#9 Biomass alder plantation

These speckled alders were planted in 1993 as a biomass research project. Most common in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence region, they grow rapidly enough to create biomass for energy production. This thicket-forming shrub can pull nitrogen out of the air and deposit it in the soil for other plants to use—a process known as nitrogen fixing. 

Did you know?
Alders are one of the first tree species to reclaim a site after fire, excavation or deforestation.