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Thinleaf Huckleberry

Vaccinium membranaceum Dougl. ex Hook. Torr.

Broad-scale Impacts of Plant Response to Fire

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More info for the terms: adventitious, density, duff, fire exclusion, fire use, forest, litter, restoration, rhizome, seed, severity, shrubs, species richness, wildfire

Low to moderate severity fire:
Thinleaf huckleberry showed good vegetative response in lightly
burned areas of western larch/Douglas-fir forests in
western Montana. The same result was seen in moderate fires top-killing the
majority of shrubs and consuming up to half of the litter [141].


A comparison of postfire thinleaf huckleberry sprouts was made after spring
(May-June) and fall (September-October) fires at the University of Montana's
Lubrecht Experimental Forest. The number of stems present before burns was closely
related to the number of postfire stems. Spring burns produced a lower
mortality of adventitious buds on rhizomes than fall burns. Moist duff and soil
present during spring burns served as a heat shield. Spring burns causing
rhizome mortality occurred only in areas with duff and soil of low moisture content.
Results summarizing the average stem number/meter2 on 9 sites are presented below
[106]:


Spring Fires:
Before Fire (1973) 1974 (yr 1) 1975 (yr 2) 1973-1974 change in stem # (%) 1973-1975 change in stem # (%)
49.54 61.62 66.23 24.38 33.69
28.15 39.65 50.58 40.85 79.68
23.08 28.77 39.08 24.65 69.32
45.77 62.85 83.27 37.3 81.93
43.08 46.65 53.85 8.29 25.00
3.35 35.50 23.08 959.7 589.96
18.54 32.15 40.69 73.41 119.47
27.38 39.00 47.58 42.44 73.78
30.19 35.46 39.88 17.46 32.10


Fall Fires:
Before Fire (1973) 1974 1975 1973-1974 change in stem # (%) 1973-1975 change in stem # (%)
16.85 5.69 14.35 -66.23 -14.84
33.19 29.85 33.81 -10.06 1.87
18.73 37.54 46.62 100.43 148.91
34.65 38.08 47.35 9.90 36.65
97.96 92.96 117.54 -5.10 19.99
26.08 26.31 49.73 0.88 90.68
16.42 23.88 31.58 45.43 92.33
12.42 4.54 11.46 -63.45 -7.73
15.73 38.00 42.31 141.58 168.98


Moderate to high severity fire:
Doyle and others [43] evaluated plant species richness 17 years after the
July 17, 1974, Waterfalls Canyon Fire, in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Thinleaf huckleberry dominated (30-36% coverage) the understory of adjacent unburned areas
with greatly reduced coverage (approximately 7%) in moderately burned areas and
almost no coverage in severely burned areas. Thinleaf huckleberry populations
were greatly reduced the 1st growing season following a high intensity fire
in the Payette River drainage near, Lowman, Idaho [145].


Thinleaf huckleberry showed no postfire re-establishment through seed after the
Sundance fire of 1967, a severe burn in northern Idaho [151].


In general, thinleaf huckleberry is slow to recover from moderate to high
severity fire. After stand replacing fire in upland Douglas-fir/big
huckleberry sites in Pattee Canyon, west-central Montana, thinleaf huckleberry
showed "slow" recovery. In severely burned ravines, thinleaf huckleberry sprouted
from rhizomes at depths of 3.5 to 6 inches (9 to 15 cm). Before
effective fire exclusion began in the early 1900s, fire return intervals
in the area averaged 15.8 years [30]. 


Vegetation recovery for thinleaf huckleberry after an August wildfire in Sleeping
Child Creek, Bitterroot Valley, Montana was slow; density and crown volume
showed little recovery after 4 postfire years [97]:
Before burn 1 2 3 4
Plants/1,000 feet2 113 -- 2.2 18.4 28.3
Before burn 1 2 3 4


Crown volume feet3/1,000 feet2 96.9 -- 1.2 2.5 5.4


For further information on thinleaf huckleberry response to fire, see Fire Case Studies.
Hamilton's Research Papers
(Hamilton 2006a, Hamilton 2006b)
and the following Research Project Summaries also provide information on prescribed
fire use and postfire response of plant community species including thinleaf huckleberry:
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Common Names

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thinleaf huckleberry

big huckleberry

blue huckleberry
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Cover Value

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Thinleaf huckleberry provides hiding or resting cover for several wildlife species. Dense thickets provide good cover for many smaller birds and mammals. Cover value of thinleaf huckleberry has been rated as follows for Wyoming [87]:

Pronghorn poor Elk fair Mule deer fair White-tailed deer fair Small mammals good Small nongame birds good Upland game birds good Waterfowl poor
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bibliographic citation
Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Description

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Thinleaf huckleberry is a native, rhizomatous, frost-tolerant [20] shrub with stems ranging from 12 to 47 inches (30-120 cm) in height [64,74,106,162]. Leaves are alternate, elliptic to oblong [79], and small, ranging from 0.7 to 2.75 inches (1.8-7 cm) long [74,162]. Roots may penetrate to 39.4 inches (100 cm) of soil. Rhizomes are usually found within the 3.15 to 11.8 inch (8-30 cm) range of a soil profile [109]. Largent and others [91] observed a minor occurrence of mycorrhizal symbiosis.
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bibliographic citation
Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Distribution

