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Wildlife, Animals, and Plants
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Introductory
SPECIES: Spiraea betulifolia | White Spirea
ABBREVIATION :
SPIBET
SYNONYMS :
Spiraea lucida (Dougl. ex Greene)
SCS PLANT CODE :
SPBE2
COMMON NAMES :
white spirea
spirea
shiny-leaf spirea
birchleaf spirea
white meadowsweet
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name of white spirea is Spiraea
betulifolia Pall. Two varieties, distinguished by floral
characteristics, are [19,23]:
S. betulifolia var. betulifolia
S. betulifolia var. lucida (Dougl.) Hitchc.
LIFE FORM :
Shrub
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
COMPILED BY AND DATE :
R. J. Habeck, November 1991
LAST REVISED BY AND DATE :
NO-ENTRY
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Habeck, R. J. 1991. Spiraea betulifolia. In: Remainder of Citation
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Spiraea betulifolia | White Spirea
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
White spirea is generally confined to the middle elevation foothills
and montane zones of the Intermountain West [19,23,32,40]. In the
western United States, this species ranges from southern Idaho, north
through eastern Oregon and Washington, and east to north-central
Wyoming. White spirea also occurs in western Montana and in the Black
Hills of South Dakota [14,15,19,23,32,40]. In Canada, white spirea
occurs in southern British Columbia, southern Saskatchewan, and eastern
Alberta [14,19].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES23 Fir - spruce
FRES26 Lodgepole pine
FRES29 Sagebrush
FRES36 Mountain grasslands
STATES :
ID MT OR SD WA WY AB BC SK
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS :
BIHO GLAC GRTE MORA MORU NOCA
OLYM YELL
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
5 Columbia Plateau
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
15 Black Hills Uplift
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K008 Lodgepole pine - subalpine forest
K011 Western ponderosa forest
K012 Douglas-fir forest
K015 Western spruce - fir forest
K055 Sagebrush steppe
K063 Foothills prairie
SAF COVER TYPES :
206 Engelmann spruce
210 Interior Douglas-fir
213 Grand fir
218 Lodgepole pine
237 Interior ponderosa pine
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
White spirea is a dominant shrub species occurring mostly in
forested communities of low to moderate precipitation. Habitat types
that include white spirea as an indicator species are the Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), grand fir
(A. grandis), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), and lodgepole pine
(P. contorta) climax series [7,20,27,30,36]. White spirea is also found
in many moist community types and plant associations [3,10,11].
Publications listing white spirea as an indicator or dominant species in
habitat types (hts), community types (cts), or plant associations (pas)
are listed below:
Area Classification Authority
MT forest hts Pfister & others 1977
n ID forest hts Cooper & others 1991
c ID forest hts Steele & others 1981
n WY forest hts Hoffman & Alexander 1976
w WY forest hts Steele & others 1981
s ID, w WY forest cts Mueggler & Campbell 1982
e ID, w WY forest cts Steele & others 1983
VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Spiraea betulifolia | White Spirea
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
White spirea is not an important shrub species to livestock or
wildlife. The leaves of white spirea persist on the plant longer than
those of other deciduous shrub species, which may account for its
moderate food value during autumn [40]. The low food value is sometimes
demonstrated by the substantial presence of white spirea on overgrazed
ranges, especially in areas where cattle concentrate [40]. White
spirea can grow in colonies, but not to the extent where it can be
adequately utilized by livestock or wildlife for cover.
PALATABILITY :
White spirea's palatability rating is poor to fair for domesticated
range animals. Mule deer and elk also find white spirea relatively
unpalatable [35]. The species' low palatability may result from the
presence of a volatile oil containing bitter salicylic aldehyde [40].
The relish and degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife species for
white spirea in Montana is rated as follows [12]:
Montana * Information for other states
not available.
Cattle poor
Sheep fair
Horses poor
Antelope fair
Elk poor
Mule deer fair
White-tailed deer fair
Small mammals poor
Small nongame birds poor
Upland game birds poor
Waterfowl poor
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
White spirea can serve as summer forage for livestock [39]. Most
studies, however, conclude that white spirea is a poor forage species,
and is generally not used by livestock or wildlife [12,19,29,35,40].
COVER VALUE :
White spirea is rated poor for cover value. Because it only achieves
a height from 1 to 3 feet (60 - 90 cm), the cover value for
wildlife is virtually non-existent [18]. The degree to which
white spirea provides environmental protection during one or more
seasons for wildlife species is as follows [12]:
Montana * Information for other states
not available.
Elk poor
Mule deer poor
White-tailed deer poor
Small mammals poor
Small non-game birds poor
Upland game birds poor
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
White spirea is generally not used for rehabilitation of disturbed
sites. White spirea was used, however, along with other native shrubs,
to revegetate road cuts in northwestern Montana [21]. It was found to
have a 57 percent survival rate 4 years after planting and a composite
rating of 33 percent when measured for growth, vigor, natural spread,
and soil stabilization [21]. It was rated as 'medium' for soil erosion
reduction potential due to its moderately aggressive growth [18]. In
its first 3 years, however, white spirea was also found to show slow
growth, and only fair rates of growth, cover reproduction, and
maintenance thereafter [7,9,21].
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
NO-ENTRY
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
White spirea is generally not selectively managed for cover, forage, or
other uses. It has been found to have a high vegetative response to
many types of disturbances from logging to wildfires [35,42]. White
spirea generally regenerates quickly, and thus provides soil
stabilization after disturbance [21]. Since white spirea is not highly
selected by wildlife as forage, it would be a good species to introduce
into disturbed sites.
