Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
The dry coniferous forests of the northern New Brunswick highlands have been battered by repeated fires,
logging, and insect attacks, especially by spruce budworm. The result is a forest dominated by balsam fir,
white birch, aspen, and white and black spruce, with a minor mix of both deciduous and conifer species, in-
cluding red and sugar maple, yellow birch, red spruce, and eastern white pine.
It is possible to trace a historical timeline of human activities that have transformed the forest in Maritime
Canada and northern New England. Shipbuilding was one of the first industries and had perhaps the longest-
lasting effects on the composition and quality of the New England/Acadian Forest. For a century, beginning in
the 1760s, this coastal enterprise employed the best trees of the old-growth forests: birch, ash, beech, maple,
tamarack (or larch), cedar, oak, and pine. The tallest and straightest white pines were marked with the King's
Broad Arrow and shipped off to England to rig the British naval vessels. Between 1820 and 1840, pine along
all the rivers large enough to float logs were also cut into square timber for export to Britain. When the tamar-
ack, yellow birch, and beech were depleted, shipbuilders turned to spruce.
Beginning in the late 18th century, hemlock bark was used in the tannery industry, a practice that continued
until the early 20th century. Cedar, prized for its durability, was removed for fence posts and shingles. Over
time, high-grading—the removal of the biggest and best trees—of the mixed-wood forests converted them to
hardwood, usually with a large balsam fir component. The pulp and paper industry started up in the 1920s and
targeted black spruce, white spruce, and jack pine.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search