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Boreal Conifers |
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The Northern Boreal Forest or Taiga covers most of northern North America from the tree line of the Tundra to the mixed conifer-deciduous regions of the northern limits of the Eastern Deciduous Forest. Some important conifers from the Northern Boreal Forest are discussed below. |
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Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) is widespread in the boreal regions of North America. Balsam Fir is also a strong component of the Canadian Zone Forests of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. The species also extends southward in the mountains of eastern North America to northern Virginia. Firs are easily identified by their cones, although cones may be hard to find. The cones sit upright on their branches and are almost always located near the very tops of the trees. Unlike most conifers the cones fall apart when they mature leaving a small central core (like and apple core) sticking up to show where the cone was. |
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The range of Black Spruce (Picea mariana) is possibly the greatest in North America with vast, nearly pure stands of the species covering the Boreal regions of the continent. The cones of spruces hang downward (unlike the female cones of the firs) and arise from the middle portions of the branches. The cones of Black Spruce are smaller, rounder, and more brittle than those of White Spruce, another common boreal species. Black Spruce is an important pulp species, but not too important as a lumber tree because of its small size. Historically a chewing gum and beer where made from it. Black Spruce is also used for Christmas Trees. |
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White Spruce (Picea glauca) is another extremely widespread and common spruce tree of the Northern Boreal Forest. White Spruce is a plastic species occurring in a wide variety of habitats and soil conditions within its boreal range. In the west the species is most common along rivers and lake shores. The cones of White Spruce are larger, longer, and less brittle than those of Black Spruce, the other dominant spruce species of the Taiga. White Spruce is a taller and larger tree than Black Spruce. The species is used for both pulp and rough lumber. |
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Tamarack (Larix laricina) lives in the swamps, bogs, and marshes of the Northern Boreal Forest extending southward in the east into similar areas of the northern parts of the Eastern Deciduous Forest. The needles (leaves) of the genus Larix (Larches) arise in whorls from short sprurs on the branches. The needles of Tamarack are deciduous, turning yellow in the fall and shedding. |
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Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) is primarily a boreal species and typically grows in poor, sandy soils. Within its range, Jack Pine is widely, but not continuously, distributed in the Northern Boreal Forest. In Canada it is most abundant in Ontario, and in the United States, the largest acreages are in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The species is readily identifiable by its curved cones. |
