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Down woody debris microsites for growing black huckleberry shrubs
Technical bulletin (Washington State University. Extension), 98E, Washington State University Extension
03/2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006461
Abstract
Black huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum) is a shrub in the heather family (Ericaceae) that is ecologically, economically, and culturally important in the Pacific and Inland Northwest. Despite its abundance in many forest environments, black huckleberry requires very specific habitat conditions to successfully establish, grow, and produce berries. Ideal black huckleberry habitat includes a partial canopy (~40% shade) of mature conifers like Douglas-fir or mountain hemlock, often at elevations above approximately 3,000 ft. Because of these specific growing conditions and other factors, black huckleberry has not been commercially cultivated so usually has to be accessed by picking from naturally established shrub fields. As previously burned areas fill in with trees, with fewer new burned areas due to fire suppression efforts and curtailment of Native burning, black huckleberry habitat has declined from the mid-twentieth century forward, putting huckleberry restoration at the forefront of today’s conservation efforts. Our study identified down woody debris (DWD) as a tool to facilitate favorable black huckleberry growing conditions in the absence of one or more of their habitat requirements. This structure occurs naturally in forest environments but can also be supplemented through logging or tree-felling operations, especially with “cull” logs that will not be used for forest products. Recent research has shown that DWD on the forest floor creates small areas of more favorable growing conditions for seedling establishment, known as microsites, compared to surrounding environments.
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Details
- Title
- Down woody debris microsites for growing black huckleberry shrubs
- Creators
- Margaret I. Magee (Author) - Washington State UniversityMark Swanson (Author) - Washington State University, Environment, School of the (CAHNRS)
- Academic Unit
- Publications, WSU Extension
- Series
- Technical bulletin (Washington State University. Extension); 98E
- Publisher
- Washington State University Extension; Pullman, Washington
- Number of pages
- 4
- Grant note
- This research was funded by the Emerging Research Issues in Agriculture program within the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) at Washington State University (#PG00019576).
- Identifiers
- 99901107440301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Book