Fraxinus nigra

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Fraxinus nigra
Fraxinus nigra leaves.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Oleaceae
Genus: Fraxinus
Section: Fraxinus sect. Fraxinus
Species:
F. nigra
Binomial name
Fraxinus nigra
Fraxinus nigra range map 3.png
Natural range

Fraxinus nigra, the black ash, is a species of ash native to much of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, from western Newfoundland west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Illinois and northern Virginia. [3] Formerly abundant, as of 2017 the species is threatened with near total extirpation throughout its range within the next century as a result of infestation by an invasive parasitic insect known as the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis). [1]

Contents

Description

Image of black ash trunk. Tree is located in a seasonally wet, riparian habitat near a small-scale stream. Tree bark is corky and spongy. FraNigBark.jpeg
Image of black ash trunk. Tree is located in a seasonally wet, riparian habitat near a small-scale stream. Tree bark is corky and spongy.

Black ash is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching 15–20 metres (49–66 ft) (exceptionally 26 metres (85 ft)) tall with a trunk up to 60 cm (24 inches) diameter, or exceptionally to 160 cm (63 inches). The bark is grey, thick and corky even on young trees, becoming scaly and fissured with age. The winter buds are dark brown to blackish, with a velvety texture. The leaves are opposite, pinnately compound, with 7–13 (most often 9) leaflets; each leaf is 20–45 cm (8–18 in) long, the leaflets 7–16 cm (2+346+14 in) long and 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) broad, with a finely toothed margin. The leaflets are sessile, directly attached to the rachis without a petiolule. The flowers are produced in spring shortly before the new leaves, in loose panicles; they are inconspicuous with no petals, and are wind-pollinated. The fruit is a samara 2.5–4.5 cm (1–1+34 in) long comprising a single seed 2 cm (34 in) long with an elongated apical wing 1.5–2 cm (5834 in) long and 6–8 mm (14516 in) broad. [4] [5] [6]

Ecology and conservation status

Black ash commonly occurs in swamps, [6] often with the closely related green ash. Its fall foliage is yellow. Black ash is one of the first trees to lose its leaves in the fall. It is very closely related to Manchurian ash, and will easily hybridize with it. Some consider the two to be geographic isolates of each other.[ citation needed ]

The species was considered abundant and its survival of little concern prior to the invasion of the emerald ash borer, first detected in North America in 2002. However, since that time this invasive insect has spread throughout most of the tree's range, and within a few years black ash is expected to be all but extirpated; a similar fate awaits green ash. In 2014, a U.S. Forest Service agent estimated that "ninety-nine percent of the ashes in North America are probably going to die." Blue ash and white ash are only slightly less affected. [7]

Direct usefulness for humans

In Mi'kma'ki (made up of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and eastern Quebec, Canada), the black ash, or wisqoq, has been vital to the Mi'kmaw culture and was used to make many functional items like chairs, canoes, axes, snowshoes, and most notably, baskets. [8] [9] The sale of black ash baskets sustained many Mi'kmaw families when income was scarce. [10] [11]

The Shakers also made extensive use of the black ash for creating baskets. Also called basket ash, brown ash, swamp Ash, hoop ash, and water ash. It is also a popular wood for making electric guitars and basses, due to its good resonant qualities. [12] [ dubious discuss ]

Creating basket strips

Black ash splint basket by Kelly Church (Odawa-Ojibwe) Kelly church black ash basket.jpg
Black ash splint basket by Kelly Church (Odawa-Ojibwe)

Black ash is unique among all trees in North America in that it does not have fibers connecting the growth rings to each other. [13] This is a useful property for basket makers. By pounding on the wood with a mallet, the weaker spring wood layer is crushed, allowing the tougher and darker summer wood layer to be peeled off in long strips. The long strips are trimmed, cleaned, and used in basket weaving. Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands also make bark baskets from black ash, traditionally used for berry-gathering. [13]

Usefulness to wildlife

North American native ash tree species are used by North American frogs as a critical food source, as the leaves that fall from the trees are particularly suitable for tadpoles to feed upon in ponds (both temporary and permanent), large puddles, and other water sources. [14] Species such as red maple, which are taking the place of ash, due to the ash borer, are much less suitable for the frogs as a food source—resulting in poor frog survival rates and small frog sizes. [14] It is the lack of tannins in the American ash variety that makes them good for the frogs as a food source and also not resistant to the ash borer. Varieties of ash from outside North America typically have much higher tannin levels and resist the borer. Maples and various non-native invasive trees, trees that are taking the place of American ash species in the North American ecosystem, typically have much higher leaf tannin levels. [14] Ash species native to North America also provide important habitat and food for various other creatures that are native to North America, such as the long-horned beetle, avian species, and mammalian species. [15] Black ash is a food plant for the larvae of several species of Lepidoptera; see List of Lepidoptera that feed on ashes.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<i>Quercus montana</i> Species of oak tree

Quercus montana, the chestnut oak, is a species of oak in the white oak group, Quercus sect. Quercus. It is native to the eastern United States, where it is one of the most important ridgetop trees from southern Maine southwest to central Mississippi, with an outlying northwestern population in southern Michigan. It is also sometimes called rock oak because of its presence in montane and other rocky habitats.

