Alnus glutinosa has a moderate environmental impact in the Great Lakes.
Alnus glutinosa has been identified as an invasive plant capable of displacing desirable vegetation (Herron et al. 2007, NatureServe 2010). It is associated with a number of nitrogen-fixing actinomycetes fungi that directly increase soil nitrogen concentrations (Hall et al. 1979). With the potential to dominate wetland communities, the Ontario Invasive Plants Working Group has labeled A. glutinosa as a top priority for management (Havinga 2000).
A. glutinosa leaf litter easily leaches water-soluble organic substances that may alter soil conditions and impact nearby plants (Funk 1990). Areas planted with Alnus glutinosa could further impact water courses by de-oxygenating the water, shading out other species, and degrading habitat. A. glutinosa’s dense root system is capable of trapping sediment and subsequently altering water flow in wetland ecosystems (Funk 1990).
There is little or no evidence to support that Alnus glutinosa has significant socio-economic impacts in the Great Lakes.
Alnus glutinosa has a moderate beneficial impact in the Great Lakes.
This tree has both ornamental and practical value. While it is not considered a commercially-valuable hardwood, Alnus glutinosa is kept by some US nurseries to meet the demand for use in orchards (as a windbreak) and at mine revegetation sites (Mikola 1958, USDA NRCS 2006).The wood may be used for carving and the leaves for medicinal purposes (Mills et al. 1993). Within its native range, A. glutinosa is used for furniture, wooden-ware, cooperage, charcoal, and wood fiber industries (Genys 1988).
In a supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of Alnus glutinosa, β-sitosterol and eleven pentacyclic triterpenes were identified (Felföldi-Gáva et al. 2012). These compounds have a variety of potential pharmacological applications, including stunting cancer tumor growth and protecting against the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment (Laszvzyk 2009, MDidea 2010). This group of compounds has also been found to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties, as well as cardiovascular benefits (MDidea 2010, Patocka 2003). One identified compound, betulinic acid, has been demonstrated to have antiviral properties against HIV (DeClercq 2000). The female catkins of Alnus glutinosa contain many antioxidants, which can be extracted by methanol (Sukhikh et al. 2022). The acorns of A. glutinosa have significant anti-cancer and anti-bacterial potential (Nawirska-Olszanska et al. 2022). Extracts were particularly effective in combatting skin epidermoid and lung carcinomas, Gram-positive microorganisms, yeast-like fungi, and some Gram-negative strains (Nawirska-Olszanska et al. 2022).
Alnus glutinosa acts as a significant source of nitrogen that typically becomes available for other species and has been shown to increase growth in nearby trees (Funk 1990, Mikola 1958, Plass 1977). For this reason, A. glutinosa is sometimes recommended as a nurse crop (a species interplanted with the species of interest in order to assist in its growth) for numerous hardwood tree species (Bohanek and Groninger 2005, Plass 1977, Shepperd and Jones 1985, Vogel 1981).
Due to its ability to fix nitrogen and its capability to colonize acidic soils, Alnus glutinosa can aid in the restoration of disturbed sites and spoil banks (Funk 1990). In an evaluation of the soil remediation ability of trees, A. glutinosa not only caused the largest accumulation of organic carbon and total nitrogen of all examined tree species, but also was associated with the most acidic soils (Chodak and Niklinska 2010). When interplanted on coal mine reclamation sites, A. glutinosa’s presence was associated with the doubling in size of adjacent yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), white ash (Fraxinus americana), and American sycamore (Plantanus occidentalis) (Vogel 1981). In a seven year study of shale mining reclamation sites in Estonia, A. glutinosa stands showed high survival and productivity rates, as well as reduced soil pH and phosphorous concentration (Kuznetsova et al. 2011). Notably, A. glutinosa may escape from reclaimed mine soils and grow naturally in surrounding areas. The cone-like flowers produced by A. glutinosa are capable of removing Cyanobacteria and their pollutants from water sources with significant efficiency (Kandic et al. 2022).
Young alder shoots (including Alnus glutinosa) create patches of dense stems when combined with Salix spp., Populus spp., and Acer spp. These complex vegetative structures provide critical habitat for Vermivora chrysoptera and other small wildlife in the Great Lakes region (Buckardt Thomas et al. 2023).
A. glutinosa seeds are released from cones throughout the winter, potentially benefiting seed-eating birds. Additionally, A. glutinosa could improve earthworm habitat (Funk 1990).