Northern Tree Habitats | Geophysical Institute
Jan 29, 2026 · The best lodgepole pine races are faster-growing than the local spruces and larch planted in the same area; but again, only time will tell if the advantage will remain with the pine. Why …
Alaska's Gift--The Pine | Geophysical Institute
Dec 11, 2025 · Pine incense was used in religious ceremonies by the Aztecs, the Mayas, and the Romans. Pines were mentioned in Greek mythology. Greek scholars knew a great deal about pines, …
The Smell of Christmas | Geophysical Institute
Nov 20, 2025 · One of many Christmas pleasures is the aroma of a freshly cut tree. Both spruce and pine have it. So do cranberry fields in the morning, orange peelings, and some paint thinners.
Visit to an exotic tree plantation in Alaska | Geophysical Institute
Jun 18, 2021 · But a few imported trees here stand tall, straight and perfect: Siberian larch and lodgepole pine seem to be the champions, so far. “Larch in their first 40 years will outgrow local white …
New way to spot beetle-killed spruce can help forest, wildfire managers ...
Jun 12, 2024 · A new machine-learning system developed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks can automatically produce detailed maps from satellite data to show locations of likely beetle-killed …
More on Why Tree Trunks Spiral | Geophysical Institute
Jan 29, 2026 · In an earlier column , I asked if any readers could explain why the grain in trees seemed to spiral up the trunk-in a clockwise direction. That is, spiral marks in old trees crack open from the …
Alaska hot springs, far and wide | Geophysical Institute
Apr 12, 2018 · The trees surrounding the Kanuti clearing are typical of the boreal forest, but Pilgrim Springs on the Seward Peninsula is home to spruce and pine trees, probably planted by someone …
The Days of the Shade Trees in Alaska | Geophysical Institute
Aug 26, 1998 · The pollen record shows a dramatic change in interior Alaska trees at the same time. The warm-weather hardwoods disappeared, leaving behind hardy birch, alder and pine. By about …
Why Lower 48 Fruit Trees Don't Do Well in Alaska
Jan 29, 2026 · Newcomers to Alaska will frequently order young pine, fruit or maple trees from their home state in the lower 48. They enthusiastically proclaim that the trees should do well here because …
Black Spruce - Geophysical Institute
Jan 29, 2026 · Somehow black spruce trees seem like the jackasses of the northern forests--sort of ungainly looking, ugly little beasts that somehow can survive under conditions prohibitive to the taller …