What Killed Balsam Fir ??

[g_man]

I had a couple 10" Fir die in a way I had not seem before in my short 13 years of forest land ownership. Last summer there were rivers of sap running down the trees from high up. The entire tree was pretty much covered with sap running down all the way around. This summer they are dead. Other fir in the area look OK. I am wondering what might have killed them? And if I cut the tree when I first saw the drooling sap would it make a acceptable saw log or would the mill cull it out? Thanks.

[Sprucegum]

If you peel off the bark you may find these little devils


  

 

They are Spruce Bark Beetles. The tree puts out a whack of sap in an effort to dispell the beetles but the beetle usually kills the tree in the end. By the time you see the sap raining down it is already too late to save that tree.  :(  You can still get good lumber from them though.

[g_man]

I lifted some of the loose bark. I didn't see any beetles or larva but I did see thier trails and some bore holes. The trails and holes were 1/8" or less.
What does this say about the fate of the still living fir? It is a mixed forest. Mostly hardwood with the fir spread around in pockets.

[BaldBob]

"What does this say about the fate of the still living fir?"
It simply says that the remaining fir are vulnerable to the same fate, not that they will necessarily also will be killed. There are too many variables to make any definite predictions. However, the healthier and more vigorous the remaining fir are, the less likely they are to be killed or even attacked. The fact that the remaining fir are scattered in the stand also works in your favor.

[grassfed]

Mostly hardwood with the fir spread around in pockets.

Generally this means that the site is transitioning from Soft Woods to Hard Woods. BFir in these areas is usually at the end of it's life span and because the site is good for Hard Woods they are starting to out compete the BFir. Bugs usually attack the loosers in natural selection. I am just an NEK land owner myself but I have noticed this pattern of succession acted out several times in different parts of my land.

[g_man]

That makes sense and seems to agree with what could have happened here. I have early successional hard wood with these pockets of older fir. 20 years ago (B4 I was owner) it was cut off hard. If they took the hard wood and left the fir that would fit what you are saying. The change to hardwood had occurred B4 the cut. I was thinking they left the fir for seed trees or because of stump rot. But maybe not. Thanks for the thought.