Life History and Disturbance Response of Fraxinus nigra (black ash)
Family: Oleaceae
Guild: opportunistic, fast-growing understory tolerant
Functional Lifeform: medium-size deciduous tree
Ecological Role: found on muck soils along streams and in poorly drained areas; common associate of American elm, red maple, and northern white-cedar; on moist but well-drained sites it is part of a transitional type that is replaced by northern hardwoods
Lifespan, yrs (typical/max): 150/200
Shade Tolerance: intolerant
Height, m: 18-21
Canopy Tree: yes
Pollination Agent: wind
Seeding, yrs (begins/optimal/declines): Information Not Found
Mast Frequency, yrs: 4
New Cohorts Source: seeds or sprouts
Flowering Dates: late spring
Flowers/Cones Damaged by Frost: yes
Seedfall Begins: early fall
Seed Banking: 1 yr +
Cold Stratification Required: yes
Seed Type/Dispersal Distance/Agent: winged/ to 200 m/ wind
Season of Germination: spring
Seedling Rooting System: shallow
Sprouting: seedling and stump sprouts common
Establishment Seedbed Preferences
Substrate: variable
Light: overstory shade
Moisture: moist required
Temperature: neutral
Disturbance response:
Fire: In the swampy woodlands where black ash commonly grows fire is infrequent, occurring at intervals of several decades to centuries. Trees are topkilled by moderate-intensity fires and sprouts from the adventitious buds on the root crown or from root suckers. Surviving, wounded trees are susceptible to rot. Seedling establishment probably occurs two years after fire from seeds of surviving trees onsite or from offsite seeds carried by wind.
Weather: Black ash is probably tolerant of flooding.
Air pollution: Black ash had variable ratings (tolerant to sensitive) in sensitivity to sulphur dioxide. It is sensitive to ozone. Symptoms of foliar injury have been noted in areas of high ambient ozone, and seedlings exhibited reduced biomass accumulation under controlled fumigation with ozone.