• WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE
• IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE
• PALATABILITY
• NUTRITIONAL VALUE
• COVER VALUE
• VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES
• OTHER USES AND VALUES
• MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE:

Narrowleaf cottonwood timber is strong, light weight, and resistant to impact and splitting [6], but susceptible to decay [51]. Historically, narrowleaf cottonwood was used for crates, boxes and pallets [6]. In Utah, fuelwood and fenceposts were common uses [51]. Narrowleaf cottonwood timber is also good for pulp [6,51].

IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE:

Riparian habitats are sites for many migratory and non-migratory wildlife species. Even where narrowleaf cottonwood communities do not directly benefit specific species, indirect benefits occur through maintenance of healthy streamside habitats. Narrowleaf cottonwood is an excellent bank stabilizing species [39,51], contributing to the development of stable riparian communities for use by wildlife. The clonal reproduction of established narrowleaf cottonwood stands leads to heterogeneous trunk size and spatial clumping, increasing habitat richness for wildlife [33]. Narrowleaf cottonwood and other Populus species community types in Colorado provide habitat for over 200 species of vertebrates [79].

Narrowleaf cottonwood provides good avian nesting and breeding habitat [75] for the greater pewee [15], sharp-shinned hawk [69], and bald eagle [85]. Narrowleaf cottonwood is a major food plant of beaver [57] and is most commonly harvested when greater than 1 inch (3 cm) d.b.h. [5].

PALATABILITY:

The palatability of narrowleaf cottonwood for livestock and wildlife species is rated as follows [21]:

Within streamside woodlands of Wyoming, narrowleaf cottonwood is relatively unpalatable to game and domestic livestock [8].

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

Nutritional value (mean %) of immature leaves of narrowleaf cottonwood is summarized below [64]:

	As feed	Dry
Dry matter	94.1	100.0
Ash	6.6	7.0
Crude fiber	13.1	13.9
Protein content	23.3	24.8
N-free extract	44.6	47.4
Ether extract	6.5	6.9
Digestible protein
Cattle	17.9	19.0
Domestic goats	18.5	19.7
Domestic sheep	18.9	20.1
Horses	17.5	18.6
Rabbits	16.8	17.8

COVER VALUE:

The degree to which narrowleaf cottonwood provides cover for wildlife species is rated as follows [21]:

	CO	UT	WY	MT
Pronghorn	----	fair	poor	----
Elk	fair	fair	fair	----
Mule deer	fair	good	good	fair
White-tailed deer	fair	----	good	poor
Small mammals	good	good	good	----
Upland game birds	poor	good	good	fair
Waterfowl	----	fair	poor	----
Small nongame birds	good	good	good	----

VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES:

OTHER USES AND VALUES:

No entry

MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:

Anthropogenic modification of riparian systems may adversely affect ecosystem health. Drastic declines in the reproductive ability of cottonwoods and other native species is common. Disturbances such as irrigation diversions, reservoirs, farming, and grazing have profoundly altered natural stream ecology [20].

Dams: Dams alter annual water table fluctuations [48,58] by reducing downstream flow, altering sediment transport, decreasing organic matter transport, and decreasing sediment deposition [11,20]. These modifications to river hydrology generally have negative impacts on downstream narrowleaf cottonwood communities [11,48,72,73].

Annual spring flooding is a controlling factor behind species composition and population dynamics of narrowleaf cottonwood communities [48,60]. Annual floods usually coincide with seed dissemination [58]. Damming generally reduces the number and quality of narrowleaf cottonwood regeneration sites [48].

Recent studies [54,72,74] have focused on dam-related decreases in summer water tables. Many dams do not alter spring discharge. Dams that have no effect on spring discharge rates may not affect the production of alluvial deposits for narrowleaf cottonwood regeneration. However, seedling establishment is generally adversely affected by exposing seedlings to artificial drought [72]. Summer water table levels are a critical component of narrowleaf cottonwood establishment [54]. In Alberta narrowleaf cottonwood abundance declined from 1951 to 1994. Ground surveys conducted over 9 years (1985-1994) recorded an absence of seedlings and saplings. Declines were drought induced, through insufficient flow rates during summer months together with the abrupt reductions following high spring flow rates [74]. Narrowleaf cottonwood seedlings are not tolerant of abrupt declines in water table levels. Slow daily declines of 1.6 inches per day (4.0 cm/day) in water table levels over a 28-day period were found to stimulate root growth without causing profound decreases in shoot height. Larger declines of 4 inches per day  (10 cm/day) drastically slowed shoot height [54]. See "Other Management Considerations" within the "Management Considerations, Value and Use" section of black cottonwood for further information on the effects of watercourse damming and stream diversion on narrowleaf and other cottonwoods.

Grazing: Damage from livestock grazing (defoliation, soil compaction, or floodplain water table subsidence due to channel widening or downcutting) has decreased cottonwood (Populus spp.) populations [17]. Grazing disturbance may initiate stable communities of invasive species such as Kentucky bluegrass, smooth brome (Bromus inermis), dandelion, and white clover [44].

Related categories for SPECIES: Populus angustifolia | Narrowleaf Cottonwood