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Thinleaf huckleberry is found in Alaska and British Columbia south through the Cascade and Olympic mountains to California and east to Ontario, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Minnesota [12,40,60,75,76,159,162]. Populations also occur in 3 counties of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the east side of Lake Superior [159]. The Plants database provides a distributional map of thinleaf huckleberry in the United States.
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bibliographic citation
Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Fire Ecology

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More info for the terms: fire regime, fire suppression, forest, habitat type, phase, seed, series, severity, shrubs, surface fire, top-kill

Foliage of thinleaf huckleberry is of low flammability, allowing for survival after low severity fires, with top-kill resulting from higher severity fires. Top-killed plants sprout from rhizomes.

The clonal habit of thinleaf huckleberry favors ecotypic variation among populations. Plants subjected to regular fire intervals may be better suited to surviving fire than individuals developed under fire suppression [32]. Plants are consumed by fire only when adequate fuels are present to dry and preheat stems and foliage. Seed is not an important postfire recolonization method and is rarely found in postfire areas [106].

Historically, burning of thinleaf huckleberry patches by Native Americans was a regular activity in the subalpine zone of the Cascade and Pacific ranges. To enhance production, fires were set in autumn after berry harvest. Fires reduced invasion of shrubs and trees [17]. Fields of thinleaf huckleberry in the Pacific Northwest are considered a product of uncontrolled wildfires occurring before effective fire suppression [111].

FIRE REGIMES:
Western Montana: Cool habitats dominated by lodgepole pine, with thinleaf huckleberry as a plentiful understory species, showed high severity (stand replacing) fire return intervals of 150 to 250 years in past centuries [55]. Lower subalpine stands in the Bitterroot National Forest, including stands in the Douglas-fir/thinleaf huckleberry habitat type, common beargrass phase, showed mean intervals between surface fires ranging from 17 to 28 years with a range of 3 to 67 years. At lower elevations, on montane slopes including stands in the Douglas-fir/thinleaf huckleberry habitat type, mean fire return intervals ranged from 7 to 19 years with a range of 2 to 48 years [6]. About 60% of mature subalpine fir/common beargrass stands in western Montana show evidence of surface fire [7].

Northern Idaho: Dry, lower subalpine fir habitat types where thinleaf huckleberry occurs show historic intervals between low to moderate severity fires averaging 35 years. Stand replacing fires occurred at average intervals >217 years. Severe fires occurred at intervals of 60 to 70 years in cold, dry grand fir habitats where thinleaf huckleberry is a dominant species [135].

Mixed conifer forests of the grand fir series within the Elkhorn Mountains of Oregon showed historic fire return intervals of 50-200 years on sites where thinleaf huckleberry is the dominant understory species [2]. The Douglas-fir forests of the eastern Cascade Range possess longer fire return intervals and higher fire intensities where big huckleberry is present than where thinleaf huckleberry does not occur [164].

The following table provides some fire-return intervals where thinleaf huckleberry is found. Find further 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".

Community or Ecosystem Dominant Species Fire Return Interval Range (years) silver fir-Douglas-fir Abies amabilis-Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii > 200 grand fir Abies grandis 35-200 western larch Larix occidentalis 25-100 Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir Picea engelmannii-Abies lasiocarpa 35 to > 200 whitebark pine* Pinus albicaulis 50-200 Sierra lodgepole pine* Pinus contorta var. murrayana 35-200 Pacific ponderosa pine* Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa 1-47 Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine* Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum 2-10 Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir* Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca 25-100 [21] coastal Douglas-fir* Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii 40-240 [8,114,128] California mixed evergreen Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii-Lithocarpus densiflorus-Arbutus menziesii 35 western redcedar-western hemlock Thuja plicata-Tsuga heterophylla > 200 western hemlock-Sitka spruce Tsuga heterophylla-Picea sitchensis > 200 mountain hemlock* Tsuga mertensiana 35 to > 200 [21] *Fire-return interval varies widely; trends in variation are noted in the Species Review.
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bibliographic citation
Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Fire Management Considerations

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More info for the terms: density, duff, fire exclusion, fire severity, forest, habitat type, mesic, series, severity, wildfire

In most areas, fire exclusion reduces thinleaf huckleberry populations over time. In Washington, a thinleaf huckleberry field of 8,000 acres (3,238 ha) within an old burn has diminished to 2,500 acres (1,012 ha), replaced by trees and brush after 40 years of fire exclusion [107]. Repeated low severity burns may control competing vegetation, enhancing thinleaf huckleberry vigor [109]. Franklin and Dyrness [51] attribute occurrence of widespread big huckleberry fields within the southern Washington Cascades to large and repeated wildfire.

The Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en people of northwestern British Columbia used fire to manage thinleaf huckleberry fields. Burning typically occurred in the early fall, late August, and September. Late fall burns were specifically chosen to reduce fire severity and spread since fall frontal storm systems were likely to bring precipitation. Elders (women) decided burning time and scheduled fires during times they felt were prior to rainfall. Intervals between burns varied [82]. Sahaptin and Chinook Native Americans started fires in the fall (end of huckleberry season) during periods when winter rains had begun [54].

