Animal community

Livestock Interpretations:
This site is suited for livestock grazing. Grazing managment should be keyed to basin wildrye production. The early growth and abundant production of basin wildrye make it a valuable source of forage for livestock. It is important forage for cattle and is readily grazed by cattle and horses in early spring and fall. Though coarse-textured during the winter, basin wildrye may be utilized more frequently by livestock and wildlife when snow has covered low shrubs and other grasses. Alkali sacaton is a valuable forage species in arid and semiarid regions. Plants are tolerant to moderate grazing and can produce abundant herbage utilized by livestock. Livestock browse the leaves of Torrey’s quailbush. Black greasewood is an important winter browse plant for domestic sheep and cattle. It also receives light to moderate use by domestic sheep and cattle during spring and summer months. Black greasewood contains soluble sodium and potassium oxalates that may cause poisoning and death in domestic sheep and cattle if large amounts are consumed in a short time. Basin big sagebrush may serve as emergency food during severe winter weather, but it is not usually sought out by livestock. Fourwing saltbush is one of the most palatable shrubs in the West. Its protein, fat, and carbohydrate levels are comparable to alfalfa. It provides nutritious forage for all classes of livestock. Palatability is rated as good for domestic sheep and domestic goats; fair for cattle; fair to good for horses in winter, poor for horses in other seasons.

Stocking rates vary over time depending upon season of use, climate variations, site, and previous and current management goals. A safe starting stocking rate is an estimated stocking rate that is fine tuned by the client by adaptive management through the year and from year to year.

Wildlife Interpretations:
Basin wildrye provides winter forage for mule deer, though use is often low compared to other native grasses. Basin wildrye provides summer forage for black-tailed jackrabbits. Because basin wildrye remains green throughout early summer, it remains available for small mammal forage for longer time than other grasses. The western salt desert shrub and grassland communities where alkali sacaton is common support an abundance of mule deer, pronghorn, carnivores, small mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Leaves and seeds of Torrey’s quailbush are eaten by many species. Mule deer and pronghorn browse the leaves. Small mammals such as rabbits and rodents have been reported to eat Torrey’s quailbush. Dense stands of Torrey’s quailbush provide excellent cover for several species. Black greasewood is an important winter browse plant for big game animals and a food source for many other wildlife species. It also receives light to moderate use by mule deer and pronghorn during spring and summer months. Basin big sagebrush is the least palatable of all the subspecies of big sagebrush. Basin big sagebrush is browsed by mule deer from fall to early spring, but is not preferred. Sagebrush-grassland communities provide critical sage-grouse breeding and nesting habitats. Meadows surrounded by sagebrush may be used as feeding and strutting grounds. Sagebrush is a crucial component of their diet year-round, and sage-grouse select sagebrush almost exclusively for cover. Sage-grouse prefer mountain big sagebrush and Wyoming big sagebrush communities to basin big sagebrush communities.
Fourwing saltbush provides valuable habitat and year-round browse for wildlife. Fourwing saltbush also provides browse and shelter for small mammals. Additionally, the browse provides a source of water for black-tailed jackrabbits in arid environments. Granivorous birds consume the fruits. Wild ungulates, rodent and lagomorphs readily consume all aboveground portions of the plant. Palatability is rated good for deer, elk, pronghorn and bighorn sheep.

Hydrological functions

Runoff is very low to low. There are no rills or pedestals. Water flow patterns are rare to common. Moderately fine to fine surface textures result in limited infiltration rates. Concentrations of surface salts and sodium often result in chemical crusts which impede infiltration of precipitation. Water flow patterns are typically short, ending in depressional areas. Gullies are rare to common depending on landform. Where this site occurs on landforms not associated with ephemeral or perennial drainageways, gullies do not occur. Where this site occurs associated with drainageways, gullies are rare to common. Gullies and associated head cuts should be healing and stable. Deep-rooted, perennial grasses (i.e., basin wildrye & alkali sacaton] slow runoff and increase infiltration. Tall stature and relatively coarse foliage of basin wildrye and shrubs (with associated litter) break raindrop impact and provide opportunity for snow catch and moisture accumulation on site.

Recreational uses

Aesthetic value is derived from the diverse floral and faunal composition and the colorful flowering of wild flowers and shrubs during the spring and early summer. This site offers rewarding opportunities to photographers and for nature study. This site is used for camping and hiking and has potential for upland and big game hunting.

Other products

Basin wildrye was used as bedding for various Native American ceremonies, providing a cool place for dancers to stand. Tribes of the American southwest used Torrey’s quailbush seeds to make a thick gruel. They made flour to make small cakes, used the leaves as soap, and used the flowers, stems and leaves as a treatment for nasal congestion. The seeds were likely used in a similar way to fourwing saltbush. Seeds of fourwing saltbush were also reportedly ground into flour. Other uses for fourwing saltbrush that may have been similar for big saltbrush are the use of the ground meal as an emetic, use of ground flowers or roots moistened with saliva in treating ant bites, and addition of ashes to water for dyeing meal greenish-blue. The leaves, seeds and stems of black greasewood are edible. Some Native American peoples used the bark of big sagebrush to make rope and baskets. Fourwing saltbush is traditionally important to Native Americans. They ground the seeds for flour. The leaves, placed on coals, impart a salty flavor to corn and other roasted food. Top-growth produces a yellow dye. Young leaves and shoots were used to dye wool and other materials. The roots and flowers were ground to soothe insect bites.

Other information

Basin wildrye is useful in mine reclamation, fire rehabilitation and stabilizing disturbed areas. Its usefulness in range seeding, however, may be limited by initially weak stand establishment. Alkali sacaton is one of the most commonly used species for seeding and stabilizing disturbed lands. Due to alkali sacaton’s salt tolerance, is recommended for native grass seeding on subirrigated saline sites. Torrey’s quailbush is a recommended revegetation species in riparian areas throughout its range and has also been used in revegetation projects in other habitats. Black greasewood is useful for stabilizing soil on wind-blown areas. It successfully revegetates processed oil shale and is commonly found on eroded areas and sites too saline for most plant species. Basin big sagebrush shows high potential for range restoration and soil stabilization. Basin big sagebrush grows rapidly and spreads readily from seed. Fourwing saltbush is widely used in rangeland and riparian improvement and reclamation projects, including burned area recovery. It is probably the most widely used shrub for restoration of winter ranges and mined land reclamation.

Inventory data references

NASIS soil component data.

Type locality

Other references

Fire Effects Information System (Online; http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/).

USDA-NRCS Plants Database (Online; http://www.plants.usda.gov).

Contributors

DK/GD

Approval

Kendra Moseley, 6/03/2024

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