Abies grandis

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Abies grandis
Grand fir
Abies grandis Rogow 6.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Abies
Species:
A. grandis
Binomial name
Abies grandis
Abies grandis range map 3.png
Natural range of Abies grandis
green - A. grandis ssp. grandis
blue - A. grandis ssp. idahoensis

Abies grandis (grand fir, giant fir, lowland white fir, great silver fir, western white fir, Vancouver fir, or Oregon fir) is a fir native to northwestern North America, occurring at altitudes of sea level to 1,700 metres (5,600 ft). It is a major constituent of the Grand Fir/Douglas Fir Ecoregion of the Cascade Range.

The tree typically grows to 40–70 m (130–230 ft) in height, and may be the tallest Abies species in the world. There are two varieties, the taller coast grand fir, found west of the Cascade Mountains, and the shorter interior grand fir, found east of the Cascades. It was first described in 1831 by David Douglas. [2]

It is closely related to white fir. The bark was historically believed to have medicinal properties, and it is popular in the United States as a Christmas tree. Its lumber is a softwood, and it is harvested as a hem fir. It is used in paper-making, as well as construction for framing and flooring, where it is desired for its resistance to splitting and splintering.

Description

Abies grandis 5357.JPG
Abies grandis 5359.JPG
The bottom (left) and top (right) of the foliage

Abies grandis is a large evergreen conifer growing to 40–70 metres (130–230 feet) tall, exceptionally 100 m (330 ft), with a trunk diameter of up to 2 m (6+12 ft). The dead tree tops sometimes fork into new growth. [3] The bark is 5 centimetres (2 inches) thick, reddish to gray (but purple within), furrowed, and divided into slender plates. [3] The leaves are needle-like, flattened, 3–6 cm (1+182+38 in) long and 2 millimetres (332 in) wide by 0.5 mm thick, glossy dark green above, [3] with two green-white bands of stomata below, and slightly notched at the tip. The leaf arrangement is spiral on the shoot, but with each leaf variably twisted at the base so they all lie in two more-or-less flat ranks on either side of the shoot. On the lower leaf surface, two green-white bands of stomata are prominent. The base of each leaf is twisted a variable amount so that the leaves are nearly coplanar.

Cones Abies grandis cones.jpg
Cones

The green-to-reddish cones are 6–12 cm (2+144+34 in) long [3] and 3.5–4.5 cm (1+121+34 in) broad, with about 100150 scales; the scale bracts are short, and hidden in the closed cone. The winged seeds are released when the cones disintegrate at maturity about 6 months after pollination. [1]

Varieties

Old-growth copse in inland Oregon Abies grandis oldtrees.jpg
Old-growth copse in inland Oregon

There are two varieties, probably better treated at subspecies rank though not yet formally published as such:

  • Abies grandis var. grandis. Coast grand fir. Coastal lowland forests, at sea level to 900 m altitude, from Vancouver Island and coastal British Columbia, south to Sonoma County, California. A large, very fast-growing tree to 70 m tall. Foliage strongly flattened on all shoots. Cones slightly narrower (mostly less than 4 cm broad), with thinner, fairly flexible scales. Tolerates winter temperatures down to about -25° to -30 °C; growth on good sites may exceed 1.5 m per year when young. [1]
  • Abies grandis var. idahoensis. Interior grand fir. Interior forests, at (600) 9001800 m altitude, on the east slope of the Cascades in Washington and in the Rocky Mountains from southeast British Columbia south to central Idaho, northeast Oregon and western Montana. A smaller, slow-growing tree to 40–45 m tall. Foliage not strongly flattened on all shoots, the leaves often raised above the shoot, particularly on upper crown shoots. Cones slightly stouter (mostly over 4 cm broad), with thicker, slightly woody scales. Tolerates winter temperatures down to about -40 °C; growth on good sites not exceeding 0.6 m per year even when young. [1]