In habitat types were thinleaf huckleberry is dominant, fires conducted when duff is relatively moist and not completely consumed result in heavy sprouting from rhizomes [39,118,127]. Low severity burning may stimulate lateral bud growth similar to pruning and assist in eradication of parasites [118]. Burning that consumes large amounts of duff is most harmful to thinleaf huckleberry regeneration [106]. Quantity of heat released by fire and relative amounts of duff and soil moisture are controlling factors [105].

In western Montana, spring burning is recommended to increase thinleaf huckleberry density within the Douglas-fir/western larch habitat type, except when lower duff and soil are dry [106]. In moist Douglas-fir habitat types of Montana, where ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine are seral components, low severity burning in the early spring stimulates thinleaf huckleberry, increasing shoot density [153]. In the Lolo National Forest, low and moderate severity surface fires increase density and nutrient content of thinleaf huckleberry in moist Douglas-fir and cool, dry Douglas-fir habitat types [35]. In the Douglas-fir/thinleaf huckleberry habitat type, spring fires and moderate amounts of shade may enhance production of thinleaf huckleberry [18].

In the grand fir series of the eastern Cascade Range, 2 consecutive fires in short intervals favor thinleaf huckleberry over grand fir, and big huckleberry may share dominance with lodgepole pine after intense fires on moist sites [1]. Dense stands of thinleaf huckleberry may not burn if fuels are limited, due to low flammability of thinleaf huckleberry foliage [106]. Density of thinleaf huckleberry may be increased by low severity surface fires in subalpine fir/thinleaf huckleberry habitat type in northern Utah [100].

In sub-boreal spruce zones of British Columbia, postfire sprouting of big huckleberry occurs almost exclusively through rhizomes. Postfire recovery is slow in the 1st 10 years postfire [69]. Likewise, in mesic and drier sites of the sub-boreal spruce zone in Canada, thinleaf huckleberry recovers slowly after fire [68].

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bibliographic citation
Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Growth Form (according to Raunkiær Life-form classification)

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RAUNKIAER [126] LIFE FORM:
Phanerophyte
Geophyte
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Habitat characteristics

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More info for the terms: competition, cover, forest, mesic, presence

Thinleaf huckleberry has wide ecological amplitude [108], occupying moist, moderately deep, well-drained soils [64,120]. Thinleaf huckleberry is found on moderate slopes or benches, rocky hillsides, and avalanche chutes [65,98,122,148]. Thinleaf huckleberry is rarely found in valley bottoms [82]. As an understory species, thinleaf huckleberry can grow beneath a partially closed forest canopy, or in sunny openings [54,64]. Big huckleberry has greatest potential on cool mesic sites with minimal overstory [32].

Soils: Thinleaf huckleberry prefers soils with a pH around 5.5 [111]. Clay and silt content are usually low (under 40%) leaving soil with a fine, loamy texture [138]. Relatively low concentrations of essential elements are required to sustain growth. Mesic and drier sites are preferred, although thinleaf huckleberry may inhabit soils with a wide range of available moisture [64].

In Montana, Goldin and Nimlos [58] evaluated thinleaf huckleberry presence in the Garnet Mountains in relation to soil physical properties. Thinleaf huckleberry prefers quartzite and granitic soils to limestone-derived soils possessing similar pH and gravel content. Quartzite soils resulted in the greatest coverage of thinleaf huckleberry, compared to granite and limestone derived soils:

  Relative Cover (%) Limestone

1

Granite

9

Quartzite

16


  Quartzite  Limestone Granite Average organic horizon thickness (cm) 4.0 2.3 4.0 Soil texture loam silty loam sandy loam Gravel content very gravelly gravelly to very gravelly slightly gravelly pH 5.7-6.9 6.5-8.0 5.5-6.5 Calcareousness none at surface, slight to strong at depth slight to strong on surface, strong at depth none

Within sites, thinleaf huckleberry grew under Douglas-fir on limestone, limber pine on quartzite and subalpine fir on granite.

Aspect/Slope: Thinleaf huckleberry prefers northern aspects [92] although populations may exist on all aspects [99]. Martin [99] observed thinleaf huckleberry to prefer moderate to steep slopes (25-40%). Gentle slopes were found to allow greater competition from other plant species.

Elevation: Elevation by geographic area is :

California [74] 3,609 to 7,217 feet (1,100-2,200 m) Montana 3,000 to 9,650 feet (914-2,930 m) Oregon and Washington [138] 3,000 feet (914 m) to high mountains Utah [162] 8,202 to 10,318 feet (2,500-3,145 m) 
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Habitat: Cover Types

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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):

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SAF COVER TYPES [47]:





