Common Name: Douglas Fir
Scientific Name: Pseudotsuga menziesii
Angiosperm or Gymnosperm? Gymnosperm. Gymnosperms are seed-bearing plants that lack the combination of specialized features that characterize the flowering plants. The name gymnosperm, means naked seed.
Brief Description: Douglas Fir trees have tall, limb-free trunks. It has smooth grey-brown bark. The bark has long stretches of straight, consistent fibers. Those fibers create a superior strength-to-weight ratio. It has soft, green needles and develops cones.
Scientific Name: Pseudotsuga menziesii
Angiosperm or Gymnosperm? Gymnosperm. Gymnosperms are seed-bearing plants that lack the combination of specialized features that characterize the flowering plants. The name gymnosperm, means naked seed.
Brief Description: Douglas Fir trees have tall, limb-free trunks. It has smooth grey-brown bark. The bark has long stretches of straight, consistent fibers. Those fibers create a superior strength-to-weight ratio. It has soft, green needles and develops cones.
Ethnobotany
As a versatile timber tree, Douglas-fir has few rivals. No tree in the world produces more wood products for human use. It can handle a heavy load without bending or buckling. With its strength, durability, and attractiveness, Douglas fir is a popular choice for flooring and furniture. Once finished, vertical grain Douglas Fir has an extremely smooth, glossy appearance, with long, clean subtle lines running down its surface. Its strong, dense wood is often used for producing large timber beams and building boats, aircrafts, boards, railroad ties, and plywood veneer. It is also used as wood fiber for paper manufacture. Today, most Douglas-fir wood is from second-growth plantation trees or smaller trees in overstocked stands; huge beams are mostly a thing of the past(Lang, 2008).
Research aimed at timber production as a primary goal was de-emphasized by the federal agencies. Primary emphasis of public agencies was now on environmental, scenic, and biodiversity goals, with efforts to reconcile these with some level of timber production. In-house industrial research declined sharply, although it was replaced in part by various land-owner supported research cooperatives, that still had timber production as a major objective(Curtis&DeBell, 2007).
As a versatile timber tree, Douglas-fir has few rivals. No tree in the world produces more wood products for human use. It can handle a heavy load without bending or buckling. With its strength, durability, and attractiveness, Douglas fir is a popular choice for flooring and furniture. Once finished, vertical grain Douglas Fir has an extremely smooth, glossy appearance, with long, clean subtle lines running down its surface. Its strong, dense wood is often used for producing large timber beams and building boats, aircrafts, boards, railroad ties, and plywood veneer. It is also used as wood fiber for paper manufacture. Today, most Douglas-fir wood is from second-growth plantation trees or smaller trees in overstocked stands; huge beams are mostly a thing of the past(Lang, 2008).
Research aimed at timber production as a primary goal was de-emphasized by the federal agencies. Primary emphasis of public agencies was now on environmental, scenic, and biodiversity goals, with efforts to reconcile these with some level of timber production. In-house industrial research declined sharply, although it was replaced in part by various land-owner supported research cooperatives, that still had timber production as a major objective(Curtis&DeBell, 2007).
Natural Habitat
The coastal variety of Douglas-fir occurs along the southern mainland coast and across Vancouver Island, except for the very northern tip. The Interior variety occurs throughout southern British Columbia and north to Takla Lake. The two varieties of Douglas-fir occur in quite different ecosystems. The Interior variety grows in a variety of habitats including open forests with pinegrass and mosses beneath. On the coast, the forests are much more productive. Douglas-fir can grow with western redcedar, hemlock, and grand fir, with a lush layer of salal, huckleberries, Oregon-grape, and sword fern beneath.
The coastal variety of Douglas-fir occurs along the southern mainland coast and across Vancouver Island, except for the very northern tip. The Interior variety occurs throughout southern British Columbia and north to Takla Lake. The two varieties of Douglas-fir occur in quite different ecosystems. The Interior variety grows in a variety of habitats including open forests with pinegrass and mosses beneath. On the coast, the forests are much more productive. Douglas-fir can grow with western redcedar, hemlock, and grand fir, with a lush layer of salal, huckleberries, Oregon-grape, and sword fern beneath.
Cones
Cones are 5 to 11 centimetres long, turning from green to grey as they mature. Between each scale, long three-pronged bracts are easily seen. Seeds are winged at the tip.
Cones are 5 to 11 centimetres long, turning from green to grey as they mature. Between each scale, long three-pronged bracts are easily seen. Seeds are winged at the tip.
Leaves
The needles are flattened, soft, flexible and distributed around the twig. The upper surface is bright yellowish-green with a single groove down the centre; the lower surface is paler. The needles appear to stand out around the twig. When a needle is removed, the twigs are smooth, the twigs do not have pegs. The buds are next year’s leaves and are located at the end of the branch.
The needles are flattened, soft, flexible and distributed around the twig. The upper surface is bright yellowish-green with a single groove down the centre; the lower surface is paler. The needles appear to stand out around the twig. When a needle is removed, the twigs are smooth, the twigs do not have pegs. The buds are next year’s leaves and are located at the end of the branch.
Bark
Smooth, grey-brown, with gummy resin-filled blisters when young. The bark becomes very thick with age and deeply grooved, with dark reddish-brown ridges.
Smooth, grey-brown, with gummy resin-filled blisters when young. The bark becomes very thick with age and deeply grooved, with dark reddish-brown ridges.
Germination/Pollination
The entire reproductive cycle of the Douglas-fir extends over a 17 month period from early April to late September of the following year. Both sexual and asexual reproduction take place. The beginning of bud growth starts in April. In May and June the buds grow and burst, forming the bud primordia. From July to November the leaves begin to immerge. When March comes around again meiosis begins to take place and the pollen starts to develop. In April the cone buds finally flower and the pollination of the seed cones takes place. In May and June fertilization takes place and the seed cones grow at a rapid pace. From August to September the embryo and the seeds are developing. By late September the cones have matured and shed their seeds.
