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: Vaccinium arboreum | Tree Sparkleberry
 

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: Vaccinium arboreum | Tree Sparkleberry
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : The wood of tree sparkleberry is brown to reddish-brown, fine-grained, tough and hard [38,48,52]. Wood weighs an average of 48 pounds per cubic foot (112 kg/cu m) [48]. It was formerly used to make various tool handles and craft items [48,52]. IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : Browse: White-tailed deer browse tree sparkleberry in many areas [15,21]. It is considered an important summer deer food in parts of Georgia [15]. Many species of hares and rabbits also feed on the leaves and twigs of species within this genus [45]. Fruit and flowers: A wide variety of birds and mammals readily feed on the fruit of tree sparkleberry [38,48]. Fruits and flowers provide spring and summer food for the bobwhite quail [15]. Black bear, chipmunks, and many species of birds, including the American robin, ruffed grouse, and tanagers, feed on the fruit of Vacciniums [45]. Flowers are attractive to various bees [44]. PALATABILITY : Tree sparkleberry browse is reportedly of "low to medium" palatability to white-tailed deer [21]. Berries are palatable to many species of birds and mammals. NUTRITIONAL VALUE : Nutrient content of tree sparkleberry browse varies by season and burn history of a particular site [20]. Food values are as follows [20]: Date burn nutrient content (%) at 15% moisture level sampled history %air dry protein fat fiber N-free ash phos- Ca (#burns weight extract phoric reported) acid spring none 26.4 9.75 3.93 25.46 40.47 5.39 0.23 0.39 spring 1 22.9 13.25 7.85 13.78 47.37 2.75 0.37 0.32 summer none 37.8 6.65 4.45 22.46 48.19 3.24 0.15 0.87 summer 1 32.0 7.50 4.13 17.01 53.52 2.84 0.18 0.52 summer 2 34.6 7.17 -- -- -- -- 0.17 - summer 3 22.9 11.13 -- -- -- -- 0.32 - fall none 41.0 6.64 4.66 21.27 48.43 4.00 0.12 1.11 fall 1 45.5 6.29 4.80 20.73 49.75 3.42 0.14 0.79 winter none 48.2 5.31 4.51 26.15 45.60 3.44 0.14 1.01 winter 1 42.9 6.63 4.07 22.19 47.94 4.16 0.20 0.91 winter 2 49.3 5.51 4.07 23.85 48.38 3.18 0.14 0.78 winter 3 44.2 6.35 2.96 21.88 50.44 3.38 0.15 0.61 COVER VALUE : Stephens [38] reported that most birds rarely nest in tree sparkleberry and typically seek out denser vegetation. However, Thackston and others [42] noted that shrubby thickets of tree sparkleberry form favored activity centers for transplanted ruffed grouse in northern Georgia. VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : NO-ENTRY OTHER USES AND VALUES : Tree sparkleberry bark was formerly used in tanning leathers [48]. Extracts obtained from roots were traditionally used to treat diarrhea [48]. Unlike the fruit of most Vacciniums, the berries of tree sparkleberry are inedible to humans [44]. Tree sparkleberry flowers abundantly and is "very ornamental" [44]. Flowers are a good source of nectar for foraging honey bees [44]. Tree sparkleberry may have potential value for developing commercial fruit-producing strains of blueberries [2]. Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) can be grafted onto the rootstock of tree sparkleberry. The resulting cultivars are well suited to droughty upland sites with soils with a relatively high pH [2]. MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : Fruit production: Fruit production is highly variable in tree sparkleberry. Yields are generally greater in older burned stands than in young open stands [15]. Plants in pine plantations may not bear fruit [15]. [See Fire Management Considerations]. Grazing: Tree sparkleberry apparently decreases in response to heavy livestock grazing. Cover by grazing intensity was as follows in an eastern Louisiana study [8]: light medium heavy grazed ungrazed grazed ungrazed grazed ungrazed control control control .15 .32 .13 .14 .01 .00 Chemical control: Tree sparkleberry is resistant to aerially applied herbicides [36]. Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) exhibit variable susceptibility to herbicides such as 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T, glyphosate, karbutilate, and picloram [51]. Drought resistance: Although reportedly resistant to drought [2], plants occasionally succumb during extreme dry periods [45].

Related categories for Species: Vaccinium arboreum | Tree Sparkleberry

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.