Yellow Birch–betula alleghaniensis

photo of Yellow Birch trees.

Yellow Birch is a common Hardwood across the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence forest, preferring cool moist upland sites. The silvery gray to yellowish bark gives the tree its name. Catkins and seeds are eaten by wildlife.

Yellow Birch is commonly used in furniture, cabinet making, plywood and doors, and is also popular as firewood. Yellow Birch represents 0.3% of °ÄÃÅÓÀÀû’s annual harvest, and is 1.3% of the province’s growing stock volume.

Map of Yellow Birch relative occurrence

map of Yellow Birch distribution in °ÄÃÅÓÀÀû indicating low (light brown), moderate and high (dark green-brown) levels of relative occurrence.

Area and proportion of Yellow Birch in the AOU (area in hectares)

Statistic Crown Parks and protected areas Other Total
Total Area Containing Yellow Birch 1,120,123 149,208 529,920 1,799,251
1-25% of stand 933,783 122,876 475,174 1,531,833
26-50% of stand 176,357 25,223 50,577 252,157
51-75% of stand 8,539 1,014 3,858 13,412
76-100% of stand 1,443 96 310 1,849
Average Proportion in All Forest (%) 0.7 2.0 1.0 0.9
Area of Yellow Birch Working Group 115,063 15,066 35,808 165,937

Growing stock volume of Yellow Birch k in the AOU (volume in thousands of cubic metres)

Statistic Crown Parks and protected areas Other Total
Gross Total Volume 38,335 5,293 17,846 61,474
Net Merchantable Volume 28,624 3,913 13,624 46,161
Current Annual Increment 219 24 127 370

Yellow Birch working group area by age class

vertical bar graph of the Yellow Birch working group area by age class including brown for Crown, green for park and grey for other.