12 Black spruce

22 White pine-hemlock

201 White spruce

205 Mountain hemlock

206 Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir

207 Red fir

208 Whitebark pine

209 Bristlecone pine

210 Interior Douglas-fir

211 White fir

212 Western larch

213 Grand fir

215 Western white pine

217 Aspen

218 Lodgepole pine

219 Limber pine

224 Western hemlock

225 Western hemlock-Sitka spruce

226 Coastal true fir-hemlock

227 Western redcedar-western hemlock

228 Western redcedar

229 Pacific Douglas-fir

230 Douglas-fir-western hemlock

232 Redwood

237 Interior ponderosa pine

244 Pacific ponderosa pine-Douglas-fir

243 Sierra Nevada mixed conifer

245 Pacific ponderosa pine
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bibliographic citation
Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Habitat: Ecosystem

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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):

ECOSYSTEMS [56]:




FRES11 Spruce-fir

FRES20 Douglas-fir

FRES21 Ponderosa pine

FRES22 Western white pine

FRES23 Fir-spruce

FRES24 Hemlock-Sitka spruce

FRES25 Larch

FRES26 Lodgepole pine

FRES27 Redwood

FRES28 Western hardwoods

FRES37 Mountain meadows

FRES44 Alpine
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Habitat: Plant Associations

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This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the terms: forest, shrub

KUCHLER [90] PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:




K001 Spruce-cedar-hemlock forest

K002 Cedar-hemlock-Douglas-fir forest

K003 Silver fir-Douglas-fir forest

K004 Fir-hemlock forest

K005 Mixed conifer forest

K008 Lodgepole pine-subalpine forest

K010 Ponderosa shrub forest

K011 Western ponderosa forest

K012 Douglas-fir forest

K013 Cedar-hemlock-pine forest

K014 Grand fir-Douglas-fir forest

K015 Western spruce-fir forest

K017 Black Hills pine forest

K018 Pine-Douglas-fir forest

K020 Spruce-fir-Douglas-fir forest

K052 Alpine meadows and barren

K093 Great Lakes spruce-fir forest
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Habitat: Rangeland Cover Types

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This species is known to occur in association with the following Rangeland Cover Types (as classified by the Society for Range Management, SRM):

More info for the terms: cover, forb, shrubland

SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES [134]:





109 Ponderosa pine shrubland

110 Ponderosa pine-grassland

409 Tall forb

410 Alpine rangeland
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Immediate Effect of Fire

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Thinleaf huckleberry foliage is of low flammability. Individuals may survive low intensity fires [106] with top-kill occurring on more intense fires.
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Importance to Livestock and Wildlife

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Big game: Thinleaf huckleberry is a good food source for grizzly bears and black bears [34,161] and is a key food item for bears in Montana [117]. Bears feed upon berries, leaves, stems [5], and roots [84]. Thinleaf huckleberry is the dominant huckleberry species consumed by grizzly and black bears of Glacier National Park, Montana [84] and a major shrub food item in Yellowstone National Park [88]. Bears may begin feeding upon thinleaf huckleberry berries in mid-July at lower elevations 3,000 to 3,937 feet (900-1,200 m) of Glacier National Park [161].

Thinleaf huckleberry is a minor component in the summer diet of western Montana elk [45]. Elk feed on thinleaf huckleberry when leaves are young and tender [165]. Thinleaf huckleberry also provides browse for moose in north-central Idaho [124].

Thinleaf huckleberry is an important species for white-tailed deer in grand fir and western redcedar forests of northern Idaho, with greatest use occurring in the fall [86].

Avian: Although not preferred, thinleaf huckleberry provides a fall food source for blue grouse in Oregon [31] and is an important food source for ruffed grouse [77].

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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Key Plant Community Associations

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More info for the terms: association, climax, codominant, cover, forb, forest, frequency, habitat type, mesic, phase, shrub, succession, tree

Depending upon environmental constraints/conditions, thinleaf huckleberry
may occur as a dominant understory species with Engelmann spruce
(Picea engelmannii), western larch (Larix occidentalis),
limber pine (Pinus flexilis), ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa),
lodgepole pine (P. contorta) [9,123], western white pine (P. monticola),
western hemlock
(Tsuga heterophylla) [123], and mountain hemlock (T. mertensiana)
[51]. Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis), subalpine fir (A. lasiocarpa), noble fir (A. procera),
white fir (A. concolor), grand fir (A. grandis), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga
menziesii),
and western redcedar (Thuja plicata) [163] and  are also dominant overstory species [49,63].


Common shrub associates include sticky flowering currant (Ribes viscosissimum),
mountain snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus) [9,24], common snowberry
(S. albus), grouse whortleberry (Vaccinium scoparium), Cascade bilberry (V. deliciosum),
red huckleberry
(V. parvifolium) [20], Utah honeysuckle
(Lonicera utahensis), bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) [9],
fool's huckleberry (Menziesia ferruginea) [9,42]. Other common shrub
associates include white spirea
(Spirea betulifolia) [123,142], whiteveined wintergreen
(Pyrola picta) [20], pink mountainheath (Phyllodoce empetriformis),
Cascade azalea (Rhododendron albiflorum), Sitka mountain-ash
(Sorbus sitchensis),  western moss-heather (Cassiope mertensiana), strawberryleaf raspberry
(Rubus pedatus), roughfruit berry (R. lasiococcus) [42], little
prince's pine (Chimaphila menziesii) [11], Rocky Mountain maple (Acer glabrum)
[46,89], Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) [120], and Oregon-grape
(Mahonia repens) [11].




