Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir
Encyclopedia
The Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca, is an evergreen
conifer native to the interior mountain
ous regions of western North America
, from central British Columbia
and southwest Alberta
in Canada
southward through the United States
to the far north of Mexico
. The range is continuous in the northern Rocky Mountains
south to eastern Washington, eastern Oregon
, Idaho
, western and south-central Montana
and western Wyoming
, but becomes discontinuous further south, confined to "sky island
s" on the higher mountains in Utah
, Colorado
, Arizona
and New Mexico
, with only very isolated small populations in eastern Nevada
, westernmost Texas
, and the north of Coahuila
, Chihuahua, and Sonora
in Mexico. It occurs from 600 m altitude in the north of the range, up to 3,000 m, rarely 3,200 m, in the south. Further west towards the Pacific coast, it is replaced by the related Coast Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. menziesii), and to the south, it is replaced by Mexican Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga lindleyana) in high mountains as far south as Oaxaca.
The taxonomic status of the Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir is disputed, variously treated as a variety
(Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca), as a subspecies
(Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca), and more rarely (mainly in the past) as a distinct species
(Pseudotsuga glauca). The strong ecological and genetic differentiation with no significant intergradation supports subspecific treatment.
, typically reaching 35–45 m in height and 1 m in diameter, with exceptional specimens known to 67 m tall, and 2 m diameter. It commonly lives more than 500 years and occasionally more than 1,200 years. The bark
on young trees is thin, smooth, gray, and covered with resin blisters. On mature trees, it is moderately thick (3–6 cm), furrowed and corky though much less so than Coast Douglas-fir.
The shoots are brown to gray-brown, smooth, though not as smooth as fir
shoots, and finely pubescent with scattered short hairs. The bud
s are a distinctive narrow conic shape, 3–6 mm long, with red-brown bud scales. The leaves
are spirally arranged but slightly twisted at the base to be upswept above the shoot, needle-like, 2–3 cm long, gray-green to blue-green above with a single broad stomatal patch, and with two whitish stomatal bands below. Unlike the Coast Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir foliage has no noticeable scent.
The male (pollen
) cones are 2–3 cm long, and are typically restricted to or more abundant on lower branches. Pollen cones develop over 1 year and wind-dispersed pollen is released for several weeks in the spring.
The mature female seed cones
are pendent, 4–7 cm long, 2 cm broad when closed, opening to 3–4 cm broad. They are produced in spring, purple (sometimes green) at first, maturing orange-brown in the autumn 5–7 months later. The seed
s are 5–6 mm long and 3–4 mm broad, with a 12–15 mm wing. Both Coast
and Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir produce abundant crops of seed approximately every 2–11 years. Seed is produced annually except for about 1 year in any 4-to-5-year period.
There are two varieties, which have proved distinct on genetic testing:
Root
morphology is variable, but when unimpeded, a taproot
forms within several years. "Platelike" root morphologies occur where growth is impeded. The most prominent lateral roots begin in the 1st or 2nd year of growth. Most roots in surface soil are "long ropelike laterals of secondary and tertiary origin". Fine-root production is episodic in response to changing environmental conditions; the average lifespan of fine roots is usually between several days and several weeks.
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir reaches reproductive maturity at 12–15 years. It has winged seeds that are dispersed primarily by wind and gravity. In western Montana
clearcuts, seeds were dispersed up to 250 m (800 feet) uphill from their source, but seedfall between 180–250 m (600–800 feet) was only 7% of that found in uncut stands. Other studies determined that seedfall in clearcuts beyond 80 m (265 feet) from seed trees was about 3% of seedfall in uncut stands where seed trees are close together. Well-stocked stands have resulted from seedfall from sources 1–2 km (0.6–1.2 miles) distant, but most Douglas-fir seeds fall within 100 m (330 feet) of their source. Small amounts of seed are dispersed by mice, chipmunk
s, and squirrel
s. Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir seeds are disseminated about twice as far as seeds of Ponderosa Pine
.
. This longevity is apparently uncommon; growing on a relatively barren lava field has protected it from fire, animals, and humans. Growth typically slows dramatically between 90 and 140 years of age.
In spring and winter (in British Columbia, Idaho, and Montana) elk
browse on south- and southwest-facing Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and Ponderosa pine stands, particularly when shrubs and/or grasses are productive. In summer, Elk generally are found at higher elevations (outside the Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and Pacific Ponderosa Pine zones). During fall Elk use stands of Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine
, Subalpine Fir
, Western Larch
, or Grand Fir
with high canopy cover.
In parts of Yellowstone National Park
, Elk browsing is so intensive that young Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir are stunted at 1–1.5 m (3–4.5 feet) in height, with live branches trailing very close to the ground, and branches on the upper two thirds of the tree dead. Low-elevation and south-facing open-structure Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir types are often important winter range for White-tailed Deer
and Mule Deer
. Moose
winter in low-elevation Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir types in areas where willow thickets, the preferred winter habitat, are lacking; in such areas Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir is an important moose food.