Grand fir is very closely related to white fir (Abies concolor), and intergrades with it in central Oregon. Firs of the Blue Mountains and Oregon East Cascade Slope are intermediate between the two species in genetics and appearance. The intergrades are often referred to as "Abies grandis x concolor", a variety which itself intergrades into Abies concolor lowiana farther south, around the California state line. [4] [5] [6]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Scottish botanical explorer David Douglas, who in 1830 brought its seeds back to Britain; [3] in 1831 he described specimens he had collected along the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. [2]

Distribution and habitat

The coastal variety of grand fir grows in temperate rainforest environments along the Pacific coast from southwest British Columbia to Northern California, with the inland variety growing in montane conifer forests of eastern Washington, the Idaho Panhandle, and far western Montana. It can be found growing at elevations of up to 1,700 m (5,600 ft). [3] Habitats typically receive at least 640 mm (25 in) of annual rainfall, but are still too dry or outside the range of more shade-tolerant competitors like western hemlock and western redcedar. [3] Along with the closely related white fir, grand fir is more shade tolerant than Douglas-fir. [3]

Ecology

Due to wildfire suppression, grand fir was able to proliferate in areas previously dominated by the relatively fire-resistant inland Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and western larch. [3] The lack of smaller fires allows both grand and white fir saplings to form a fuel ladder, enabling crown fires. [3] Grand fir's bark is thinner than that of white fir, making the former species more susceptible to threats like fire and rot. [3]

Specimens have historically been able to live up to nearly 300 years, but in modern stressed conditions, 100 years is more typical. [3] A number of defoliating insects threaten the tree; in the late 20th century, western spruce budworm epidemics killed sizable populations of grand fir in the eastern Cascades and Blue Mountains. [3] The lack of an ability to use pitch to patch wounds, including those from logging and small fires, provides a weakness exploited by rot fungi. [3] East of the Cascade ridge, grand fir trunks are infected by Indian paint fungus, indicating a rotten core; such specimens are often waterlogged and thus crack apart in freezing weather. [3]

Pileated woodpeckers search grand and white firs for insects and places to nest. Rotten cores open shelters for various animals, including black bears. [3]

Uses

The boughs create a rain shelter for humans. [3]

Native Americans used both grand fir and white fir, powdering the bark or pitch to treat tuberculosis or skin ailments; [3] the Nlaka'pamux used the bark to cover lodges and make canoes, and branches were used as bedding. [3] The inner bark of the grand fir was used by some Plateau Indian tribes for treating colds and fever. [7] The Okanagan-Colville tribe used the species as a strengthening drug to nullify the feeling of weakness. [8]

The foliage has an attractive citrus-like scent. It is sometimes used for Christmas decorations in the United States, including Christmas trees, although its stiff branches do not allow it to be economically packed. [3] It is also planted as an ornamental tree in large parks.

Timber

Trunk cross-section Abies grandis cross section.JPG
Trunk cross-section

The lumber is non-resinous and fine textured. [2] In the North American logging industry, the grand fir is often referred to as "hem fir", with hem fir being a number of species with interchangeable types of wood (specifically the California red fir, noble fir, Pacific silver fir, white fir, and western hemlock). Grand fir is often shipped along with these other species. It can also referred to as "white fir" lumber, an umbrella term also referring to Abies amabilis , Abies concolor , and Abies magnifica .

Lumber from the grand fir is considered a softwood. As such, it is used for paper making, packing crates, and construction. Hem fir is frequently used for framing, and is able to meet the building code span requirements of numerous construction projects. [9]

As a hem fir, the trunk of the grand fir is considered slightly below the "Douglas fir-larch" species combination in strength, and stronger than the "Douglas fir-South" and "spruce-pine-fir (South)" species combos (both umbrella terms for a number of species with similar wood). Because it is nearly as strong as Douglas fir-larch, it often meets the structural load-bearing requirements for framing in residential, light commercial, and heavy construction. Excluding Douglas fir-larch, hem fir's modulus of elasticity value as a stiffness factor in floor systems (denoted as MOE or E) is stronger than all other western species combinations. Hem fir is preferred by many builders because of its ability to hold and not be split by nails and screws, and its low propensity for splintering when sawed. [9]

Notable specimens

In February 2022, a coast grand fir growing south of Bergen was found to be Norway's tallest tree with height of 53.7 m (176 ft). [10]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas fir</span> Species of tree

The Douglas fir is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three varieties: coast Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and Mexican Douglas-fir.

