Betula papyrifera

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Betula papyrifera
13. The Fall of Acadia (4039110079).jpg
Paper birch forest in Maine
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Betulaceae
Genus: Betula
Subgenus: Betula subg. Betula
Species:
B. papyrifera
Binomial name
Betula papyrifera
Betula papyrifera range map 1.png
Natural range
Synonyms [3] [4]
  • B. alba var. commutata Regel
  • B. alba var. cordifolia (Regel) Regel
  • B. alba var. cordifolia (Regel) Fernald
  • B. alba var. elobata Fernald
  • B. alba subsp. excelsa (Aiton) Regel
  • B. alba subsp. latifolia (Tausch) Regel
  • B. alba var. papyrifera (Marshall) Spach
  • B. alba subsp. papyrifera (Marshall) Regel
  • B. dahurica var. americanaRegel
  • B. excelsa Aiton
  • B. grandis Schrad.
  • B. latifolia Tausch
  • B. lenta var. papyrifera (Marshall) Castigl.
  • B. lyalliana (Koehne) Bean
  • B. montanensis Rydb. ex B.T.Butler
  • B. papyracea Aiton
  • B. pirifolia K. Koch
  • B. subcordata Rydb. ex B.T.Butler

Betula papyrifera (paper birch, [5] also known as (American) white birch [5] and canoe birch [5] ) is a short-lived species of birch native to northern North America. Paper birch is named after the tree's thin white bark, which often peels in paper-like layers from the trunk. Paper birch is often one of the first species to colonize a burned area within the northern latitudes, and is an important species for moose browsing. Primary commercial uses for paper birch wood are as boltwood and sawlogs, while secondary products include firewood and pulpwood. [6] It is the provincial tree of Saskatchewan and the state tree of New Hampshire. [7] [8]

Description

Leaves are doubly serrated with sharp teeth. Betula papyrifera 8853.JPG
Leaves are doubly serrated with sharp teeth.

Betula papyrifera is a medium-sized deciduous tree typically reaching 20 metres (66 feet) tall, [4] and exceptionally to 40 m (130 ft) with a trunk up to 75 centimetres (30 inches) in diameter. [9] Within forests, it often grows with a single trunk but when grown as a landscape tree it may develop multiple trunks or branch close to the ground. [10]

Paper birch is a typically short-lived species. It handles heat and humidity poorly and may live only 30 years in zones six and up, while trees in colder-climate regions can grow for more than 100 years. [9] B. papyrifera will grow in many soil types, from steep rocky outcrops to flat muskegs of the boreal forest. Best growth occurs in deeper, well drained to dry soils, depending on the location. [11]

Genetics and taxonomy

B. papyrifera hybridizes with other species within the genus Betula.

Several varieties are recognized: [11]

Distribution

Betula papyrifera is mostly confined to Canada and the far northern United States. It is found in interior (var. humilus) and south-central (var. kenaica) Alaska and in all provinces and territories of Canada, except Nunavut, as well as the far northern continental United States. Isolated patches are found as far south as the Hudson Valley of New York and Pennsylvania, northern Connecticut, and Washington. High elevation stands are also in mountains to North Carolina, New Mexico, and Colorado.[ citation needed ] The most southerly stand in the Western United States is located in Long Canyon in the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. [15] This is an isolated Pleistocene relict that most likely reflects the southern reach of boreal vegetation into the area during the last Ice Age.[ citation needed ]

Ecology

In Alaska, paper birch often naturally grows in pure stands by itself or with black or white spruce. In the eastern and central regions of its range, it is often associated with red spruce and balsam fir. [11] It may also be associated with big-toothed aspen, yellow birch, Betula populifolia , and maples.