Forb associates include common beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax) [9,20,24],
Brewer's aster (Chrysopsis breweri) [9,24], pinewoods lousewort
(Pedicularis semibarbata) [24], fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium),
Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis) [42], queencup beadlily
(Clintonia uniflora) [20], twinflower (Linnaea borealis), lupine
(Lupinus spp.) [3], Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum),
and threeleaf foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata) [20].



Pacific Northwest:
Thinleaf huckleberry is well represented in subalpine habitats [14,53,112]. In mesic
subalpine communities, thinleaf huckleberry is a common understory associate of Pacific silver fir and mountain hemlock [51]. Thinleaf huckleberry is an important
understory component of subalpine fir forests in the eastern Olympic Mountains,
Washington [50]. Within the Cascades of Oregon and Washington,
thinleaf huckleberry frequently occurs on dry subalpine sites with beargrass [53,112].


Thinleaf huckleberry is a dominant species within fir/hemlock (Abies spp./Tsuga
spp.)
stands in the Cascade Mountains, understory to Pacific silver fir, noble fir,
mountain hemlock, Douglas-fir, western white pine, and western redcedar [163].
Within fir/hemlock (Tsuga spp.) understory communities in the Cascades of southern Washington,
thinleaf huckleberry is often codominant with common beargrass [53].




Thinleaf huckleberry is associated with cool western hemlock zones in the Mount Hood
National Forest, Oregon. It occupies a dominant understory status in the coldest,
driest portions of the western hemlock zone. When overstories are dominated by Douglas-fir and western hemlock,
common associates include little prince's pine and Oregon-grape [66].


Stewart [149] compared understory composition of Douglas-fir and western hemlock
stands in the west-central Cascade Range. Both stands were found on a southeast
aspect at 3,740 feet (1,140 m) with a 15% slope. Fire history, mean tree age, and
mean tree height were similar. Differences were in frequency
of canopy gaps: Douglas-fir at 9.3% and western hemlock at 1.3%. Thinleaf huckleberry
was more frequent and had greater coverage (p<0.05) in Douglas-fir stands:

  Western hemlock Douglas-fir
Frequency (%) 18 44
Cover (%) < 1 3.3


Rocky Mountain Region:
Thinleaf huckleberry is a dominant shrub species in subalpine fir forests of northern
Utah. Subalpine fir/thinleaf huckleberry habitat types are also described for
south-central and southwestern Montana, eastern Idaho, and western Wyoming [100].


In Montana thinleaf huckleberry is a major undergrowth component in pole stage
or older stands of Douglas-fir and subalpine fir [9]. Thinleaf huckleberry is an
understory component of mountain hemlock communities in western Montana, in
association with common beargrass, grouse whortleberry and fool's huckleberry [61].


Thinleaf huckleberry is an important shrub species in climax Douglas-fir/ninebark
(Physocarpus spp.) habitat type, ponderosa pine phase in west-central
Idaho, and in the Rocky Mountain maple phase of Douglas-fir/Rocky Mountain maple habitat types
[146].


Thinleaf huckleberry is a frequently occurring understory species within the grand fir
mosaic of northern Idaho [49]. Thinleaf huckleberry is uncommon in grand fir/Douglas-fir
stands in Montana and Idaho below 3,937 feet (1,200 m) and common in higher elevations.
Thinleaf huckleberry is a major understory species for grand
fir/western redcedar stands when grand fir is dominant, and almost unrepresented
below where western redcedar is dominant. Thinleaf huckleberry is
common in intermediate aged stands of subalpine fir and limber pine on open
slopes and within mature stands on mesic sites
[63].


In general, thinleaf huckleberry is dominant to grouse whortleberry at lower-elevation
subalpine fir habitats. At mid- and higher elevations, thinleaf huckleberry is generally
subordinate to grouse whortleberry, although representation is sometimes about equal [96].


Published classifications listing thinleaf huckleberry as an indicator or dominant species
are listed below:

Forest types of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex [3]

Preliminary plant associations of the southern Oregon Cascade Mountain Province [10]

Preliminary plant associations of the Siskiyou Mountain Province [11]

Plant association and management guide for the Pacific silver fir zone: Gifford
Pinchot National Forest [20]

Forest habitat types of northern Idaho: a second approximation [29]

Classification of montane forest community types in Cedar River Drainage of
western Washington, USA [36]

Subalpine plant communities of western North Cascades, Washington [41]

The forest communities of Mount Rainier National Park [52]

Natural vegetation of Oregon and Washington [51]

Plant communities of the Blue Mountains in eastern Oregon and southeastern
Washington [65]

Plant association and management guide for the western hemlock zone: Mount Hood [67]

Plant association and management guide: Willamette National Forest [72]

Forested plant associations of the Olympic National Forest [73]

Plant associations of the Walloma-Snake Province: Walloma-Whitman National Forest[94]

Forest habitat types of Montana [123]

Climax vegetation of Montana based on soils and climate [129]

Forest habitat types of eastern Idaho-western Wyoming [143]

The grand fir/blue huckleberry habitat type in central Idaho: succession and management [144]

Forest habitat types of central Idaho [147]