Chipmunk
s, mice
, vole
s, and shrew
s eat large quantities of conifer seeds from the forest floor, and clipped cones are a staple and major part of storage of red squirrels. These animals store a large amount of Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir cones or seeds. American Marten
commonly den in hollow logs.
Numerous species of songbird
s extract seeds from Douglas-fir cones or forage for seeds on the ground. The most common are the Clark's Nutcracker
, Black-capped Chickadee
, Mountain Chickadee
, Boreal Chickadee
, Red-breasted Nuthatch
, Pygmy Nuthatch
, Red Crossbill
, White-winged Crossbill
, Dark-eyed Junco
, and Pine Siskin
. Migrating flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos may consume vast quantities of seeds and freshly germinated seedlings. Woodpecker
s commonly feed in the bark of Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir. Blue Grouse
forage on needles and buds in winter; they and other birds rely heavily on Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir communities for cover.
The Douglas-fir is vulnerable to infestation by a woolly
aphid
, Adelges cooleyi
that also infects the Engelmann Spruce
to complete its lifecycle.
, pulp, dimensional lumber
, railroad ties, mine timbers, log cabins, posts and poles, fencing, and firewood. Other uses listed include "machine-stress-rated lumber", glued-laminated (Glulam) beams, pallets, furniture, cabinets, doors, flooring, window frames, and other miscellaneous woodwork and millwork. Rocky Mountain Douglas-firs are also cut and sold as Christmas trees.
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
conifer native to the interior mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
ous regions of western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, from central British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and southwest Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
southward through the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to the far north of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The range is continuous in the northern Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
south to eastern Washington, eastern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, western and south-central Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and western Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, but becomes discontinuous further south, confined to "sky island
Sky island
Sky islands are mountains that are isolated by surrounding lowlands of a dramatically different environment, a situation which, in combination with the altitudinal zonation of ecosystems, has significant implications for natural habitats. Endemism, vertical migration, and relict populations are...
s" on the higher mountains in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, with only very isolated small populations in eastern Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, westernmost Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and the north of Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, Chihuahua, and Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
in Mexico. It occurs from 600 m altitude in the north of the range, up to 3,000 m, rarely 3,200 m, in the south. Further west towards the Pacific coast, it is replaced by the related Coast Douglas-fir
Coast Douglas-fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii, known as Douglas-fir, Oregon Pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer species native to western North America. Its variety Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii, also known as coast Douglas-fir grows in the coastal regions, from west-central British Columbia, Canada...
(Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. menziesii), and to the south, it is replaced by Mexican Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga lindleyana) in high mountains as far south as Oaxaca.
The taxonomic status of the Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir is disputed, variously treated as a variety
Variety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
(Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca), as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
(Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca), and more rarely (mainly in the past) as a distinct species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
(Pseudotsuga glauca). The strong ecological and genetic differentiation with no significant intergradation supports subspecific treatment.
Characteristics
The Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca, is a large treeTree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
, typically reaching 35–45 m in height and 1 m in diameter, with exceptional specimens known to 67 m tall, and 2 m diameter. It commonly lives more than 500 years and occasionally more than 1,200 years. The bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
on young trees is thin, smooth, gray, and covered with resin blisters. On mature trees, it is moderately thick (3–6 cm), furrowed and corky though much less so than Coast Douglas-fir.
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
shoots, and finely pubescent with scattered short hairs. The bud
Bud
In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of the stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be specialized to develop flowers or short shoots, or may have...
s are a distinctive narrow conic shape, 3–6 mm long, with red-brown bud scales. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are spirally arranged but slightly twisted at the base to be upswept above the shoot, needle-like, 2–3 cm long, gray-green to blue-green above with a single broad stomatal patch, and with two whitish stomatal bands below. Unlike the Coast Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir foliage has no noticeable scent.
The male (pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
) cones are 2–3 cm long, and are typically restricted to or more abundant on lower branches. Pollen cones develop over 1 year and wind-dispersed pollen is released for several weeks in the spring.
Conifer cone
A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The male cones, which produce pollen, are usually herbaceous and much less conspicuous even at full maturity...
are pendent, 4–7 cm long, 2 cm broad when closed, opening to 3–4 cm broad. They are produced in spring, purple (sometimes green) at first, maturing orange-brown in the autumn 5–7 months later. The seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s are 5–6 mm long and 3–4 mm broad, with a 12–15 mm wing. Both Coast
Coast Douglas-fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii, known as Douglas-fir, Oregon Pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer species native to western North America. Its variety Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii, also known as coast Douglas-fir grows in the coastal regions, from west-central British Columbia, Canada...
and Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir produce abundant crops of seed approximately every 2–11 years. Seed is produced annually except for about 1 year in any 4-to-5-year period.
