Thickspike Wildrye

thickspike wildrye
thick-spike whild-rye
wheatgrass
tufted wheatgrass

Thickspike wildrye is a native, perennial grass. It is loosely tufted and
sometimes forms short rhizomes. It grows from 15 to 30 inches (40-80
cm) tall. The culms are erect and the spike is slender and narrow
[6,10].

Thickspike wildrye occurs in northwestern North America from subarctic
Alaska east to the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories. It
also occurs in eastern Siberia [6,10].

More info for the terms: fire regime, top-kill

Thickspike wildrye occurs on sites that are rarely disturbed by fire. As
a perennial grass, it probably has the capacity to sprout after top-kill
by fire.

FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find FIRE REGIMES".

More info on this topic.

More info for the terms: geophyte, hemicryptophyte

Hemicryptophyte
Geophyte

Thickspike wildrye occurs on alluvial flats, riverbanks, sand and gravel
bars, and less commonly on hillsides with good drainage and abundant
moisture. It also occurs on coastal precipices, swales in willow
woodlands, roadsides, and gravel banks [8,10,13,15].

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This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

222 Black cottonwood - willow
235 Cottonwood - willow

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

FRES11 Spruce - fir
FRES23 Fir - spruce
FRES28 Western hardwoods

More info for the term: severity

Thickspike wildrye is probably top-killed by fire and may be killed by
severe fires. Specific data on the severity of fire needed to kill
wheatgrass are lacking.

This wheatgrass is presumably grazed by both livestock and wildlife.
Specific data are lacking in the literature.

More info for the term: habitat type

Thickspike wildrye is not used in habitat type classifications. It occurs
in riparian stands with willows (Salix alaxensis, S. pseudocordata),
prickly rose (Rosa acicularis), western river alder (Alnus incana),
highbush cranberry (Viburnum edule), raspberry (Rubus idaeus), northern
bedstraw (Galium boreale), alpine bluegrass (Poa alpina), common
fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), tilesius wormwood (Artemisia
tilesii), and rough bentgrass (Agrostis scabra) [7].

More info for the term: graminoid

Graminoid

In field trials to study the forage potential of native grasses, E.
macrourus was found to have high initial yields but experienced stand
deterioration and serious weed infestation by the third year [17].

Averaged first and second cut nutritional values for thickspike wildrye are as
follows [17]:

percent of dry weight
crude protein (N x 6.25) 16.8
phosphorus 0.215
potassium 1.78
calcium 0.39
in vitro dry matter digestibility 65.6

AK NT YT

As a colonizer of disturbed sites, thickspike wildrye probably increases after
fire disturbances. Specific data are lacking.

More info for the terms: graminoid, ground residual colonizer

Tussock graminoid
Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)

More info for the term: seed

Thickspike wildrye reproduces by seed, with seed set rates from 83 to 100
percent [8,9]. It is self-fertile [9].

Vegetative reproduction occurs through rhizomes [6].

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Obligate Initial Community Species

Thickspike wildrye appears to occur in early seral sites; it is
characteristic of disturbed sites [10,13].

Agropyron macrourum (Turcz.) Drobov.
A. sericuem Hitchc.
A. nomokonovii Pop.
Roegneria macroura (Turcz.) Nevskii
Triticum macroura Turcz.

The accepted scientific name of thickspike wildrye is Elymus macrourus
(Turcz.) Tsvel. [1]. There is some disagreement over this placement,
however, as is apparent from the number of synonyms. There are no
subspecies, varieties, or forms.

Thickspike wildrye forms hybrids with Siberian wildrye (E. sibiricus)
where they occur together. The sterile hybrid, xAgroelymus palmerensis
Lepage, has become increasingly abundant and is common along road
systems of south-central Alaska [8]. Thickspike wildrye also forms
hybrids with foxtail barley (Critesion jubatum); the resulting sterile
hybrid is named Elytesion pilosilemma (Mitchell & Hodgson) Barkw. & D.
R. Dewey [1,9]. Hybrids with meadow barley (Critesion brachyantherum),
named xAgrohordeum jordalii Melderis, also occur [6].

Thickspike wildrye can be used for revegetation of disturbed sites,
especially where it is desirable to establish native plants. It is
valuable on sites requiring erosion control. Its ablilty to establish
rapidly makes thickspike wildrye useful as a nurse grass for other, more
slowly growing native species [3].