Wildland shrubs - their biology and utilization

Abstract

Why Is a Shrub Symposium Needed? The answer to this question is obvious in view of the great volume of research that has been done with grasses and forbs while, in contrast, there has been considerably less research and development of shrubs. Yet, shrubs offer tremendous potentials for man's benefit in making the arid and semi - arid lands of the world more productive and useful. In light of the great range of adaptation possessed by shrubs as a group, it is quite amazing that they have escaped intensive study to the same degree as other plant groups. Shrubs range from some of the highest mountain elevations to the lowest. They extend from the foothills out into the drier desert areas where most grasses fail to accompany them. Only the ephemeral opportunistic annual grasses and forbs are the associated species for many shrub communities in desert and saline areas. Even under such conditions, shrubs offer certain advantages because of their productivity, palatability, nutritional qualities, value as wildlife habitat, cover for the soil, and general role in ecosystem functioning. Therefore, a Symposium focusing on the use and biology of shrubs is a vital necessity to discuss what is known and determine what is not known and to suggest plans for work that will bring greater benefits to mankind by using and understanding the potentials that exist in shrub communities worldwide.

Citation

McKell, Cyrus; Blaisdell, James P.; Goodin, Joe R., tech. eds. 1972. Wildland shrubs - their biology and utilization. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-1. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 494 p.