Canadian Gooseberry

Canadian gooseberry
northern gooseberry

Umatilla gooseberry
Henderson's gooseberry
Idaho gooseberry
inland gooseberry, Missouri gooseberry

Umatilla gooseberry is listed as sensitive in Washington [38] and
Montana [22]. Sinnott [31] considers it to be a "likely candidate" for
federal concern. Idaho gooseberry is listed as sensitive in Washington [38].

Cover values for inland gooseberry are as follows [6]:

ND WY
Pronghorn poor poor
Elk ---- poor
Mule deer good fair
White-tailed deer good fair
Small mammals ---- good
Small nongame birds ---- good
Upland game birds ---- good
Waterfowl ---- poor

More info for the terms: root crown, shrub

Ribes oxyacanthoides is a native, deciduous shrub that grows to 1.5 to 5
feet (0.5-1.5 m) in height. The branches are erect to sprawling and
covered with prickles. The nodes have several 0.2- to 0.5-inch (0.5-1.3
cm) long stout spines. Flowers occur singly or in clusters of two to
three. The berry is 0.3 to 0.6 inch (0.7-1.6 cm) in diameter and
contains numerous seeds. Henderson's gooseberry differs in that it is a
low, intricately branched shrub growing only 1 to 1.6 feet (0.3-0.5 m) in
height [31].

The root systems of Ribes spp. consist of shallow roots radiating from a
central root crown [26]. Some Ribes spp. reportedly have rhizomes
[5,25]. No information concerning the root systems of Ribes
oxyacanthoides was found in the literature.

Ribes oxyacanthoides occurs across the boreal region of Canada from
Hudson Bay to Alaska. It extends south into the United States in the
palouse prairie region of eastern Washington and Oregon through the
northern Rocky Mountains, the Black Hills, the Upper Missouri Basin, and
the Great Lakes States to Michigan. Canadian gooseberry occurs from
Alaska east throughout northern and western Canada to eastern Ontario,
south to northern Michigan, and west to eastern Wyoming and eastern
Montana. Inland gooseberry occurs in the northern Rocky Mountains from
Montana and Idaho south to northern Utah. In eastern Montana, eastern
Wyoming, and the western Dakotas, inland gooseberry intergrades with
Canadian gooseberry. Sinnott [31] identified most herbarium specimens
collected from this region as Canadian gooseberry, but other authors
report inland gooseberry in this region [10,11,13,36]. Idaho gooseberry
occurs west of the Continental Divide from southeastern British Columbia
south to northeastern Oregon and east to western Montana. Henderson's
gooseberry occurs in central Idaho, western Montana, and scattered
locations in Nevada [31]. Umatilla gooseberry occurs from southeastern
British Columbia south to northeastern Oregon, northern Idaho, and
northwestern Montana [31,22].

More info for the terms: forest, low-severity fire, seed, stand-replacing fire

Ribes oxyacanthoides commonly occurs in forest habitats such as quaking
aspen (Populus tremuloides), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), and jack
pine (P. banksiana) that are characterized by long fire-free intervals
punctuated by severe stand-replacing fires [5]. The ability of Ribes
oxyacanthoides to regenerate after fire from long-lived seed stored in
soil or from off-site sources makes this species fairly resilient to
stand-replacing fire. This species may be able to sprout after
low-severity fire.

More info for the terms: cover, fuel, fuel moisture, prescribed fire

Fire suppression in quaking aspen parklands in central Alberta resulted
in increased brush cover. Prescribed fire was considered for removal of
brush dominated by western snowberry and including Canadian gooseberry
[1]. At the time of the May prescribed fires, standing woody fuel
averaged 11,017 kg/ha and fuel moisture was 20 percent. During the
fires, soil surface temperatures ranged from 242 to 1,198 degrees
Fahrenheit (117-648 deg C) with an average of 748 degrees Fahrenheit
(398 deg C) [2]. Canadian gooseberry cover returned to prefire levels 3
months after prescribed fire [1].

In the Blacktail Hills of central Montana, the crude protein content of
inland gooseberry foliage collected in late summer and in early spring
was 3.4 to 9.8 percent higher on burned sites than unburned sites [19] .

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More info for the term: phanerophyte

Phanerophyte

More info for the term: forest

Canadian gooseberry occurs on rocky and sandy shores, stony banks, talus
slopes and outcrops [31] and in clearings, moist woods, and thickets
[12,32]. It generally occurs at low elevations within the boreal forest
region [14,31].

Inland gooseberry, Umatilla gooseberry, and Idaho gooseberry occur along
drainages, ravines, and canyons, and on adjacent hillsides [7,11,14,21].
These three subspecies occupy different elevational ranges where they
are sympatric. Umatilla gooseberry occurs below 2,950 feet (900 m)
elevation. Idaho gooseberry occurs at elevations from 2,950 to 4,900
feet (900-1,500 m) [31]. Inland gooseberry occurs from 7,000 to 9,000
feet (2,130-2,750 m) elevation in Utah [39], 3,200 to 9,500 feet
(980-2,900 m) in Montana and 3,400 to 10,500 feet (1,000-3,200 m) in
Wyoming [6].