Shrubs often associated with paper birch in the eastern part of its range include beaked hazel ( Corylus cornuta ), common bearberry ( Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ), dwarf bush-honeysuckle ( Diervilla lonicera ), wintergreen ( Gaultheria procumbens ), wild sarsaparilla ( Aralia nudicaulis ), blueberries ( Vaccinium spp.), raspberries and blackberries ( Rubus spp.), elderberry ( Sambucus spp.), and hobblebush ( Viburnum alnifolium ). [16]

Successional relationships

Prescribed fire in a black spruce-paper birch-quaking aspen community in boreal Alaska Boreal forestfire.jpg
Prescribed fire in a black spruce-paper birch-quaking aspen community in boreal Alaska

Betula papyrifera is a pioneer species, meaning it is often one of the first trees to grow in an area after other trees are removed by some sort of disturbance. Typical disturbances colonized by paper birch are wildfire, avalanche, or windthrow areas where the wind has blown down all trees. When it grows in these pioneer, or early successional, woodlands, it often forms stands of trees where it is the only species. [9]

Paper birch is considered well adapted to fires because it recovers quickly by means of reseeding the area or regrowth from the burned tree. The lightweight seeds are easily carried by the wind to burned areas, where they quickly germinate and grow into new trees. Paper birch is adapted to ecosystems where fires occur every 50 to 150 years [9] For example, it is frequently an early invader after fire in black spruce boreal forests. [17] As paper birch is a pioneer species, finding it within mature or climax forests is rare because it will be overcome by trees that are more shade-tolerant as secondary succession progresses. [13]

For example, in Alaskan boreal forests, a paper birch stand 20 years after a fire may have 3,000–6,000 trees per acre (7,400–14,800/ha), but after 60 to 90 years, the number of trees will decrease to 500–800 trees per acre (1,200–2,000/ha) as spruce replaces the birch. [9] After approximately 75 years, the birch will start dying and by 125 years, most paper birch will have disappeared unless another fire burns the area.

Paper birch trees themselves have varied reactions to wildfire. A group, or stand, of paper birch is not particularly flammable. The canopy often has a high moisture content and the understory is often lush green. [9] As such, conifer crown fires often stop once they reach a stand of paper birch or become slower-moving ground fires. Since these stands are fire-resistant, they may become seed trees to reseed the area around them that was burned. However, in dry periods, paper birch is flammable and will burn rapidly. [9] As the bark is flammable, it often will burn and may girdle the tree.

Wildlife

Birch bark is a winter staple food for moose. The nutritional quality is poor because of the large quantities of lignin, which make digestion difficult, but is important to wintering moose because of its sheer abundance. [9] Moose prefer paper birch over aspen, alder, and balsam poplar, but they prefer willow ( Salix spp.) over birch and the other species listed. Although moose consume large amounts of paper birch in the winter, if they were to eat only paper birch, they may starve. [9]

Although white-tailed deer consider birch a "secondary-choice food," it is an important dietary component. In Minnesota, white-tailed deer eat considerable amounts of paper birch leaves in the fall. Snowshoe hares browse paper birch seedlings, [9] and grouse eat the buds. Porcupines and beavers feed on the inner bark. [18] The seeds of paper birch are an important part of the diet of many birds and small mammals, including chickadees, redpolls, voles, and ruffed grouse. Yellow bellied sapsuckers drill holes in the bark of paper birch to get at the sap; this is one of their favorite trees for feeding on. [9]

Conservation

As of 2023, the conservation status of paper birch is considered of least concern according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). However, the species is considered vulnerable in Indiana and Nebraska, imperiled in Illinois, Virginia, and West Virginia, and critically imperiled in Colorado and Tennessee. [19] These areas represent the southerly and southwesterly edge of the paper birch's range.

Uses

Paper birch at Acadia National Park in Maine, informally referred to as "white birch" White birch at Acadia National Park, ME IMG 2177.JPG
Paper birch at Acadia National Park in Maine, informally referred to as "white birch"

Betula papyrifera has a moderately heavy white wood. It makes excellent high-yielding firewood if seasoned properly. The dried wood has a density of 37.4 lb/cu ft (0.599 g/cm3) and an energy density 20,300,000 BTU/cord (5,900,000 kJ/m3). [20] Although paper birch does not have a very high overall economic value, it is used in furniture, flooring, popsicle sticks, [21] pulpwood (for paper), plywood, and oriented strand board. [9] The wood can also be made into spears, bows, arrows, snowshoes, sleds, and other items. [9] When used as pulp for paper, the stems and other nontrunk wood are lower in quantity and quality of fibers, and consequently the fibers have less mechanical strength; nonetheless, this wood is still suitable for use in paper.