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Spiraea betulifolia | White Spirea
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
White spirea is a native, moderately shade-tolerant, deciduous,
rhizomatous shrub, with root development well into the soil profile
[2,9,14,19,35,37]. White spirea has cinnamon-brown scaly bark on its
erect stems, which are 1 to 3 feet (30-90 cm) tall [40]. The small
flowers are gathered in nearly flat-topped clusters about 1.5 inches (4
cm) across. The flowers turn brown soon after fertilization and give
way to small, dry, podlike fruits [32].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Undisturbed State: Cryptophyte (geophyte)
Undisturbed State: Phanerophyte (nanophanerophyte)
Burned or Clipped State: Cryptophyte (geophyte)
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
White spirea is rhizomatous and usually grows in extensive colonies
[2,14,19,35]. Mechanical or natural disturbances rarely destroy the
white spirea root system, which usually will resprout within the next
growing season.
White spirea stems often show signs of woody swellings due to the
fusion of adjacent segments. Incipient perennating buds are well
distributed along the entire length of the rhizome [2]. Any section of
the rhizome is probably capable of generating new stems if it is large
enough to provide the carbohydrates necessary for sprouting. White
spirea also appears capable of some layering from aerial stems.
Bradley [2] found a high proportion of white spirea perennating tissues
residing in the mineral soil at an average depth of 4.4 inches (11.2
cm).
White spirea produces small seeds that are occasionally dispersed via
small birds, rodents, and strong winds. Overall seed production and
dispersal is low. A soil seed-bank sampling study found white spirea
to be the least represented shrub species [25]. Seedlings of white
spirea are rarely found [35].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
White spirea is common on brushy or open slopes, as well as in forests
from the foothills through the montane zone. It is often abundant in
low-elevation (1,000 to 4,000 feet [305-1,219 m]) dry forests, but can
also be found in some high-elevation (10,000 feet [3,048 m]) wet forests
[19,23,32]. White spirea grows well on dry, rocky sites because of its
rhizomatous nature [15,32]. Soil moisture does not play a major role in
the distribution and phenology of white spirea [14]. White spirea
occupies forest habitat types associated with parent material ranging
from limestone to quartz [6,28]. Aspect had a major influence on the
survival of transplanted white spirea in northwestern Montana [21].
Survival was significantly lower on western aspects than on either
southern or eastern aspects.
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
White spirea appears to be a satisfactory indicator plant for varying
climatic conditions [14]. Descriptions of northern and central Idaho
habitat types indicate that white spirea increased in importance as an
indicator species in the slightly drier and warmer conditions found in
ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir habitat types.
White spirea's canopy cover declines gradually beneath a tree
overstory, making it an indicator of late-seral to climax conditions.
In drier portions of Douglas-fir/ninebark (Physocarpus malvaceus)
habitat communities, which often border Douglas-fir/white spirea types,
white spirea may persist as a climax component of the shrub layer. In
much of the Douglas-fir/ninebark habitat type, however, white spirea
gradually gives way to ninebark, making it a late seral indicator [35].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Seasonal development of white spirea is closely related to temperature
[14]. In eastern Washington, white spirea developed up to 2 months
later at higher elevations than at lower elevations [14]. Bud break
generally occurs in April, and first bloom occurs anywhere from May to
July. Phenological development was drastically retarded for
transplanted white spirea (first bloom and seed production) in eastern
Washington [14]. Seasonal progression of white spirea phenology does
not relate well to calendar dates or photoperiodic tables, due to the
temperature differences between elevational sites.
Approximate timing of phenological events for white spirea at different
elevations on the Entiat Experimental Forest, eastern Washington, from
1972 to 1973 were as follows [14]:
Phenological Phase Elevation
590 m 1105 m 1635 m
(1,935 ft) (3,624 ft) (5,363 ft)
Bud Break late March early April late April
4-6 leaf development early April mid-April early May
Floral initiation early May mid-May May-June
First bloom May-June mid-June July
Peak bloom mid-June early July July
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Spiraea betulifolia | White Spirea
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
White spirea is highly resistant to fire-kill. It resprouts from
surviving root crowns, and from rhizomes positioned 2 to 5 inches (5-13
cm) below the soil surface [8].
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
survivor species; on-site surviving root crown or caudex
survivor species; on-site surviving rhizomes
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Spiraea betulifolia | White Spirea
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
White spirea is almost always top-killed following fires of moderate to
high intensity. The rhizomes are seldom consumed in similar fire
conditions [2,8,9,35].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
White spirea demonstrates high survival capabilities following
holocaustic wildfires [38]. It is a rhizomatous shrub that not only
survives burning, but can often flower the year immediately following
the burn [9,35]. Geier-Hayes [17] found white spirea to increase in
cover and frequency following disturbance by fire. In fact, white
spirea was found to increase in canopy cover 3 to 5 years after a burn
[26]. On lightly burned sites, white spirea showed no significant (5%)
levels of nutrient accumulations [33].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
White spirea relies on sprouting for postfire regeneration [25].
Resprouting from surviving rhizomes ensures abundant regrowth after
fires, if conditions are suitable [25]. Bushey [4], however, found that
white spirea decreased noticeably in postburn transects. Soil
morphology and depth to rhizomes are important components for estimating
potential fire survival [2].
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
White spirea has generally not been the primary target of fire
management objectives. Because white spirea has a substantial portion
of its rhizomes in mineral soil, it has been ranked in the highest
fire-survival category [2]. Therefore, white spirea can be relied on
as a dependable fire-survivor species.
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Spiraea betulifolia | White Spirea
REFERENCES :
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Index
Related categories for Species: Spiraea betulifolia
| White Spirea
|
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