| Subalpine
fir grows in the coolest and wettest forests, near upper
timberline. The trees are easily distinguished with their
narrow conical crown. The reason their crowns
are shaped this way is to reduce the amount of snow the branches
carry. Sometimes they actually grow at timberline in a krumholtz
form where they are severely deformed by high winds and heavy
snow. In this instance they many be only a few feet tall when
they are mature.
The tree is tolerant and can only grow in
the shade of a mature forest. Subalpine fir begin to grow
in the shade of a seral lodgepole pine forest. Subalpine fir
is “climax” which means they are the most shade
tolerant tree that can live on the site. They are able to
regenerate in the dense shade of mature trees. Just because
the subalpine fir is climax does not mean there are a great
number of these forests, because natural wildfires often occur
more often than the amount of time required for a mature subalpine
fir forest to develop.
The needles
of the subalpine fir occur singly. They are about ¾
of an inch long and attach directly to the bark. If you pull
one off it will leave a small round wound on the bark. The
cones of the subalpine
fir are interesting. They are indigo blue in color and grow
up from the branch. You won’t find a subalpine fir cone
lying on the ground because the cones disintegrate when the
seed is ripe. The cones are 4 to 6 inches long
The bark
is grayish and covered with resin blisters, it is very pitchy.
Subalpine fir is very fragrant, many people think it smells
like a Christmas tree.
Subalpine fir can be used for wood products
such as flakeboard and pulp.
Because it grows in the wettest areas it often
provides protective cover for watersheds. |
