Range: northern Idaho, western Montana, and northwestern Wyoming and Washington.
Here are some fun facts about the Douglas fir. It is one of the tallest trees, being able to reach 300 feet. And it was used by natives to make baskets and for medical purposes. It helped with medical purposes by curing stomach aches, headaches, rheumatism and the cold. Some of the douglas fir trees in the pacific northwest are believed to be over 1,000 years old. They are also fire resistant. Because of their thick bark they can adapt to low intensity fires. Douglas fir is also highly valued for its strength.
Douglas firs are conifers, which means they produce seeds in cones rather than in flowers. The seeds are eaten by smaller mammals including chipmunks, mice, shrews and red squirrels. Relating to that, bears eat the sap off of these trees. And songbirds eat the seeds right out of the cone. Some other animals like owls rely on these trees for cover.
As you can tell, many animals rely on this tree to survive. But one animal relies on the tree the most. And that is the red tree vole. These tiny rodents seek cover in them, eat the needles and even obtain water by licking the moisture off of the needles.
Well now you know how much the douglas fir can impact these animals if it wasn’t there. That’s the cool thing about trees. If one species wasn’t there many animals wouldn’t be here.
Latin name: Pseudotsuga menziesii
Also known as
soo·
dow·
soo·
guh
men·
zee·
see
- Rohan M, Summit Atlas School, GR 6
