Black Spruce is a small, slow-growing conifer that dominates waterlogged bogs and muskegs across the boreal zone. It is the most tolerant of all North American conifers to cold, wet, oxygen-poor conditions. Its persistent cones can remain on branches for years and serve as a serotinous seed bank, opening after fire to regenerate the forest.
Habitat
Sphagnum bogs, muskegs, and poorly drained boreal soils across northern North America
Diet
Seeds eaten by crossbills and redpolls; browsed by caribou and snowshoe hare
How common
Common
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