<i>Pseudotsuga menziesii <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> glauca</i> Variety of plants

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, or Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, is an evergreen conifer native to the interior mountainous regions of western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta in Canada southward through the United States to the far north of Mexico. The range is continuous in the northern Rocky Mountains south to eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, Idaho, western and south-central Montana and western Wyoming, but becomes discontinuous further south, confined to "sky islands" on the higher mountains in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, with only very isolated small populations in eastern Nevada, westernmost Texas, and northern Mexico. It occurs from 600 m altitude in the north of the range, up to 3,000 m, rarely 3,200 m, in the south. Further west towards the Pacific coast, it is replaced by the related coast Douglas-fir, and to the south, it is replaced by Mexican Douglas-fir in high mountains as far south as Oaxaca. Some botanists have grouped Mexican Douglas-fir with P. menziesii var. glauca, but genetic and morphological evidence suggest that Mexican populations should be considered a different variety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fir</span> Genus of plants in the conifer family cedar

Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus Abies in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The genus is most closely related to Cedrus (cedar)The genus name is derived from the Latin "to rise" in reference to the height of its species. The common English name originates with the Old Norse, fyri, or the Old Danish, fyr.

<i>Alnus rubra</i> Species of tree

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

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

Abies nordmanniana, the Nordmann fir or Caucasian fir, is a fir indigenous to the mountains south and east of the Black Sea, in Turkey, Georgia and the Russian Caucasus. It occurs at altitudes of 900–2,200 m on mountains with precipitation of over 1,000 mm.

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

Abies alba, the European silver fir or silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Carpathians, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and south to Italy, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Albania and northern Greece; it is also commonly grown on Christmas tree plantations in the North East region of North America spanning New England in the US to the Maritime provinces of Canada.

<i>Pseudolarix amabilis</i> Species of deciduous conifers in the family Pinaceae

Pseudolarix amabilis is a species of coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. The species is commonly known as golden larch, but being more closely related to Keteleeria, Abies and Cedrus, is not a true larch (Larix). P. amabilis is native to eastern China, occurring in small areas in the mountains of southern Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei and eastern Sichuan, at altitudes of 100–1,500 m (328–4,921 ft). The earliest known occurrences are of compression fossils found in the Ypresian Allenby Formation and mummified fossils found in the Late Eocene Buchanan Lake Formation on Axel Heiberg Island.

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

Abies concolor, the white fir, concolor fir, or Colorado fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Sierra Nevada and southern Rocky Mountains, and into the isolated mountain ranges of southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Northern Mexico. It naturally occurs at elevations between 900 and 3,400 metres.

<i>Tsuga heterophylla</i> Species of conifer

Tsuga heterophylla, the western hemlock or western hemlock-spruce, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California. The Latin species name means 'variable leaves'.

<i>Picea engelmannii</i> Species of North American spruce tree

Picea engelmannii, with the common names Engelmann spruce, white spruce, mountain spruce, and silver spruce, is a species of spruce native to western North America. It is mostly a high-elevation mountain tree but also appears in watered canyons.

<i>Abies magnifica</i> Species of tree found in North America

Abies magnifica, the red fir or silvertip fir, is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of southwest Oregon and California in the United States. It is a high-elevation tree, typically occurring at 1,400–2,700 metres (4,600–8,900 ft) elevation, though only rarely reaching tree line. The name red fir derives from the bark color of old trees.

