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How to identify — Balsam fir has glossy, flat needles about 3/4 to 1 1/2" long with two fine white stripes underneath (stomata). The needles have a small circular disk at their base where they join the stem. Needles are usually arranged in two flat ranks on either side of the twig, though upper twigs exposed to full sunlight may have an upward-curving brushlike appearance. The needles and twigs are soft, not prickly like those of spruce. Balsam fir cones grow upright on twigs in the upper part of the crown and appear black or purple when young. Because the cones break apart while still on the branch they are rarely found on the ground. The smooth gray bark is marked by resin blisters, which secrete a very sticky, aromatic gum that was traditionally used as a backwoods adhesive, cement, and chewing gum. Habitat/Distribution — Balsam fir is found from northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, across the region from the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay, and east to Labrador and New England. In northern New England it is found from sea level along the Maine coast to the upper elevational limits of tree growth, where it forms a major component of alpine krummholz. It is primarily found on cool moist soils. It will tolerate wet soils but is less tolerant of dry or rocky soils than red spurce. Ecology — Balsam fir is almost always found in association with red spruce, sometimes in pure softwood stands and sometimes mixed with hardwoods such as red maple and white and yellow birch. It is less common than spruce in stands dominated by hardwoods. Balsam fir is tolerant of shade when young, and dense carpets of balsam fir seedlings can be found under mature canopies of spruce and fir. The seedlings can grow rapidly when exposed to sunlight by fire, windthrow or timber harvesting. Balsam fir is relatively short-lived, and after about 75 years of age it becomes very susceptible to rot and declines rapidly. Despite its name, the spruce budworm primarily attacks balsam fir, and infestations can rapidly kill large areas of mature balsam fir Outbreaks of spruce budworm occur on regular cycles of about 60 to 80 years, and last occurred in our region (primarily in Maine) in the 1970s and 1980s. These outbreaks, though devastating to the trees, provide a major food source for certain birds, primarily warblers, and the stands of dead fir are heavily used by woodpeckers. The buds and cones of balsam fir are a critical winter food source for red squirrels. Middens or piles of cones scales whose seeds have been eaten by squirrels are often found on the winter forest floor. Squirrels, as a result, help to disperse the seeds of this and other conifers. It is also a major winter food for moose. Environmental Change Issues — As a cool climate species, balsam fir could be reduced across our region as the climate warms, becoming restricted to upper elevations of northeastern mountains. |
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