Plant association and management guide for the grand fir zone, Gifford Pinchot National Forest [155]
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Life Form

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More info for the term: shrub

Shrub
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Nutritional Value

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More info for the term: habitat type

Nutritional value of thinleaf huckleberry has been rated for Wyoming as [87]:

Elk good
Mule deer good
White-tailed deer good
Antelope poor
Upland game bird good
Waterfowl poor
Small non-game bird good
Small mammals good



Light intensity (litter temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 °C) at 1.9
inches (5 cm)) slash burning, after a clearcut in subalpine fir/queencup beadlily
habitat type composed largely of Douglas-fir and western larch, had no
significant effect (p> 0.05) on thinleaf huckleberry nutritional value [137].
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Occurrence in North America

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AK CA CO ID MT MI
OR SD UT WA WY


AB BC ON MB SK YK
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Other uses and values

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Thinleaf huckleberry is historically an important food item in the diet of many Pacific Northwest Native Americans [78,82,84,93,118].

Thinleaf huckleberry may hybridize with Vaccinium cultivars, producing drought-resistant cultivars for the West Coast [33].

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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Palatability

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Overall palatability of thinleaf huckleberry has been rated as [38,87,99,144,165]:

ID MT Eastern OR WA WY
Cattle ---- poor ---- ---- ----
Domestic sheep good fair good good ----
Horses ---- poor ---- ---- ----
Pronghorn ---- ---- ---- ---- poor
Elk fair to good ---- ---- good ----
Mule deer good fair ---- ---- good
White-tailed deer good ---- ---- ---- good
Small mammals ---- ---- ---- ---- good
Small nongame birds ---- ---- ---- ---- good
Upland game birds ----- ---- ---- ---- good
Waterfowl ---- ---- ---- ---- poor
Grizzly bear ---- good ---- ---- good
Black bear good good good good good
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Phenology

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Growth of thinleaf huckleberry is fixed. Leaf primordia are initiated prior to spring bud break. Seasonal growth involves shoot extension through internode elongation [59].

Throughout thinleaf huckleberry's range in Montana, flowering begins the 1st week of June with total floret development requiring 4 months (mid-July to October) [59]. Gough [59] observed vegetative and reproductive development in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, Montana, at 6,562 feet (2,000 m) with an 80-day growing season. Shoot growth from vegetative buds on stems began in mid-May. Buds on plants where the soil was still frozen showed no bud break. Vegetative buds on shoots greater than 0.08 inches (2 mm) diameter swell before buds on thinner, less vigorous shoots. Shoot elongation occurs until mid- to late June. Seasonal shoot growth is generally completed within a 4-week period [59].

Drew [44] mapped the phenology of thinleaf huckleberry within the cedar/hemlock zone of Idaho. Onset of leaf fall was directly related to limitations in soil moisture availability. Bud burst occurred early to mid-April followed by leafing out (beginning of May) and stem elongation (May-beginning of July). Leaf fall is initiated in mid-August [44].
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Plant Response to Fire

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More info for the terms: density, root crown, severity, wildfire

Thinleaf huckleberry is adapted to sprout after fire and is efficient in storing nutrients released from burning [139]. Thinleaf huckleberry sprouts after fire from shallow and deep rhizomes [30,106] or root crown [1]. Heat penetration into soil layers where rhizomes occur will affect thinleaf huckleberry's ability to produce postfire, vegetative sprouts [106].

In preferred habitats, thinleaf huckleberry will generally survive low to moderately severe fires, attaining prefire coverage within 3 to 7 years [19,25], with stem number and density increasing. High severity burns may result in moderate to high mortality [39] or greatly reduced sprouting [71]. Moderate to severe fires on coarse textured soil or areas with a thin organic layer kill underground rhizomes, resulting in heavy mortality [25,130]. Strong decreases occur after severe broadcast burning and wildfire with recovery generally occurring within 15 to 20 years [9]. Overall, low severity burns result in heavy sprouting from rhizomes [39].

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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Post-fire Regeneration

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More info for the terms: rhizome, shrub

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY [152]:
Rhizomatous shrub, rhizome in soil
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Regeneration Processes

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More info for the terms: adventitious, constancy, fruit, habitat type, natural, rhizome, root crown, seed

Thinleaf huckleberry may reproduce through seed or by vegetative production from adventitious buds on rhizomes [80,140] and root crown [1]. Reproduction through seed is rare under natural conditions. Populations are usually maintained through lateral expansion of vegetative clones [80,140].

Seed: Flowers are pollinated by bees [79,99] with each stem node having the capacity to produce 1 berry [32]. A typical berry carries 47 seeds. Mean germination is around 42% [138].

Fruit production is not halted during dry summers. Fructification may occur after 4 to 6 months void of rain [33]. In the southern Washington, Cascade Mountain region, individual stems are capable of producing fruit for 14 years [32]. Although berry production is moderately tolerant of moisture deficits, successful germination and subsequent establishment is extremely reduced or eliminated by water stress. Cool spring temperatures also negatively affect seed germination [140].