Henderson's gooseberry occurs on rocky sites above treeline including
limestone cliffs and talus slopes [14,21,31]. It occurs in a dry
boulder field at 7,924 feet (2,416 m) elevation in the Pioneer Mountains
of south-central Idaho [24].

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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):

1 Jack pine
16 Aspen
63 Cottonwood
201 White spruce
210 Interior Douglas-fir
217 Aspen
218 Lodgepole pine
219 Limber pine
236 Bur oak
237 Interior ponderosa pine

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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):

FRES10 White-red-jack pine
FRES11 Spruce-fir
FRES17 Elm-ash-cottonwood
FRES19 Aspen-birch
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES23 Fir-spruce
FRES26 Lodgepole pine
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES29 Sagebrush
FRES38 Plains grasslands

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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 term: forest

K011 Western ponderosa forest
K012 Douglas-fir forest
K093 Great Lakes spruce-fir forest
K095 Great Lakes pine forest
K098 Northern floodplain forest
K101 Elm-ash forest
K106 Northern hardwoods

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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: shrubland, woodland

101 Bluebunch wheatgrass
109 Ponderosa pine shrubland
411 Aspen woodland
422 Riparian

More info for the term: top-kill

Fire that burns the organic soil probably kills Ribes oxyacanthoides.
Noste and Bushey [26] report that fire that removes the organic soil layer
will likely kill the shallow root systems of most Ribes spp. The
ability of R. oxyacanthoides to sprout after top-kill by fire is not
described in the literature.

Ribes oxycanthoides seeds contained in the organic mantle are probably
killed by severe fire, but seeds buried in the mineral soil probably
survive.

Inland gooseberry berries were 0.3 percent of total annual grizzly bear
diet volume in Yellowstone National Park [23].

Mule deer browse inland gooseberry foliage in summer and fall. In
southern Montana inland gooseberry was 3 percent by volume of mule deer
diet in the fall [40]. Umatilla gooseberry was browsed by elk July
through September in the Selway Game Preserve in Idaho [41].

More info for the terms: forest, habitat type, shrubs, woodland

Inland gooseberry and Umatilla gooseberry commonly occur in riparian
communities. In Utah, inland gooseberry occurs with quaking aspen
(Populus tremuloides), alder (Alnus spp.), birch (Betula spp.) and
willow (Salix spp.) [39]. Inland gooseberry occurs in a Booth willow
(S. boothii)/beaked sedge (Carex rostrata) community type in eastern
Idaho and western Wyoming [42]. In the Little Missouri National
Grasslands in southwestern North Dakota, inland gooseberry occurs in the
understory of a riparian woodland dominated by green ash (Fraxinus
pennsylvanica) and American elm (Ulmus americana). Associated
understory shrubs include western snowberry (Symphoricarpos
occidentalis), Wood's rose (Rosa woodsii), Saskatoon serviceberry
(Amelanchier alnifolia), silver buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea),
chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), American plum (Prunus americana),
raspberry (Rubus spp.), and hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) [36].

Inland gooseberry occurs in a western snowberry community type and a
Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)/littleseed ricegrass
(Oryzopsis micrantha) habitat type in the Custer National Forest in
southeastern Montana [13]. In the Killdeer Mountains of southwestern
North Dakota, inland gooseberry occurs in a paper birch (Betula
papyrifera)/beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta) community type. Bur oak
(Quercus macrocarpa) occurs in the canopy [10]. On drier sites, inland
gooseberry occurs with sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) and skunkbush sumac
(Rhus trilobata) [31].

Canadian gooseberry occurs in openings within the lowland boreal forest
region of Canada. Idaho gooseberry is commonly associated with conifers
[31].

More info for the term: shrub

Shrub

More info for the terms: association, cover, woodland

Ribes oxyacanthoides is an alternate host for white pine blister rust
(Cronartium ribicola) which infests five-needled pines. Because of
their association with the rust, Ribes spp. have been a target of
various eradication studies [27]. Efforts to eradicate Ribes spp. have
had some success only in the Great Lakes States. Only a few Ribes
bushes per acre are sufficient to perpetuate blister rust [12].

Inland gooseberry occurs in riparian woodlands in the Upper Missouri
Basin which are in decline from overuse by cattle [37]. Ribes spp.
generally decrease in abundance and canopy cover with moderate grazing
[4]. However, inland gooseberry showed no statistically significant
differences in height between grazed and ungrazed areas and cut and
uncut areas during a 6-year study in a riparian woodland in southwestern
North Dakota [37].

Umatilla gooseberry, once found along many drainages in the palouse
prairie region of southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon, has
declined because streambanks in the region have been highly modified by
grazing and agriculture. Sinnott [31] located only one population.

More info for the term: fruit

The nutritional value (based on dry weight) of inland gooseberry fruit
collected when ripe in Yellowstone National Park was 7.2 percent
protein, 5.2 percent ether extract, 9.7 percent fiber, 66.7 percent
nitrogen-free extract, and 11.2 percent ash. The fruit contained 0.36
percent calcium and 0.29 percent phosphorus [23].

