responds somewhat erratically to heavy clipping, but can withstand moderate use [3]. In a Utah study of var. microbotrys, severe clipping in the fall did not cause significant changes in either the number or length of rhizome stems, or in the weight of stems and leaves [12]. Competition: In moist forests of the Pacific Northwest S. racemosa ssp. pubens is a component of the seral shrub field complex that can inhibit tree regeneration following fire, although it is rarely a primary competitor [16,22,35,71,92]. On dry sites in Utah conifer regeneration is limited to shrub communities, including S. racemosa ssp. pubens, that form a fringe around Engelman spruce-subalpine fir (Picea engelmanni -Abies lasiocarpa) associations [23]. S. racemosa ssp. pubens may have some allelopathic potential. A laboratory study in western Washington found that leaf and litter extracts inhibited germination and growth of three other species, including Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), although there was little interference in the field [18]. A second study in Utah using leaf and stem extracts of var. microbotrys found weak inhibition of grass amd forb germination in the laboratory, but the tests indicated that the inhibition was not strong enough to be effective in the field [64]. Herbicide treatment: Several herbicides are effective against S. racemosa ssp. pubens including 2,4,-D, Roundup, Garlon 4, Tordon, and Picloram [11,65].

Related categories for Species: Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens | Red Elderberry

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.