The sap is boiled down to produce birch syrup. The raw sap contains 0.9% carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, sucrose) [11] as compared to 2 percent to 3 percent within sugar maple sap. The sap flows later in the season than maples. Currently, only a few small-scale operations in Alaska and Yukon produce birch syrup from this species. [11]

Bark

Peeling bark Ecorce de bouleau.JPG
Peeling bark

Its bark is an excellent fire starter; it ignites at high temperatures even when wet. The bark has an energy density of 5,740 cal/g (24,000 J/g) and 3,209 cal/cm3 (220,000 J/cu in), the highest per unit weight of 24 species tested. [11]

Birch bark is used in a number of crafts by various Native American tribes (e.g. Ojibwe). [22] In the Ashinaabe language birch bark is called wiigwaas. [22] Panels of bark can be fitted or sewn together to make cartons and boxes. The bark is also used to create a durable waterproof layer in the construction of sod-roofed houses. [12] Many indigenous groups (i.e., Wabanaki peoples) use birchbark for making various items, such as canoes, containers, [13] and wigwams. It is also used as a backing for porcupine quillwork and moosehair embroidery. Thin sheets can be employed as a medium for the art of birchbark biting. [23]

Plantings

Paper birch is planted to reclaim old mines and other disturbed sites, often bare-root or small saplings are planted when this is the goal. [9] Since paper birch is an adaptable pioneer species, it is a prime candidate for reforesting drastically disturbed areas.

Paper birch is frequently planted as an ornamental because of its graceful form and attractive bark. The bark changes to the white color at about 3 years of growth. [10] Paper birch grows best in USDA zones 2–6, [10] due to its intolerance of high temperatures. Betula nigra , or river birch, is recommended for warm-climate areas warmer than zone 6, where paper birch is rarely successful. [24] B. papyrifera is more resistant to the bronze birch borer than Betula pendula , which is similarly planted as a landscape tree.

Pests

Bronze birch borer is a major pest among birch species. [25] Under repeated infestation or stress to the tree from other sources, bronze birch borers may kill the tree. [25] The insect bores into the sapwood, beginning at the top of the tree and causing death of the tree crown. [26] The insect has a D-shaped emergence hole where it chews out of the tree. Healthy trees are resistant to the borer, but when grown in less than ideal conditions, the defense mechanisms of the tree may not function properly. Chemical controls exist. [26]

Birch skeletonizers are moths which lay their eggs on the surfaces of birch leaves. [27] Upon hatching, the larvae feed on the undersides of the leaves and cause browning. [26]

Birch leafminer is a species of sawfly and a common pest that feeds from the inside of the leaf and causes the leaf to turn brown. [28] It was introduced to the United States in the 1920s. [28] The first generation appears in May but there will be several generations per year. Severe infestations may stress the tree and make it more vulnerable to the bronze birch borer. [26]

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Taiga, also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga or boreal forest is the world's largest land biome. In North America, it covers most of inland Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northern contiguous United States. In Eurasia, it covers most of Sweden, Finland, much of Russia from Karelia in the west to the Pacific Ocean, much of Norway and Estonia, some of the Scottish Highlands, some lowland/coastal areas of Iceland, and areas of northern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, and northern Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birch</span> Genus of flowering plants in the family Betulaceae

A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus Betula contains 30 to 60 known taxa of which 11 are on the IUCN 2011 Red List of Threatened Species. They are a typically rather short-lived pioneer species widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in northern areas of temperate climates and in boreal climates. Birch wood, the wood of the birch, is used for a wide range of purposes.

<i>Picea mariana</i> North American species of spruce tree

Picea mariana, the black spruce, is a North American species of spruce tree in the pine family. It is widespread across Canada, found in all 10 provinces and all 3 territories. It is the official tree of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and is that province's most numerous tree. The range of the black spruce extends into northern parts of the United States: in Alaska, the Great Lakes region, and the upper Northeast. It is a frequent part of the biome known as taiga or boreal forest.