Establishment through seed is not heavily relied upon after disturbance. Number of seedlings emerging from soil blocks collected from a western hemlock/Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum)/dwarf Oregon-grape community was monitored after experimentally applied disturbance. Thinleaf huckleberry showed no regeneration from seed after burning and mechanical mixing of soil layers [80].

Thinleaf huckleberry offers a relatively minor contribution to soil seed banks. Viable seed most often occurs within the 1st 2 inches (5cm) of soil. Kramer and Johnson [89] evaluated the soil seed banks of Douglas-fir/ninebark habitat type; grand-fir/Rocky Mountain maple habitat type; and grand-fir/big huckleberry habitat types in central Idaho. The constancy (%) of viable, buried, thinleaf huckleberry seed, by habitat type is summarized below:

Douglas-fir/ninebark Grand fir/Rocky Mountain maple Grand fir/thinleaf huckleberry 6 31 25

Vegetative: Thinleaf huckleberry possesses an extensive system of rhizomes [64,106], with adventitious buds distributed evenly along the length of the rhizome [106]. Vegetative production is relied upon highly for regeneration after disturbance [80]. Fruit productivity is more sensitive to solar radiation than vegetative production [32].

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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Regional Distribution in the Western United States

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This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS [16]:




1 Northern Pacific Border

2 Cascade Mountains

4 Sierra Mountains

5 Columbia Plateau

8 Northern Rocky Mountains

9 Middle Rocky Mountains

10 Wyoming Basin

12 Colorado Plateau
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Simonin, Kevin A. 2000. Vaccinium membranaceum. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacmem/all.html

Successional Status

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More info for the terms: climax, forest, frequency, habitat type, presence, shrub, succession

Thinleaf huckleberry may occur in early or late seral stages [32,69,99]. It generally shows greatest productivity within sites that experienced disturbance about 50 years previously [99]. Hamilton and Yearsley [69] describe thinleaf huckleberry as a "fairly shade-tolerant" species.

Fields dominated by thinleaf huckleberry are seral.

Decline of thinleaf huckleberry as forests move toward climax status is inevitable, especially in areas of crown closure [32]. Without disturbance, thinleaf huckleberry will gradually decrease in dominance, crowded out by trees [108].

Early seral: In spruce-fir forests thinleaf huckleberry may have a significant presence within 1 to 5 postdisturbance years [22]. Response varies greatly with intensity of disturbance. In a spruce-fir forest in Idaho, thinleaf huckleberry was not a dominant shrub until 40-79 years after clear cutting, sharing understory dominance with wild ginger (Asarum caudatum) in sites undisturbed for 80 years or longer [133].

Habeck [62] observed thinleaf huckleberry as a common understory component of pioneer and seral communities within cedar-hemlock habitats of Glacier National Park, Montana. Thinleaf huckleberry is also an early seral species in western redcedar-western hemlock forests of northern Idaho [150].

In grand fir habitats of north-central Idaho, thinleaf huckleberry may occupy an important role in early seral stages at high elevations on north slopes [167]. Thinleaf huckleberry decreases as a major understory species of developing grand fir/Douglas-fir stands above 3,937 feet (1,200 m) in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness of Montana and Idaho as stands move toward maturity [63]. Thinleaf huckleberry is well represented throughout all seral stages in grand fir/thinleaf huckleberry habitat types. Steele [142] presents a detailed model of succession in the grand-fir/thinleaf huckleberry habitat type.

In subalpine prairies of the Mount Hood area, Oregon, thinleaf huckleberry is an early seral plant species [118]. Thinleaf huckleberry is greater in frequency and coverage in open stands of mountain hemlock and Pacific silver fir associations and decreases as stands close [42].

Late seral: Thinleaf huckleberry is a widespread understory dominant in late seral and climax communities in subalpine forests [4]. Within Montana, northern Idaho, and eastern Washington habitat types, thinleaf huckleberry generally shows a slow recovery increasing toward a peak at 20 to 30 postdisturbance years [92].

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Taxonomy

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The currently accepted scientific name of thinleaf huckleberry is Vaccinium membranaceum
Dougl. (Ericaceae) [40,60,76,159,162].
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Value for rehabilitation of disturbed sites

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More info for the terms: fruit, seed, stratification

The Wind River Nursery [70] in Carson, Washington, provides suggestions for successful thinleaf huckleberry propagation. Initial planting is recommended in flats with subsequent transplanting of germinants to individual pots. Flats should be covered with glass or plexiglass to reduce soil moisture loss and placed in a cool location (large refrigerator or unheated greenhouse) to provide cool moist stratification. After stratification, flats should be transferred directly to heated greenhouse for germination. Seedlings should be hand transplanted to pots.

Propagation method Seed collection Seed extraction Stratification Seed planting Seedling container Seedling media Other treatment seed summer mash fruit with water, separate short/cool tray 10-15 cm pot Perlite/vermiculite/peatmoss
or
Perlite/vermiculite/barkdust inoculation with mycorrhizae

Flowering by new seedlings usually requires 3 growing seasons [113].

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Vaccinium membranaceum

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Vaccinium membranaceum is a species within the group of Vaccinium commonly referred to as huckleberry. This particular species is known by the common names thinleaf huckleberry, tall huckleberry, big huckleberry, mountain huckleberry, square-twig blueberry, and (ambiguously) as "black huckleberry".

