NEW BRUNSWICK — While artificial Christmas trees might be the popular choice during the holiday season, nothing beats the smell of a fresh balsam fir. But new research out of the University of New Brunswick shows the popular tree is at risk of being harmed by climate change. Anthony Taylor, a forest ecologist and professor of forest management at the University of New Brunswick, said the balsam fir makes up about 20% of all the trees in the province. Taylor and two other researchers have spent the past six years correlating historic climate data with previous balsam fir mortalities — or die-offs — and found these trees in particular are sensitive to high temperatures and periods of drought. …Taylor’s research found this wasn’t the first time mass mortality has happened here — the same condition was reported in 1986 and was referred to then as Stillwell’s syndrome. Coincidentally, 1986 was also a dry, hot year.