Knowra Alnus rubra Alnus rubra Alnus rubra, or red alder, is a deciduous tree native to western North America. Its pale bark and nitrogen-fixing root nodules distinguish it among regional trees.
Alnus : Alnus is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs commonly called alders. Red alder is one species in this genus.
Root nodule : A root nodule is a plant-root structure that houses microorganisms, often in a nitrogen-fixing partnership. Red alder's nodules house Frankia bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen.
Alder wood : Alder wood is the pale, fine-grained timber harvested from alder trees, especially red alder in western North America. Red alder is the principal commercial alder timber species in the Pacific Northwest.
Pacific Northwest : The Pacific Northwest is a region of western North America centered on the coastal areas of British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. Much of red alder's native range lies in this region.
Betulaceae : Betulaceae is the flowering-plant family that includes birches, alders, hazels, and hornbeams. The family places red alder among several familiar temperate trees.
Symbiosis : Symbiosis is a close, persistent association between organisms of different species. The alder–Frankia relationship is a symbiosis between a tree and bacteria.
Forest restoration : Forest restoration is the deliberate recovery of forest structure, function, and native biodiversity in degraded or altered land. Red alder can rapidly cover disturbed sites and contribute nitrogen during recovery.
Alnus rubra in Oregon : Alnus rubra in Oregon is the species' occurrence across the state's forests, foothills, and stream corridors. Oregon contains extensive red alder forests and commercial stands.
Frankia : Frankia is a genus of soil bacteria that forms nitrogen-fixing root nodules with certain plants. These bacteria supply the nitrogen fixed in red alder's root nodules.
Biological nitrogen fixation : Biological nitrogen fixation is the microbial conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia. Frankia bacteria perform this process inside red alder's root nodules.
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