Distribution and habitat

Vaccinium membranaceum is native to western North America, with a range extending in the northern from southern Alaska, Yukon, and Northwest Territories south as far as Utah and the northern mountains of California. It can be found from the mountains next to the Pacific Ocean in the west, to the Rocky Mountains and Black Hills in the east.[2]

Isolated populations of this species have been found in Arizona, North Dakota, Minnesota, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Ontario.[3][4]

Vaccinium membranaceum grows at higher elevations in subalpine and alpine environments. It occurs in both pine and spruce dominated forests and in open meadow ecosystems. In forests V. membranaceum often dominates the forest understory during early to mid stages of succession.[5] Vaccinium membranceum is fire adapted. The leaves and stems of the huckleberry are resistant to low-intensity fires, and if burned away they will resprout vigorously from rhizomes buried under the soil.[5]

Description

Vaccinium membranaceum is an erect shrub growing up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in maximum height. The new twigs are yellow-green and somewhat angled. The deciduous leaves are alternately arranged. The very thin to membranous, oval leaf blades are up to 5 centimeters (2 inches) long. The edges are serrated, with each tiny tooth tipped with a glandular hair. Solitary flowers occur in the leaf axils. Each is around 6 millimeters (1/4 inch) long, urn-shaped to cylindrical, and pale pink to waxy bronze in color.[1]

They are pollinated by bees.[5] The mature fruit ranges from red through bluish-purple to a dark, almost black berry about a centimeter wide. Each fruit contains an average of 47 tiny seeds.[1][5]

Reproduction

The plant rarely reproduces via seed, rather, it usually spreads by cloning itself from its rhizome or shoots.[5] The seeds do germinate if dispersed by animals, however, as evidenced by populations of the plant growing on the recovering section of Mount St. Helens.[6] Other than the study by Yang et al. (2008) reports of V. membranaceum sprouting from seed are quite rare with other scientists who have studied this species reporting only 6 seedlings observed during 18 years in the field.[7]

Uses

Vaccinium membranaceum is the species that is the most commonly collected of all of the wild western huckleberries, and it has great commercial importance.[1] In a good year Vaccinium membranaceum shrubs produce a lot of fruit. The amount of fruit produced by these shrubs is legendary, with stories being told of mountain sides turned purple by all of the fruit, or shrubs being weighed to the ground by large, and abundant berries [8]

Native Americans

Both humans and wildlife enjoy feasting on this fruit in the late summer and early fall. People have been eating the fruit of this species for thousands of years. It was and continues to be widely used for food by Native Americans.[1] The Kutenai called the black huckleberry shawíash (Ktunaxa: ǂawiyaǂ).[9] Alaska Natives consumed it in bread and pies as a source of vitamin C, the Coeur d'Alene people ate the fruit fresh, dried, mashed, cooked, and added it to soup or froze it for later use, and many other groups relished it and stored it frozen, dried, pressed into cakes, or canned for winter use.[10]

Wildlife

The plant also provides a key food source for black and grizzly bears, which eat the leaves, stems, roots, and fruit.[5] Elk, moose, and white-tailed deer also browse the plant.[5] The thickets provide cover for many species of small animals.[5]

Symbol

The huckleberry is the official state fruit of Idaho, with this particular species assumed to be the huckleberry in question.[11]

Management

Some Native American groups lit carefully planned controlled burns in wild huckleberry patches to promote fruit production by eliminating competing plants and by stimulating the huckleberry to sprout and spread.[5] Native American groups throughout the Pacific Northwest still utilize this plant as an important cultural food and are active in its management.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Flora of North America, Vaccinium membranaceum Douglas ex Torrey, 1874. Thinleaf huckleberry
  2. ^ Biota of North America Program 2014 state-level distribution map
  3. ^ VanderKloet, Sam (1988). The Genus Vaccinium in North America. Ottawa, ON: Research Branch, Agriculture Canada.
  4. ^ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i US Forest Service Fire Ecology
  6. ^ Yang, S., et al. (2008). Colonization genetics of an animal-dispersed plant (Vaccinium membranaceum) at Mount St Helens, Washington. Molecular Genetics 17:3 731-40.
  7. ^ Stark and Baker (1992). The Ecology and Culture of Montana Huckleberries: A guide for growers and researchers. Missoula, MT: University of Montana, School of Forestry.
  8. ^ Bowen, Asta (1988). The Huckleberry Book.
  9. ^ "FirstVoices- Ktunaxa. Plants: food plants: words". Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  10. ^ Ethnobotany, University of Michigan
  11. ^ Netstate: Idaho State Fruit
  12. ^ Martin, L. P., et al. (2008). Management and monitoring plan for the enhancement of big huckleberry in Government Meadows, Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. USDA Forest Service.

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Vaccinium membranaceum: Brief Summary

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Vaccinium membranaceum is a species within the group of Vaccinium commonly referred to as huckleberry. This particular species is known by the common names thinleaf huckleberry, tall huckleberry, big huckleberry, mountain huckleberry, square-twig blueberry, and (ambiguously) as "black huckleberry".

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