NATURE MONCTON NATURE INFORMATION LINE
Dec 8, 2021 (Wednesday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
**Suspect
many folks have noticed isolated Balsam Fir trees as we are driving along the highways
that are dead or proceeding to that state. The needles are not defoliated as
would be the case with Spruce Budworm. It is also notable that other Balsam Fir
trees near them appear healthy and unaffected. I’m attaching an example photo today.
I reached
out to Ron Neville with CFIA who deals with these issues. His response was
very interesting and helpful.
Am going to
paraphrase Ron’s response below:
There is a condition called Sudden Fir Mortality/Stillwell's Syndrome
that seems to fit. It's something we
have been seeing in NB and Maine over the past few years. (it dates back the
1980's) The causes are still being explored however it seems to be caused by a
combination of environmental conditions and pathogens like Armillaria sp. Attached is a notice that NB DNR sent out
about it in 2018. If you happen to come
across a clump of trees showing those symptoms, I'd be interested in hearing
about the location. UNB and Natural
Resources Canada have some students and researchers exploring how climate
events might be impacting fir in this way.
There is not a lot of information
online about it however the NB DNR report for 2018 includes a map of reports of
red and dying fir. See page 5. https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/nr-rn/pdf/en/ForestsCrownLands/ForestPests/status_report_2018.pdf
(Editor’s note: I have seen this
condition quite commonly in the Moncton to Miramichi area that doesn’t seem to
be showing on the map on page 5)
**We have been very pleased to have a
male Pileated Woodpecker very loudly arrive almost daily to our urban yard. He
enjoyed the remnant grapes on the vines but was also enjoying foraging on two Red
Maples that were dying in front of our home. He got so serious about foraging
on one tree that it hammered its way into the midst of the tree to cause the
large crown to break away and put pressure on utility wires. New Brunswick Electric
Power Commission trucks arrived very promptly to create quite a neighbourhood
fuss!
It will be interesting if he arrives
tomorrow and see how it reacts to what has happened.
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Nelson
Poirier
Nature
Moncton
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