You will notice patches of rusty red interrupting the usual green landscape when you drive through New Brunswick. Balsam fir trees across the province are turning red and dying. Last summer’s record breaking drought is severely damaging the provincial tree. According to a recent report from CBC News, experts and woodlot owners are expressing serious concern about the future of this iconic evergreen.

Why the Trees Are Dying

University of New Brunswick forestry researcher Prof. Anthony Taylor studies the effects of climate change on local forests. He notes that warm and dry conditions severely impact the ability of balsam firs to grow. When drought hits, these trees stop photosynthesis early. This halts their growth and prevents them from producing the energy stores needed for basic metabolic processes and defense compounds.

Balsam firs also have shallow roots. This makes it incredibly difficult for them to reach water during dry months. When a tree is already stressed by insects or pathogens, the lack of water reserves leads directly to a die off.

“A healthy fir in any given year would be able to cope with that,” Taylor told CBC. “But where these trees are predisposed to vulnerabilities due to the fact that they weren’t growing, they don’t have those reserves to rely on, then they end up dying.”

A Woodlot Owner’s Reality

Peter McKeil has owned his woodlot in Burtts Corner for 40 years. He first spotted the damage in June. The trees turn red from the bottom branches upward, and he spots new red patches every day. McKeil estimates he has lost about 100 trees so far. He is changing his harvesting practices to salvage the remaining fir before more trees die.

“When I’m into the woods to harvest for an order, the fir is the first I’ll harvest,” McKeil said. “I want to get the value out of it before it’s gone.”

McKeil believes the species is doomed in southern New Brunswick. Because the balsam fir is a cold weather tree, he notes it will eventually disappear from the southern regions and progress farther north.

A Warning Sign for Climate Change

Taylor views the dying trees as a visible symptom of a much larger problem. The red trees offer tangible proof of climate change impacting New Brunswick forests.

“It should send a signal to society that we need to stop burning fossil fuels,” Taylor said. “We need to get off fossil fuels. We need to stop cutting too much forest.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are balsam fir trees turning red in New Brunswick?

The trees are turning red and dying due to severe stress from last summer’s record breaking drought. The lack of water forces the trees to stop photosynthesis early, depleting their energy reserves and making them vulnerable to insects and disease.

Why is the balsam fir particularly vulnerable to drought?

Balsam firs have very shallow root systems. This prevents them from reaching deep underground water sources during extended dry periods.

Will balsam fir trees disappear from New Brunswick?

Experts and local woodlot owners state the species will struggle to survive in southern New Brunswick as the climate warms. The trees will migrate farther north where temperatures are cooler.