The entire reproductive cycle of the Douglas-fir extends over a 17 month period from early April to late September of the following year. Both sexual and asexual reproduction take place. The beginning of bud growth starts in April. In May and June the buds grow and burst, forming the bud primordia. From July to November the leaves begin to immerge. When March comes around again meiosis begins to take place and the pollen starts to develop. In April the cone buds finally flower and the pollination of the seed cones takes place. In May and June fertilization takes place and the seed cones grow at a rapid pace. From August to September the embryo and the seeds are developing. By late September the cones have matured and shed their seeds.
Plants/Animals
Birds and other small animals use the Douglas-fir for homes, shade, and shelter. Porcupine eat the sweet inner bark of younger trees in the winter, and bears will eat the inner bark during spring. Squirrels, chipmunks, and birds eat the seeds from the cones. The red tree vole eats the needles year round.
The Douglas-fir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins, is a major enemy of Douglas-fir. Present control practices for the Douglas-fir beetle consist of rapid cutting, transportation, and milling of infested trees so that beetles will be destroyed in the slabs before they emerge to infest other trees. During these operations, natural control agents are often inadvertently destroyed along with the beetles. Because of this fact serious beetle infestations may be unnecessarily prolonged(Ryan&Rudinsky, 1962).
Birds and other small animals use the Douglas-fir for homes, shade, and shelter. Porcupine eat the sweet inner bark of younger trees in the winter, and bears will eat the inner bark during spring. Squirrels, chipmunks, and birds eat the seeds from the cones. The red tree vole eats the needles year round.
The Douglas-fir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins, is a major enemy of Douglas-fir. Present control practices for the Douglas-fir beetle consist of rapid cutting, transportation, and milling of infested trees so that beetles will be destroyed in the slabs before they emerge to infest other trees. During these operations, natural control agents are often inadvertently destroyed along with the beetles. Because of this fact serious beetle infestations may be unnecessarily prolonged(Ryan&Rudinsky, 1962).
Creative Writing
Dear Diary,
Our family trip to the ranch this year was a success! My cousins and I explored the mountains of the ranch and trekked through the snowy roads. We pretended to be lost in the forest and had to “escape from the dangerous conditions”. On the day before coming home, my cousins and I went with my dad to chop down our christmas tree. There were trees EVERYWHERE! So many options to choose from! I walked around the mountain, looking at every tree, before I came across the one that I knew was a winner. The needles were flat and soft and the perfect color. Its bark was dark reddish-brown and deeply grooved. Every twig was distributed perfectly around each branch, making it symmetric all the way around. It came to a perfect peak at the top and stood high up in the sky. It was the perfect christmas tree, and I instantly fell in love. On the ride home we stopped at a gas station and I came across a book on Douglas Fir trees. Thats when I discovered the name of my perfect christmas tree. I read the entire book before we made it home. And thats where my obsession began.. I love with douglas fir trees! Now I’m even more excited for christmas every year!
Love always,
Suzy
Dear Diary,
Our family trip to the ranch this year was a success! My cousins and I explored the mountains of the ranch and trekked through the snowy roads. We pretended to be lost in the forest and had to “escape from the dangerous conditions”. On the day before coming home, my cousins and I went with my dad to chop down our christmas tree. There were trees EVERYWHERE! So many options to choose from! I walked around the mountain, looking at every tree, before I came across the one that I knew was a winner. The needles were flat and soft and the perfect color. Its bark was dark reddish-brown and deeply grooved. Every twig was distributed perfectly around each branch, making it symmetric all the way around. It came to a perfect peak at the top and stood high up in the sky. It was the perfect christmas tree, and I instantly fell in love. On the ride home we stopped at a gas station and I came across a book on Douglas Fir trees. Thats when I discovered the name of my perfect christmas tree. I read the entire book before we made it home. And thats where my obsession began.. I love with douglas fir trees! Now I’m even more excited for christmas every year!
Love always,
Suzy
References
Curtis, R., & DeBell, D. (2007, September 20). History of Silvicultural Research in the Douglas-fir Region.History. Retrieved October 6, 2013, from www.fs.fed.us/pnw/olympia/silv/publications/opt/567_CurtisDeBell2007.pdf
Lang, F. (n.d.). Douglas-fir | Oregon Encyclopedia - Oregon History and Culture. Oregon Encyclopedia - Oregon History and Culture. Retrieved October 11, 2013, from http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/entry/view/douglas_fir/
Ryan, R., & Rudinsky, J. (n.d.). Biology and Habits of the Douglas-fir Beetle Parasite, Coeloides brunneri Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), in Western Oregon. The Canadian Entomologist. Retrieved October 6, 2013, from journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8569759
Curtis, R., & DeBell, D. (2007, September 20). History of Silvicultural Research in the Douglas-fir Region.History. Retrieved October 6, 2013, from www.fs.fed.us/pnw/olympia/silv/publications/opt/567_CurtisDeBell2007.pdf
Lang, F. (n.d.). Douglas-fir | Oregon Encyclopedia - Oregon History and Culture. Oregon Encyclopedia - Oregon History and Culture. Retrieved October 11, 2013, from http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/entry/view/douglas_fir/
Ryan, R., & Rudinsky, J. (n.d.). Biology and Habits of the Douglas-fir Beetle Parasite, Coeloides brunneri Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), in Western Oregon. The Canadian Entomologist. Retrieved October 6, 2013, from journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8569759