Tree

Bark	Leaf
Male Flowers	Female Flowers

Fruit

Height: <30 m, Age: <100 yr
Ectomycorrhizal
Persistent Seed Bank
Monoecious, Flowering April - May (Earliest: 4.4)

Protective Chemicals
Monoterpenoids	Alloocimene, Cineole, Limonene, Linalool, Myrcene, Ocimene, Pinene, Sabinene, Terpinene, Thujene
Sesquiterpenoids	Amorphene, Bourbonene, Cadinene, Caryophyllene, Copaene, Farnesene, Guaiadiene, Humulene
Triterpenoids	Betulinic, Deacetylpapyriferic, Papyriferic, & Pendulic Acids, Betulin
Flavonoids	Catechin, Hyperoside, Myricetin, Quercetin
Other Phenolics	Chlorogenic, Cinnamic, & Neochlorogenic Acids, Betuloside, Dehydrosalidroside, Epirhododendrin, Platyphylloside, Salidroside, Tannins

Biotopes:	Wet Forest	Hedge Rows
Pollination:	Wind
Seed Dispersal:	Wind
Mycorrhizae:	Thelephora terrestris	Cantharellus cibarius	Many Boletaceae	Paxillus involutus
	Scleroderma citrinum	Many Russulaceae	Several Amanitaceae	Many Cortinariaceae
	Several Entolomataceae	Several Hydnangiaceae	Many Hymenogastraceae	Many Inocybaceae
	Many Tricholomataceae	Hygrophorus hedrychii
Parasites:	Taphrina betulae	Taphrina betulina	Marssonina betulae	Erysiphe ornata
	Inonotus obliquus	Phellinus igniarius	Several Polyporaceae	Fomitopsis pinicola
	Chondrostereum purpureum	Armillaria ostoyae	Leucoptera malifoliella	Lyonetia clerkella
	Epinotia tetraquetrana Larva (Stem Borer)	Gypsonoma dealbana	Eriocrania semipurpurella	Heringocrania unimaculella Larva (Leaf Miner)
	Parornix betulae	Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella	Incurvaria pectinea	Phylloporia bistrigella Larva
	Coleophora serratella	Lampronia fuscatella Larva (Twig Gall)	Swammerdamia caesiella	Ectoedemia occultella
	Scolioneura betuleti	Agromyza alnibetulae	Anisostephus betulinus	Several Rhynchitidae
	Several Curculionidae Larvae (Leaf Miners)	Trachys minutus	Acalitus longisetosus
Possible Parasites:	Coleophora currucipennella Larva	Coleophora potentillae	Bucculatrix thoracella	Caloptilia stigmatella Larva
	Saperda populnea Larva (Branch Gall)
Herbivores:	Capreolus capreolus	Bonasa bonasia	Nymphalis polychloros Larva	Several Drepanidae
	Several Erebidae	Many Geometridae	Several Lasiocampidae	Many Noctuidae
	Several Notodontidae Larvae	Many Tortricidae	Anacampsis blattariella Larva	Hypatima rhomboidella Larva
	Saturnia pavonia	Endromis versicolora Larva	Pseudoips prasinana	Ypsolopha parenthesella Larva
	Semioscopi avellanella Larva	Mimas tiliae Larva	Agrotera nemoralis Larva	Many Tenthredinidae
	Arge ustulata Larva	Trichiosoma lucorum	Several Chrysomelidae	Several Curculionidae
	Agrilus cyanescens	Phyllopertha horticola
Possible Herbivores:	Several Erebidae	Many Geometridae	Many Noctuidae	Several Notodontidae
	Many Tortricidae	Aglia tau Larva	Diurnea fagella	Carpatolechia proximella Larva
	Cossus cossus	Malacosoma neustria	Caliroa cerasi	Several Chrysomelidae
	Many Curculionidae
Sapivores:	Acanthosomatidae	Several Aphididae	Several Cicadellidae	Several Miridae
	Cixius nervosus	Cixius simplex	Psylla betulae
Possible Sapivores:	Several Miridae	Several Pentatomidae	Tachycixius pilosus	Aphrophora alni
	Edwardsiana frustrator	Cixius distinguendus
Xylophages:	Synanthedon spheciformis Larva (Wood Borer)	Several Cerambycidae Larvae	Agrilus angustulus Larva (Wood Borer)	Agrilus viridis Larva (Wood Borer)
	Otiorhynchus coecus Larva	Scolytus intricatus	Chyliza leptogaster Larva
Florivores:	Several Tortricidae	Argyresthia brockeella	Argyresthia goedartella Larva	Eupithecia satyrata
Possible Florivores:	Neolygus contaminatus
Granivores:	Cyanistes caeruleus	Carduelis flammea	Spinus spinus	Coccothraustes coccothraustes
	Cochylis nana Larva	Kleidocerys resedae	Orthotylus marginalis	Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale
Possible Granivores:	Several Miridae	Scolopostethus affinis	Scolopostethus decoratus
Bark Inhabitants:	Candelaria concolor	Pertusaria flavida	Evernia prunastri	Parmelia saxatilis
	Physcia tenella	Lecanora expallens	Phlyctis argena	Cladonia coniocraea
Nests:	Columba palumbus
Wood Decomposers:	Several Psathyrellaceae	Mycena rubromarginata	Mycena tintinnabulum	Armillaria ostoyae
	Simocybe sumptuosa	Megacollybia platyphylla	Mycenella margaritispora	Pleurotus pulmonarius
	Pluteus umbrosus	Pholiota tuberculosa	Crepidotus bresadolae	Chondrostereum purpureum
	Radulomyces confluens	Phellinus igniarius	Phellinus lundellii	Hyphodontia barba-jovis
	Dacrymyces lacrymalis	Several Polyporaceae	Fomitopsis betulina	Gloeoporus pannocinctus
	Bulgaria inquinans	Mollisia ramealis	Hypoxylon fuscum	Trichius fasciatus Larva
	Magdalis carbonaria Larva	Ampedus pomonae Larva	Schizotus pectinicornis Larva	Platystomos albinus Larva
	Criorhina berberina Larva	Eratophyes amasiella Larva	Angiosperm Generalists
Leaf Decomposers:	Myochromella boudieri	Psathyrella artemisiae	Calycellina leucella	Polyscytalum fecundissimum
	Fusidium griseum	Adela reaumurella Larva	Nemophora degeerella Larva	Angiosperm Generalists

Ecological Flora of the British Isles
Skye Flora: Silver Birch
Tommi Nyman: Insects on Birch

Pictures © 2003, 2004, 2005, 2011 J.K. Lindsey

Caution

Back to Ecology of Commanster