There are two varieties, which have proved distinct on genetic testing:
- 'Blue Douglas-fir' or 'Colorado Douglas-fir' (var. glauca) in the southern Rocky Mountains, south of the SnakeSnake RiverThe Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
, ShoshoneShoshone RiverThe Shoshone River is long river in northern Wyoming in the United States. Its headwaters are in the Absaroka Range in Shoshone National Forest. It ends when it runs into the Big Horn River near Lovell, Wyoming. Cities it runs near or through are Cody, Powell, Byron, and Lovell. Near Cody, it...
and Bighorn RiverBighorn RiverThe Bighorn River is a tributary of the Yellowstone, approximately long, in the western United States in the states of Wyoming and Montana. The river was named in 1805 by fur trader François Larocque for the Bighorn Sheep he saw along its banks as he explored the Yellowstone River.The upper...
s. Leaves strongly blue-green, 2–3 cm long. Cone scale bracts broader, often reflexed. - 'Gray Douglas-fir' or 'Fraser River Douglas-fir' (var. caesia (Schwer.) Franco) in the northern Rocky Mountains, north of the Snake, Shoshone and Bighorn Rivers. Leaves gray-green to green above, 2–2.5 cm long. Cone scale bracts slender, not reflexed.
Growth
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir grows more slowly than Coast Douglas-fir and is also much more cold tolerant. Its presence in variable habitats is due to genetic differentiation rather than ecological amplitude. Variation with respect to tolerance of different environmental conditions are easily detected. Differences in cold-hardiness have been observed between northern Idaho populations and northwestern Montana populations, across the divide between the 'Gray' and 'Blue' varieties.Root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
morphology is variable, but when unimpeded, a taproot
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
forms within several years. "Platelike" root morphologies occur where growth is impeded. The most prominent lateral roots begin in the 1st or 2nd year of growth. Most roots in surface soil are "long ropelike laterals of secondary and tertiary origin". Fine-root production is episodic in response to changing environmental conditions; the average lifespan of fine roots is usually between several days and several weeks.
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir reaches reproductive maturity at 12–15 years. It has winged seeds that are dispersed primarily by wind and gravity. In western Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
clearcuts, seeds were dispersed up to 250 m (800 feet) uphill from their source, but seedfall between 180–250 m (600–800 feet) was only 7% of that found in uncut stands. Other studies determined that seedfall in clearcuts beyond 80 m (265 feet) from seed trees was about 3% of seedfall in uncut stands where seed trees are close together. Well-stocked stands have resulted from seedfall from sources 1–2 km (0.6–1.2 miles) distant, but most Douglas-fir seeds fall within 100 m (330 feet) of their source. Small amounts of seed are dispersed by mice, chipmunk
Chipmunk
Chipmunks are small striped squirrels native to North America and Asia. They are usually classed either as a single genus with three subgenera, or as three genera.-Etymology and taxonomy:...
s, and squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s. Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir seeds are disseminated about twice as far as seeds of Ponderosa Pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
.
Longevity
The oldest accurately-dated Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir, 1275 years old, is in New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. This longevity is apparently uncommon; growing on a relatively barren lava field has protected it from fire, animals, and humans. Growth typically slows dramatically between 90 and 140 years of age.
Ecology
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir grows on a variety of sites across its wide geographic range. It grows at lower elevations adjacent to and within bunchgrass communities and is also found in upper-elevation subalpine forests. It tends to be most abundant in low- and middle-elevation forests, where it grows over a wide range of aspects, slopes, landforms, and soils.In spring and winter (in British Columbia, Idaho, and Montana) elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
browse on south- and southwest-facing Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and Ponderosa pine stands, particularly when shrubs and/or grasses are productive. In summer, Elk generally are found at higher elevations (outside the Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and Pacific Ponderosa Pine zones). During fall Elk use stands of Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...
, Subalpine Fir
Subalpine Fir
The Subalpine Fir or Rocky Mountain Fir is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of Yukon, British Columbia and western Alberta in Canada; southeastern Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, northeastern Nevada, and the...
, Western Larch
Western Larch
Western Larch is a species of larch native to the mountains of western North America, in Canada in southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, and in the United States in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho and western Montana.It is a large deciduous coniferous tree...
, or Grand Fir
Grand Fir
Abies grandis is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest and Northern California of North America, occurring at altitudes of sea level to 1,800 m...
with high canopy cover.
In parts of Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
, Elk browsing is so intensive that young Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir are stunted at 1–1.5 m (3–4.5 feet) in height, with live branches trailing very close to the ground, and branches on the upper two thirds of the tree dead. Low-elevation and south-facing open-structure Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir types are often important winter range for White-tailed Deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
and Mule Deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
. Moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
winter in low-elevation Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir types in areas where willow thickets, the preferred winter habitat, are lacking; in such areas Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir is an important moose food.