<i>Fraxinus</i> Genus of plants

Fraxinus, commonly called ash, is a genus of plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae, and comprises 45–65 species of usually medium-to-large trees, most of which are deciduous trees, although some subtropical species are evergreen trees. The genus is widespread throughout much of Europe, Asia, and North America.

<i>Fraxinus quadrangulata</i> Species of ash

Fraxinus quadrangulata, the blue ash, is a species of ash native primarily to the Midwestern United States from Oklahoma to Michigan, as well as the Bluegrass region of Kentucky and the Nashville Basin region of Tennessee. Isolated populations exist in Alabama, Southern Ontario, and small sections of the Appalachian Mountains. It is typically found over calcareous substrates such as limestone, growing on limestone slopes and in moist valley soils, at elevations of 120–600 m (390–1,970 ft).

<i>Fraxinus americana</i> Species of ash

Fraxinus americana, the white ash or American ash, is a fast-growing species of ash tree native to eastern and central North America.

<i>Fraxinus excelsior</i> Species of deciduous tree in the family Oleaceae

Fraxinus excelsior, known as the ash, or European ash or common ash to distinguish it from other types of ash, is a flowering plant species in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native throughout mainland Europe east to the Caucasus and Alborz mountains, and west to Great Britain and Ireland, the latter determining its western boundary. The northernmost location is in the Trondheimsfjord region of Norway. The species is widely cultivated and reportedly naturalised in New Zealand and in scattered locales in the United States and Canada.

<i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i> Species of tree native to North America

Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known in its native territory as black locust, is a medium-sized hardwood deciduous tree, belonging to the tribe Robinieae of the legume family Fabaceae. It is native to a few small areas of the United States, but it has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate North America, Europe, Southern Africa and Asia and is considered an invasive species in some areas, such as the temperate east coast of Australia where the cultivar "Frisia" was widely planted as a street tree before being classed as a weed. Another common name is false acacia, a literal translation of the specific name.

<i>Acer negundo</i> Species of maple

Acer negundo, also known as the box elder, boxelder maple, Manitoba maple or ash-leaved maple, is a species of maple native to North America. It is a fast-growing, short-lived tree with opposite, ash-like compound leaves. It is sometimes considered a weedy or invasive species, and has been naturalized throughout much of the world, including South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, much of Europe, and parts of Asia.

<i>Juglans nigra</i> Species of tree

Juglans nigra, the eastern American black walnut, is a species of deciduous tree in the walnut family, Juglandaceae, native to North America. It grows mostly in riparian zones, from southern Ontario, west to southeast South Dakota, south to Georgia, northern Florida and southwest to central Texas. Wild trees in the upper Ottawa Valley may be an isolated native population or may have derived from planted trees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emerald ash borer</span> Species of beetle

The emerald ash borer, also known by the acronym EAB, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia that feeds on ash species. Females lay eggs in bark crevices on ash trees, and larvae feed underneath the bark of ash trees to emerge as adults in one to two years. In its native range, it is typically found at low densities and does not cause significant damage to trees native to the area. Outside its native range, it is an invasive species and is highly destructive to ash trees native to Europe and North America. Before it was found in North America, very little was known about the emerald ash borer in its native range; this has resulted in much of the research on its biology being focused in North America. Local governments in North America are attempting to control it by monitoring its spread, diversifying tree species, and through the use of insecticides and biological control.

<i>Juglans cinerea</i> Species of tree

Juglans cinerea, commonly known as butternut or white walnut, is a species of walnut native to the eastern United States and southeast Canada.

<i>Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i> Species of ash

Fraxinus pennsylvanica, the green ash or red ash, is a species of ash native to eastern and central North America, from Nova Scotia west to southeastern Alberta and eastern Colorado, south to northern Florida, and southwest to Oklahoma and eastern Texas. It has spread and become naturalized in much of the western United States and also in Argentina and Europe, from Spain to Russia.

<i>Fraxinus latifolia</i> Species of ash

Fraxinus latifolia, the Oregon ash, is a member of the ash genus Fraxinus, native to western North America.

<i>Carya cordiformis</i> Species of tree

Carya cordiformis, the bitternut hickory, also called bitternut, yellowbud hickory, or swamp hickory, is a large hickory species native to the eastern United States and adjacent Canada. Notable for its unique sulphur-yellow buds, it is one of the most widespread hickories and is the northernmost species of pecan hickory. It is the shortest-lived of the hickories, living to about 200 years.