<i>Betula pendula</i> Species of birch

Betula pendula, commonly known as silver birch, warty birch, European white birch, or East Asian white birch, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to Europe and parts of Asia, though in southern Europe, it is only found at higher altitudes. Its range extends into Siberia, China, and southwest Asia in the mountains of northern Turkey, the Caucasus, and northern Iran. It has been introduced into North America, where it is known as the European white birch or weeping birch and is considered invasive in some states in the United States and parts of Canada. The tree can also be found in more temperate regions of Australia.

<i>Betula pubescens</i> Species of birch

Betula pubescens, commonly known as downy birch and also as moor birch, white birch, European white birch or hairy birch, is a species of deciduous tree, native and abundant throughout northern Europe and northern Asia, growing farther north than any other broadleaf tree. It is closely related to, and often confused with, the silver birch, but grows in wetter places with heavier soils and poorer drainage; smaller trees can also be confused with the dwarf birch.

<i>Betula nigra</i> Species of birch

Betula nigra, the black birch, river birch or water birch, is a species of birch native to the Eastern United States from New Hampshire west to southern Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and west to Texas. It is one of the few heat-tolerant birches in a family of mostly cold-weather trees which do not thrive in USDA Zone 6 and up. B. nigra commonly occurs in floodplains and swamps.

<i>Abies balsamea</i> Species of conifer tree

Abies balsamea or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States.

<i>Larix laricina</i> Species of larch native to North America

Larix laricina, commonly known as the tamarack, hackmatack, eastern larch, black larch, red larch, or American larch, is a species of larch native to Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland, and also south into the upper northeastern United States from Minnesota to Cranesville Swamp, West Virginia; there is also an isolated population in central Alaska.

<i>Picea glauca</i> Species of conifer

Picea glauca, the white spruce, is a species of spruce native to the northern temperate and boreal forests in North America. Picea glauca is native from central Alaska all through the east, across western and southern/central Canada to the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland, and south to Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Upstate New York and Vermont, along with the mountainous and immediate coastal portions of New Hampshire and Maine, where temperatures are just barely cool and moist enough to support it. There is also an isolated population in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. It is also known as Canadian spruce, skunk spruce, cat spruce, Black Hills spruce, western white spruce, Alberta white spruce, and Porsild spruce.

<i>Betula alleghaniensis</i> Species of flowering plant in the birch family Betulaceae

Betula alleghaniensis, the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the past its scientific name was Betula lutea.

<i>Betula lenta</i> Species of plant

Betula lenta is a species of birch native to eastern North America, from southern Maine west to southernmost Ontario, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia.

Birch syrup is a savory, mineral-tasting syrup made from birch sap, and produced in much the same way as maple syrup. However, it is seldom used for pancake or waffle syrup; more often it is used as an ingredient paired with pork or salmon dishes in sauces, glazes, and dressings, and as a flavoring in ice cream, beer, wine, and soft drinks.

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<i>Betula populifolia</i> Species of birch

Betula populifolia, known as the gray birch, is a deciduous tree in the family Betulaceae. It is native to eastern North America and is most commonly found in the northeast United States as well as southern Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The tree is a pioneer species that is commonly found in sites following disturbance, such as fire or logging. Gray birches don't have as much economic value as other birch species but are still commonly used as ornamental trees.

<i>Betula cordifolia</i> Species of birch

Betula cordifolia, the mountain paper birch or heartleaf birch is a birch species native to Eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States. Until recently it was considered a variety of Betula papyrifera, with which it shares many characteristics, and it was classified as B. papyrifera var. cordifolia (Regel) Fern.

<i>Betula utilis</i> Species of birch

Betula utilis, the Himalayan birch, is a deciduous tree native to the Western Himalayas, growing at elevations up to 4,500 m (14,800 ft). The Latin specific epithet utilis means "useful", and refers to the many uses of the different parts of the tree. The white, paper-like bark was used in ancient times for writing Sanskrit scriptures and texts. It is still used as paper for the writing of sacred mantras, with the bark placed in an amulet and worn for protection. Selected varieties are used for landscaping throughout the world, even while some areas of its native habitat are being lost due to overuse of the tree for firewood.

