• Lee, Thomas H
  School of Forest Resources, University of Maine
  
• Field, David B
  Cooperative Forestry Research Unit, University of Maine
  

During the past half century, the spruce budworm, choristoneura fumiferrana clem, has been responsible for initiating the destruction of over 300 million cods of balsam firm (abies balsamea L. Mill) pulpwood and saw timber (Basham, 1959). This report ls based on a literature search concerning work done on the degrade and decay of (primarily) balsam fir. Although the research reports covered were not all concerned with trees attacked by spruce budworm, the response of trees to different environmental stresses is similar in many cases, so information gained from related studies may be pertinent to the evaluation of budworm damage. Similarities and differences will be noted where appropriate. The information presented in this report is intended be a summary of what is known about spruce budworm-caused degrade and decay of balsam fir and, to a larger extent, spruce.