Bitterbrush ecology - some recent findings

Abstract

Bitterbrush (Purshia ssp. ) is an important element of range grazing capacity in the West . This browse shrub provides premium forage on many important winter-deer ranges and is a valuable part of the diet of many animals. But the shrubs have been destroyed or damaged over large areas by fire, heavy grazing by livestock and game, insect defoliation, girdling by mice , adverse weather conditions, and possibly other unknown factors. Natural reproduction is not enough in many places to sustain existing stands. Methods must be developed to maintain or improve the stands

Citation

Nord, Eamor C. 1959. Bitterbrush ecology - some recent findings. Res. Note PSW-RN-148. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 8 p