FUNGOUS DETERIORATION OF BALSAM FIR KILLED BY SPRUCE BUDWORM IN NORTHWESTERN NEW BRUNSWICK

Abstract

The rate of fungous deterioration was determined for 292 balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) killed by the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.) in an area of heavy tree mortality in northern New Brunswick. Trees dead less than one year and up to seven years were examined. Fifty fir trees dead 0 to 2 years in a light mortality area were also examined. Trees in the heavy mortality area deteriorated much more slowly than those examined by other workers in Ontario. Stereum chailletii (Pers.) Fr. and S. sanguinolentum (Alb. & Schw. ex Fr.) Fr. caused most of the incipient and advanced decay in New Brunswick, whereas S. chailletii caused all the incipient decay in trees dead less than one year in Ontario but was replaced after one year by Polyporus abietinus Dicks, ex Fr. which then caused most of the advanced decay. Advanced decay progressed faster in trees in the light mortality area in New Brunswick than in trees in the heavy mortality area. Nineteen species of basidiomycetes were associated with sapwood decay. Comments concerning the position and frequency of fungous occurrence in the different parts of the tree in relation to the number of years since death are made for eight of the more commonly isolated fungi. The introduction of S. chailletii into living trees by woodwasps and the differences observed in the development of P. abietinus in dead trees in the two regions are discussed.