Ecological significance of Wild Huckleberries (Vaccinium membranaceum)

By:  and 
Edited by: Nesibe E. Kafkas and Hüseyin Çelik

Links

Abstract

Wild huckleberry (Vaccinium globare/membranaceum complex) is a keystone species in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The fruits are a primary food source for grizzly bears and other wildlife, as well as an important traditional and contemporary human food. Huckleberry shrubs also provide cover and nesting habitat for many animal species, including small mammals and birds. The flowers provide nectar and pollen with crucial connections between bumble bees (Bombus species) and huckleberries. Native bee pollination is essential for successful berry development. Huckleberries flower early in the growing season and are some of the only floral resources available when bumble bee queens first emerge from hibernation and need to collect pollen and nectar for nesting. One of these species, the Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), is in review for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Future climate change has the potential to influence huckleberry distribution, productivity, and phenology. These potential changes could have wide-ranging implications because of the economic, cultural, and ecological importance of huckleberry.

Publication type Book chapter
Publication Subtype Book Chapter
Title Ecological significance of Wild Huckleberries (Vaccinium membranaceum)
Chapter 2
DOI 10.5772/intechopen.1001152
Year Published 2023
Language English
Publisher IntechOpen
Contributing office(s) Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Description 19 p.
Larger Work Type Book
Larger Work Subtype Monograph
Larger Work Title Edible berries - New insights
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details