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References

  1. ↑ Stritch, L. (2014). "Betula papyrifera". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T194502A2342659. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T194502A2342659.en . Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  2. ↑ NatureServe (2 June 2023). "Betula papyrifera". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "Betula papyrifera". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 2012-10-10– via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Furlow, John J. (1997). "Betula papyrifera". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 3. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  5. 1 2 3 "Betula papyrifera". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  6. ↑ Stafford, L.O. (1983). Silvicultural Guide for Paper Birch in the Northeast (Revised ed.). United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Research Paper NE-535. p. 8.
  7. ↑ "Saskatchewan's Provincial Tree". Archived from the original on 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
  8. ↑ "Fast New Hampshire Facts". NH.gov. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Uchytil, Ronald J. (1991). "Betula papyrifera". Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Dirr, Michael A (1990). Manual of woody landscape plants (4. ed., rev. ed.). Champaign, Illinois: Stipes Publishing Company. ISBN   0-87563-344-7.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Burns, Russell M; Honkala, Barbara H. (1990). Sylvics of North America: Hardwoods. Washington: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service u.a. ISBN   0-16-029260-3. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  12. 1 2 Ewing, Susan (April 1, 1996). The Great Alaska Nature Factbook. Portland, Oregon: Alaska Northwest Books. ISBN   978-0-88240-454-7.
  13. 1 2 3 Arno, Stephen F.; Hammerly, Ramona P. (2020) [1977]. Northwest Trees: Identifying & Understanding the Region's Native Trees (field guide ed.). Seattle: Mountaineers Books. pp. 215–219. ISBN   978-1-68051-329-5. OCLC   1141235469.
  14. ↑ Rhoads, Ann; Block, Timothy (5 September 2007). The Plants of Pennsylvania (2 ed.). Philadelphia Pa: University of Pennsylvania press. ISBN   978-0-8122-4003-0.
  15. ↑ Cooper, David J., ed. (Spring 1984). Ecological Survey of the City of Boulder, Colorado Mountain Parks (PDF) (Report). City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department. p. 16. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  16. ↑ Safford, L. O.; Bjorkbom, John C.; Zasada, John C. (2023-04-18). "Betula papyrifera Marsh". Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  17. ↑ Hogan, C. Michael (2008). "Black Spruce (Picea mariana)". GlobalTwitcher. Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
  18. ↑ Peattie, Donald Culross (1953). A Natural History of Western Trees. New York: Bonanza Books. p. 385.
  19. ↑ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
  20. ↑ "Wood – Combustion Heat Values". www.engineeringtoolbox.com. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  21. ↑ Bellis, Mary. "Popsicle – The History of the Popsicle". About.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
  22. 1 2 Emery, M.R.; Wrobel, A.; Hansen, M.H.; Dockry, M.; Moser, W.K.; Stark, K.J.; Gilbert, J.H. (2014). "Using Traditional Ecological Knowledge as a Basis for Targeted Forest Inventories: Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) in the US Great Lakes Region". Journal of Forestry. 112 (2): 2. doi: 10.5849/jof.13-023 .
  23. ↑ Wakim, Yvonne; Hirschfelder, Arlene; Dennis, Shannon Rothenberger Flynn (2016). Native American Almanac: More Than 50,000 Years of the Cultures and Histories of Indigenous Peoples. Visible Ink Press. p. 1273.
  24. ↑ "Betula papyrifera - Paper Birch" (PDF). Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  25. 1 2 Rose, A.H.; Lindquist, O.H. (1997). Insects of Eastern Hardwood Trees. Ottawa: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Forestry Technical Report 29. p. 95.
  26. 1 2 3 4 "Betula papyrifera - Paper Birch" (PDF). Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  27. ↑ Rose, A.H.; Lindquist, O.H. (1997). Insects of Eastern Hardwood Trees. Ottawa: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Forestry Technical Report 29. p. 65.
  28. 1 2 Rose, A.H.; Lindquist, O.H. (1997). Insects of Eastern Hardwood Trees. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Forestry Technical Report 29. p. 85.
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