Animal community

Livestock Interpretations:
This site is suitable for livestock grazing. 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. Big galleta is considered a valuable forage plant for cattle and domestic sheep. Its coarse, rigid culms make it relatively resistant to heavy grazing and trampling. The fruit of honey mesquite is valuable forage for livestock. Numerous wild and domestic animals consume and disperse honey mesquite seed. The fruit of honey mesquite is valuable forage for livestock. Cattle, horses, domestic sheep and goats, eat large quantities of the ripe fruit during summer and fall. Livestock do not consume the foliage to any great extent. Foliage consumption is high only during drought years, especially in the early spring when other forage is sparse. Honey mesquite provides cover for large wildlife species and shade for livestock. Screwbean mesquite is eaten by livestock. In the West, willows are generally considered to be more palatable to sheep than to cattle, but cattle may make greater use of willow because they tend to frequent riparian areas.

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:
The fruit of honey mesquite is valuable forage for wildlife. Mules and burros eat large quantities of the ripe fruit during summer and fall. The fruit crop of honey mesquite is quite predictable, annually providing an abundant and nutritious food source for numerous wildlife species upon ripening in July and August. Honey mesquite seeds form an important part of the diet of mice, kangaroo rats, woodrats, chipmunks, ground squirrels, rock squirrels, cottontail, skunks, quail, doves, ravens, the black-tailed prairie dog, black-tailed jackrabbit, porcupine, raccoon, coyote, collared peccary, white-tailed deer, mule deer, wild turkey, and mallard. Many species of small rodents derive a large portion of their diet from mesquite seeds. Many species of quail eat mesquite buds and flowers in the spring and seeds during the fall and winter. Mesquite browse is generally not a very important wildlife food source. The sweet, nutritious seed pods of honey mesquite are highly palatable to all types of livestock and to numerous small and large wildlife species. For both livestock and wildlife, the palatability of leaves and twigs is relatively low. Screwbean mesquite is important as cover and food to wildlife. Willows provide food and cover for many wildlife species. Willows, in general, are a preferred food and building material of beaver. It is especially important for deer and nongame birds. Willow is moderately to highly palatable for mule deer and elk, and is an important browse during winter. Ducks, grouse, other birds, and small mammals eat willow shoots, catkins, buds, and leaves. 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.

Hydrological functions

Runoff is low to high. Permeability is impermeable to moderate.

Wood products

Honey mesquite wood is used chiefly for firewood. The wood is easily sawed and split, is dry and heavy, ignites readily, and produces intense heat. It is often the only fuel wood available in regions where it grows. There has been an increased interest in using honey mesquite wood in manufacturing furniture, flooring, and handcrafts. Manufacturers like the wood because it is easy to work with and has unique grain patterns that make the finished products attractive. The wood of mesquites is hard, durable, and attractive. Due to the slender nature of the branches and often shrubby growth form screwbean mesquite is most typically used for fuel and fence. Custom woodworkers use mesquite wood, including that of screwbean mesquite, for making small pieces of furniture and specialty items.

Other products

Mesquites were probably the most important wild plant staple of indigenous Southwest Native Americans. The pods were a very reliable food source because fruiting occurred even during drought years. Pods were collected in large quantities and stored in granary baskets on the roofs of houses or sheds. The beans were ground into flour which was used to prepare cakes and breads, the main staple of the diet. Various refreshing drinks were made from the pods. An alcoholic drink was sometimes prepared by allowing the juices of the pods to ferment. Flowers were eaten raw or roasted, formed into balls, and stored in pottery vessels. Native Americans used the wood for fuel as well as for weapons, tools, and construction. The wood is also used locally for small items, such as tool handles and trinkets. Screwbean mesquite was a food source for many southwestern tribes. Screwbean mesquite was used by many southwestern tribes in a variety of other ways. The bark and roots had medicinal value and were used to treat wounds. The use of gum, bark, and blossoms as food, medicine, dyes, and in making pottery have been reported for other southwestern mesquites, but it is uncertain if screwbean mesquite was also used for these purposes. Native Americans used the leaves of willows to treat mosquito bites, bee stings and stomach aches and used to stems for implements such as baskets, arrow shafts, scoops and fish traps.

Other information

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. Big galleta's clumped growth form stabilizes blowing sand. Only recently has serious attention been given to harvesting mesquite on areas where it has increased. Harvesting honey mesquite could provide additional income to ranchers wishing to control mesquite on grazing lands. Due to its growth form, honey mesquite is difficult to harvest economically. A mobile mesquite harvester that can economically cut the plant near the base, chop the wood into chips, and deliver and dump the chips to a transport vehicle has been developed but has received limited use. Mesquites are widely used as ornamental shade trees throughout the Southwest because they need little or no watering and can survive on limited rainfall. Honey mesquite provides an excellent source of nectar for honey bees. Honey mesquite causes an allergic contact dermatitis in some humans. Willow is useful in stabilizing streambanks and providing erosion control on severely disturbed sites. It is valuable in revegetating disturbed riparian sites having high water tables and low elevations.

Type locality

Other references

Hereford, R., R.H. Webb and C. I. Longpre. 2004. Precipitation history of the Mojave Desert region, 1893-2001 (No. 117-03).

Kottek, M., Grieser, J., Beck, C., Rudolf, B., & Rubel, F. (2006). World map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated. Meteorologische Zeitschrift, 15(3), 259-263.

Salem, B. B. (1989). Arid zone forestry: a guide for field technicians (No. 20). Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Contributors

HA
Dustin Detweiler

Approval

Kendra Moseley, 2/18/2025

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