Actinorhizal Plants in Rangelands of the Western United States

Abstract

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Journal of Range Management, Volume 56, Number 2 (March 2003)

“…Key Words: acid scarification, stratification, ecotypic variability, Cercocarpus montanus Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus Rat) occupies sites that are dry, unstable, erosive, and of low fertility (Brotherson 1992), and is actinorhizal, forming a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with Frankia bacteria (Paschke 1997). These characteristics make it an excellent shrub species for reclamation in the western United States.…”

Biology and establishment of mountain shrubs on mining disturbances in the Rocky Mountains, USA

“…Related species include C. ledifolius (curlleaf mountain mahogany) and C. betuloides (birchleaf mountain mahogany). Mountain mahogany and its related species are extremely valuable winter browse for elk, deer, and bighorn sheep throughout the western United States (reviewed by Paschke, 1997). Like bitterbrush, mountain mahogany is actinorhizal and thus capable of forming a dinitrogen-fixing symbiosis with Frankia bacteria in perennial root nodules.…”

“…It is actinorhizal, which means that it is capable of forming a dinitrogen-fixing symbiosis with Frankia bacteria in root nodules. Bitterbrush and mountain mahogany in the western United States form some of the most extensive stands of actinorhizal plants in the world, with bitterbrush alone occupying some 136 million ha in 11 states (Hormay, 1943;Paschke, 1997). Antelope bitterbrush is a key browse species throughout its range.…”

“…Nord (1965) also reported that antelope bitterbrush was rarely found on saline soils that were mildly alkaline or calcareous within 0Á9 to 1Á2 m of the surface. Bitterbrush's ability to form a dinitrogen-fixing symbiosis with Frankia allows it to grow on nutrient-poor substrates (Paschke, 1997), and it often grows as a pioneer species on volcanic deposits (Nord, 1965).…”

Ecology Of Actinorhizal Plants

“…crispa produces phenolic pinosylvin methyl ether to discourage browsing by voracious arctic hares (Bryant et al, 1983). Similarly, the wide-ranging actinorhizal shrub, P. tridentata (bitterbrush), which is the most important browse species for wildlife and livestock in the intermountain west of North America, has populations with varying phenolic contents, particularly in response to browsing (Paschke, 1997). Alder root tissue is also high in phenolics, and alders have been observed to decrease the incidence of fungal root pathogens in associated Douglas fir (Li et al, 1970;1972).…”