Protein content (dry weight) of inland gooseberry foliage was 7.6 to
12.1 percent on unburned sites and 11.2 to 19.1 percent on recently
burned sites in central Montana [19].

AK ID MI MN MT NE NV ND OR SD
UT WA WI WY AB BC MB NT ON SK
YT

More info for the term: fruit

Palatability of inland gooseberry foliage is poor for sheep, cattle, and
horses [6]. Umatilla gooseberry is not highly palatable to elk [41].
Ribes oxyacanthoides fruit is more or less palatable to humans [15,39].

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Flowering and fruiting dates follow [31]:

flowering fruiting

Umatilla gooseberry April-May May-July
Idaho gooseberry May-June June-July
inland gooseberry May-June June-August
Canadian gooseberry May-June June-August
Henderson's gooseberry June-July July-August

Ribes spp. seeds germinate in the spring [28].

More info for the terms: cover, forest, frequency, low-severity fire, prescribed fire, root crown, seed, shrub, wildfire

Northern and inland gooseberry have been observed on burned sites 3
months after low-severity spring fire [1,19]. Whether they were present
as seedlings or sprouts was not reported. As with other Ribes spp., R.
oxyacanthoides may sprout from the root crown after low-severity fire,
and it probably colonizes burned sites via long-lived seed and/or seed
carried on-site by animals.

Canadian gooseberry frequency and cover increased after spring fire in a
western snowberry shrub community in central Alberta. Three months
after a May 1971 fire, Canadian gooseberry frequency was 6 percent and
cover was 1 percent. Frequency and cover on unburned sites was 1
percent and less than 1 percent, respectively. Similar results were
obtained after a May fire in 1970 [1]:

May 1970 fire
unburned burned
1970 1971 1972 1970 1971 1972

frequency (%) 4 9 9 7 11 11
cover (%) + + + + 1 +

+ = present but less than 1 percent

Inland gooseberry was present in the summer following spring prescribed
fire in the Blacktail Hills of central Montana [19].

Idaho gooseberry was present in postfire years 1 and 2 in a patchily
burned ravine area of the Pattee Canyon wildfire in western Montana
[17].

Severe fire creates canopy openings and suitable mineral seedbeds for
Ribes oxyacanthoides establishment. On islands in Great Slave Lake in
the Northwest Territories, Canadian gooseberry was present on a site
burned severely 12 years previously but not on adjacent unburned spruce
(Picea spp.) forest sites [18].

More info for the terms: fire regime, secondary colonizer, seed

Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
Secondary colonizer - off-site seed


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 for the terms: scarification, seed, stratification

Ribes oxyacanthoides regenerates by seed. Ribes spp. first begin
producing seeds when 3 to 5 years old. Some seeds are dispersed by
animals, but many berries fall to the ground beneath the parent plant
[25,28].

Scarification and stratification enhance germination of Ribes spp.
Idaho gooseberry seeds stored at 32 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit (0-5 deg C)
for 90 days had 79 percent germination in sand moistened with nutrient
solution [28]. Mineral soil is the best seedbed for Ribes spp. [25].

Ribes spp. seeds have longterm viability [28]. They accumulate in the
organic mantle and mineral soil over time [25].

The ability of Ribes oxyacanthoides to regenerate vegetatively by
rhizomes or by sprouting is not documented in the literature.

More info on this topic.

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):

5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
15 Black Hills Uplift
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands

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More info for the terms: grassland, shrub, shrubland, succession

Ribes oxyacanthoides is probably moderately shade tolerant; it occurs in
open woods and forests. It probably becomes established in early seral
communities and remains present in mid-seral communities.

Inland gooseberry is most abundant in the shrubland stage of riparian
community succession. Successional stages are as follows: sandbar,
young cottonwoods, mature cottonwoods with shrub understory, shrubland,
and grassland [4].

Ribes cognatum Greene [14]
Ribes hendersonii C. L. Hitchc. [14,21]
Ribes irriguum Dougl. [14,21]
Ribes setosum Lindl. [11,21,39]

The currently accepted scientific name for Canadian gooseberry is Ribes
oxyacanthoides L. [16,31]. It is a member of the gooseberry family
(Grossulariaceae). In a 1985 monograph, Sinnott [31] recognized the
following five subspecies:

Ribes oxyacanthoides subsp. cognatum (Greene) Sinnott, Umatilla gooseberry
Ribes oxyacanthoides subsp. hendersonii (C. L. Hitchc.) Sinnott, Henderson's gooseberry
Ribes oxyacanthoides subsp. irriguum (Dougl.) Sinnott, Idaho gooseberry
Ribes oxyacanthoides subsp. oxyacanthoides L., Canadian gooseberry
Ribes oxyacanthoides subsp. setosum (Lindl.) Sinnott, inland gooseberry, Missouri gooseberry

Some regional floras consider the five subspecies to be separate species
[11,14,21]; the taxonomic change by Sinnott is recognized in this review.

Inland gooseberry and Canadian gooseberry are the most widespread
subspecies and much of the information in this review pertains to them.
In this review, "Canadian gooseberry" refers to the typical subspecies,
and the scientific name is used to refer to the species as a whole.