Elderberry for Riparian & Wildlife Conservation
Elderberry Plants Prevent Erosion and Benefit Wildlife Habitats
Sep 18, 2009
Elderberry plants have long been valued by American Indians for their healing properties, flavorful berries and various tools made from their branches. However, for wildlife and riparian habitats, Elderberry is one of the most essential plants in the western states and could provide a means for riparian restoration and protection for key threatened species.
Riparian Zones as a Critical Habitat
Riparian areas are critical to the survival of the majority of plant and animal species in the western United States and act as essential wildlife corridors. It is estimated that 70-90% of riparian zones have been damaged by livestock grazing, dams, logging, pollution and construction activities. Simple changes to these important habitats can cause fluctuations in the temperature, depth and width of the water, as well as alterations in the levels of oxygen and the speed of water flow. Types of species inhabiting colder water riparian zones vary drastically from warmer zones.
Preventing stream and riverbank erosion is one of the main focuses in riparian protection and restoration. Trees and bushes stabilize riverbank soil with their roots and cast shade over the water. They also provide important shelter to the many plant, animal and insect species that rely on riparian zones. Elderberry is one of the plant species that thrives in riparian areas.
Elderberry Benefits Riparian Zones
Elderberry plants generally grow 2-4 meters high along riverbanks, hills and canyons. They have a dense root system that holds surrounding soil in place. This prevents erosion of streambanks and provides soil stability for other smaller plants growing along waterways. It also slows the rate of runoff entering the steam.
As an understory plant, meaning it has less height than trees, Elderberry provides a highly useful habitat. Birds, which rely heavily on riparian zones, benefit greatly from this plant. Elderberry plants offer protection from predators, perching and nesting sites, nest building supplies, shade and food by way of the insects living on the plant and in the soil below it. The berries of Elderberry plants provide a valuable food source for deer, bears, birds, elk, moose, insects and many small mammals. Grazing and foraging mammals find the leaves to be highly palatable in late summer and fall.
Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle
One of the many species that has suffered from western riparian zone damage is the valley elderberry longhorn beetle. Its entire life cycle, from pupa to adulthood, is reliant on Elderberry plants for both habitat and food. Its range had once spread throughout the riparian woodlands along Californian rivers and streams in the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valley. In recent years, the beetle is scarce and found only in isolated areas. In 1980, it was listed as threatened under The Endangered Species Act.
Due to the Elderberry’s numerous benefits in providing habitat and food, it is a valuable plant to both generalist and specialist species. It is an important riparian zone plant, able to maintain greater soil stability and shade for the many species of fish, insects and crustaceans that depend on the specific variables of the delicate stream environment.
References:
“Common Elderberry.” United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Guide. September 18, 2009.
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