Anthony Taylor

Balsam fir trees in New Brunswick are turning red and dying after last summer’s record-breaking drought, raising concerns about the future of the provincial tree. University of New Brunswick forestry researcher Prof. Anthony Taylor says he has been hearing from woodlot owners and seeing the damage firsthand, as the crisp evergreen trees — favoured for Christmas trees — slowly turn red, dry out, and die. He said the pattern is consistent with what he has observed following other hot, dry summers. …Taylor has been studying the effects of climate change on New Brunswick’s forests for years. He says similar balsam fir die-offs followed unusually hot, dry summers in 1986 and 2018. …Taylor said seeing the red trees this year is a “double-edged sword.” While they support his research, he said they are also a visible sign of the negative impact a changing climate is having on New Brunswick’s provincial tree.