Chipmunk
Chipmunk
Chipmunks are small striped squirrels native to North America and Asia. They are usually classed either as a single genus with three subgenera, or as three genera.-Etymology and taxonomy:...
s, mice
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
, vole
Vole
A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars . There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...
s, and shrew
Shrew
A shrew or shrew mouse is a small molelike mammal classified in the order Soricomorpha. True shrews are also not to be confused with West Indies shrews, treeshrews, otter shrews, or elephant shrews, which belong to different families or orders.Although its external appearance is generally that of...
s eat large quantities of conifer seeds from the forest floor, and clipped cones are a staple and major part of storage of red squirrels. These animals store a large amount of Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir cones or seeds. American Marten
American Marten
The American marten is a North American member of the family Mustelidae, sometimes referred to as the pine marten. The name "pine marten" is derived from the common but distinct Eurasian species of Martes...
commonly den in hollow logs.
Numerous species of songbird
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
s extract seeds from Douglas-fir cones or forage for seeds on the ground. The most common are the Clark's Nutcracker
Clark's Nutcracker
Clark's Nutcracker , sometimes referred to as Clark's Crow or Woodpecker Crow, is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae. It is slightly smaller than its Eurasian relative the Spotted Nutcracker . It is ashy-grey all over except for the black-and-white wings and central tail feathers...
, Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee
The Black-capped Chickadee is a small, North American songbird, a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is the state bird of both Maine and Massachusetts in the United States, and the provincial bird of New Brunswick in Canada...
, Mountain Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
The Mountain Chickadee is a small songbird, a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. Often, it is still placed in the genus Parus with most other tits, but mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data and morphology suggest that separating Poecile more adequately expresses these birds' relationships...
, Boreal Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
The Boreal Chickadee is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae.-Description:...
, Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
The Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis, is a small songbird. The adult has blue-grey upperparts with cinnamon underparts, a white throat and face with a black stripe through the eyes, a straight grey bill and a black crown. Its call, which has been likened to a tin trumpet, is high-pitched...
, Pygmy Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
The Pygmy Nuthatch is a tiny songbird, about 10 cm long and about 10 grams in weight. It ranges from southern British Columbia south through various discontinuous parts of the western U.S. , to central Mexico...
, Red Crossbill
Common Crossbill
The Common Crossbill is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It breeds in the spruce forests of North America, where it is known as Red Crossbill, as well as Europe and Asia; some populations breed in pine forests in certain areas of all three continents, and in North...
, White-winged Crossbill
Two-barred Crossbill
The Two-barred Crossbill , known as the White-winged Crossbill in North America, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae...
, Dark-eyed Junco
Dark-eyed Junco
The Dark-eyed Junco is the best-known species of the juncos, a genus of small grayish American sparrows. This bird is common across much of temperate North America and in summer ranges far into the Arctic...
, and Pine Siskin
Pine Siskin
The Pine Siskin is a North American bird in the finch family. It is a migratory bird with an extremely sporadic winter range.-Description:...
. Migrating flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos may consume vast quantities of seeds and freshly germinated seedlings. Woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s commonly feed in the bark of Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir. Blue Grouse
Blue Grouse
The genus Dendragapus, contains two closely related species of grouse that have often been treated as a single variable taxon . The two species are the Dusky Grouse and the Sooty Grouse...
forage on needles and buds in winter; they and other birds rely heavily on Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir communities for cover.
The Douglas-fir is vulnerable to infestation by a woolly
Eriosomatidae
Woolly aphids are sucking insects that live on plant fluids, and produces a filamentous waxy white covering which resembles cotton or wool. The adults are winged and move to new locations where they lay egg masses. The larvae often form large cottony masses on twigs, for protection from predators...
aphid
Aphid
Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies, are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...
, Adelges cooleyi
Gall Adelgid
Gall adelgid refers to adelgid species that produce galls in spruce trees, conifer species. Such galls can be produced by an infection by Adelges cooleyi , a species of aphid-like woolly adelgids ...
that also infects the Engelmann Spruce
Engelmann Spruce
Picea engelmannii is a species of spruce native to western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta, southwest to northern California and southeast to Arizona and New Mexico; there are also two isolated populations in northern Mexico...
to complete its lifecycle.
Uses
Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir is a valuable timber tree. The wood is exceptionally strong and is used for structural timber as well as poles, plywoodPlywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
, pulp, dimensional lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
, railroad ties, mine timbers, log cabins, posts and poles, fencing, and firewood. Other uses listed include "machine-stress-rated lumber", glued-laminated (Glulam) beams, pallets, furniture, cabinets, doors, flooring, window frames, and other miscellaneous woodwork and millwork. Rocky Mountain Douglas-firs are also cut and sold as Christmas trees.