Alder

Of the nearly 30 alder species in the world, four are native to Alaska. The American green Alder, Sitka Alder, Red Alder, and Thinleaf Alder are very important to our ecosystem. Known as pioneering species for their inclination to grow in recently deglaciated terrain, rocky hillsides, and other recently deforested or flooded areas, the mostly deciduous Alders are widespread throughout Alaska. Alders work together with a nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil to sequester both nitrogen and carbon from the atmoshphere which is then deposited in the soil in a process that enriches weak or damaged soils and eventually allows other species to estabish in the same areas.