<i>Abies procera</i> Species of conifer

Abies procera, the noble fir, also called red fir and Christmas tree, is a species of fir native to the Cascade Range and Pacific Coast Ranges of the northwestern Pacific Coast of the United States. It occurs at altitudes of 300–1,500 meters (980–4,920 ft).

<i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> North American fir tree species

Abies lasiocarpa, the subalpine fir or Rocky Mountain fir, is a western North American fir tree.

<i>Abies amabilis</i> Species of conifer

Abies amabilis, commonly known as the Pacific silver fir, is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range. It is also commonly referred to in English as the white fir, red fir, lovely fir, amabilis fir, Cascades fir, or silver fir. The species name is Latin for 'lovely'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western larch</span> Species of conifer

The western larch is a species of larch native to the mountains of western North America ; in Canada in southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, and in the United States in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho, and western Montana. It is the most productive of the three species of larch native to North America.

<i>Abies koreana</i> Species of plant (Korean fir)

Abies koreana, the Korean fir, is a species of fir native to the higher mountains of South Korea, including Jeju Island. It grows at altitudes of 1,000–1,900 metres (3,300–6,200 ft) in temperate rainforest with high rainfall and cool, humid summers, and heavy winter snowfall.

<i>Pseudotsuga menziesii <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> menziesii</i> Variety of conifer

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii, commonly known as Coast Douglas-fir, Pacific Douglas-fir, Oregon pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer native to western North America from west-central British Columbia, Canada southward to central California, United States. In Oregon and Washington its range is continuous from the Cascades crest west to the Pacific Coast Ranges and Pacific Ocean. In California, it is found in the Klamath and California Coast Ranges as far south as the Santa Lucia Mountains with a small stand as far south as the Purisima Hills, Santa Barbara County. In the Sierra Nevada it ranges as far south as the Yosemite region. It occurs from near sea level along the coast to 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) in the California Mountains. Further inland, coast Douglas-fir is replaced by Rocky Mountain or interior Douglas-fir. Interior Douglas-fir intergrades with coast Douglas-fir in the Cascades of northern Washington and southern British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper montane forest</span>

The upper montane forest is a vegetation type generally found above the mixed coniferous forest and below the subalpine forest vegetation types. Most of what grows in upper montane forests are conifers, because of the short growing season.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Farjon, A. (2013). "Abies grandis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T42284A2969709. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42284A2969709.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Brochure: White Fir Facts" (PDF). SPI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-05. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Arno, Stephen F.; Hammerly, Ramona P. (2020) [1977]. Northwest Trees: Identifying & Understanding the Region's Native Trees (field guide ed.). Seattle: Mountaineers Books. pp. 128–135. ISBN   978-1-68051-329-5. OCLC   1141235469.
  4. Ott, Todd M.; Strand, Eva K.; Anderson, Cort L. (2015). "Niche divergence of Abies grandis–Abies concolor hybrids". Plant Ecology. 216 (3): 479–490. ISSN   1385-0237.
  5. Zavarin, Eugene; Snajberk, Karel; Critchfield, William B. (1977-08-30). "Terpenoid chemosystematic studies of Abies grandis". Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 5 (2): 81–93. doi:10.1016/0305-1978(77)90036-9. ISSN   0305-1978.
  6. Kauffmann, Michael (2012). Conifer Country. Backcountry Press. pp. 35–38.
  7. Hunn, Eugene S. (1990). Nch'i-Wana, "The Big River": Mid-Columbia Indians and Their Land. University of Washington Press. p. 351. ISBN   0-295-97119-3.
  8. Turner, Nancy J. (1980). Ethnobotany of the Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington. British Columbia Provincial Museum. ISBN   0771882009. OCLC   8519706.
  9. 1 2 "Hem-Fir species group". Western Woods Products Association. March 1997. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  10. "The thickest, tallest, and oldest trees in Norway".