<i>Fraxinus angustifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Fraxinus angustifolia, the narrow-leaved ash, is a species of Fraxinus native to Central Europe and Southern Europe, Northwest Africa, and Southwest Asia.

<i>Quercus nigra</i> Species of oak tree

Quercus nigra, the water oak, is an oak in the red oak group, native to the eastern and south-central United States, found in all the coastal states from New Jersey to Texas, and inland as far as Oklahoma, Kentucky, and southern Missouri. It occurs in lowlands and up to 450 meters in elevation.

<i>Fraxinus ornus</i> Species of ash

Fraxinus ornus, the manna ash or South European flowering ash, is a species of Fraxinus native to Southern Europe and Southwestern Asia, from Spain and Italy north to Austria and the Czech Republic, and east through the Balkans, Turkey, and western Syria to Lebanon and Armenia.

<i>Fraxinus mandschurica</i> Species of ash

Fraxinus mandshurica, the Manchurian ash, is a species of Fraxinus native to northeastern Asia in northern China, Korea, Japan and southeastern Russia.

<i>Fraxinus profunda</i> Species of ash

Fraxinus profunda, the pumpkin ash, is a species of ash (Fraxinus) native to eastern North America, where it has a scattered distribution on the Atlantic coastal plain and interior lowland river valleys from the Lake Erie basin in Ontario and New York west to Illinois, southwest to Missouri and southeast to northern Florida. It grows in bottomland habitats, such as swamps, floodplains and riverbanks. It is threatened by the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect which has caused widespread destruction of ash trees in eastern North America.

<i>Fraxinus lanuginosa</i> Species of ash

Fraxinus lanuginosa is a species of ash native to Japan and to the Primorye region of eastern Russia.

<i>Fraxinus caroliniana</i> Species of ash

Fraxinus caroliniana, the pop ash, Florida ash, swamp ash, Carolina ash, or water ash, is a species of ash tree native from Cuba through the subtropical Southeastern United States from southern Virginia to Texas. It was originally described by the botanist Philip Miller. It is a small tree about 40 ft. Leaves are compound, opposite, 7–12 in long, leaflets 5–7 in, ovate to oblong, coarsely serrate or entire, 3–6 in long, 2–3 in wide. Fruit is frequently 3-winged (samara) with flat seed portion; seed sometimes a bright violet color. It is the smallest of eastern North American ash species, wood light, soft, weak, 22 lbs./cu.ft. Typical to coastal swamps and subtropical lowlands. Like other species in the section Melioides, Fraxinus caroliniana is dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on separate individuals.

References

  1. 1 2 Jerome, D.; Westwood, M.; Oldfield, S.; Romero-Severson, J. (2017). "Fraxinus nigra". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T61918683A61918721. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T61918683A61918721.en . Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  2. NatureServe (2 February 2024). "Fraxinus nigra". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  3. "Fraxinus nigra". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
  4. New Brunswick tree and shrub: Fraxinus nigra [ dead link ]
  5. Virtual Herbarium of the Chicago Region: Fraxinus nigra Archived 2006-10-04 at the Wayback Machine
  6. 1 2 Wright, Jonathan W.; Rauscher, H. Michael (1990). "Fraxinus nigra". In Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H. (eds.). Hardwoods. Silvics of North America. Vol. 2. Washington, D.C.: United States Forest Service (USFS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) via Southern Research Station.
  7. "After the Trees Disappear". The New York Times . 30 June 2014.
  8. "History – Wisqoq" . Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  9. "How an exhibit of Mi'kmaw handwoven baskets connects to climate change". CBC News. March 25, 2024.
  10. "Bringing back the black ash tree". Dalhousie University. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  11. "Basket Weaving and Being Welcomed in Mi'kmaki | Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21". pier21.ca. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  12. Guitar Wood FAQ – Wood Types & Tones
  13. 1 2 Diamond, Allaire K.; Emery, Marla R. (2011-11-29). "Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra Marsh.): Local Ecological Knowledge of Site Characteristics and Morphology Associated with Basket–Grade Specimens in New England (USA)1". Economic Botany. 65 (4): 422–426. doi:10.1007/s12231-011-9174-z. ISSN   0013-0001. S2CID   45635986.
  14. 1 2 3 Stephens, Jeffrey; Bervan, Keith; Tiegs, Scott (3 May 2013). "Anthropogenic changes to leaf litter input affect the fitness of a larval amphibian". Freshwater Biology. 58 (8): 1631–1646. doi:10.1111/fwb.12155.
  15. "Black Ash". Illinois Wildflowers. Dr. John Hilty. Retrieved 27 August 2018.