They receive their nutrients from soil fungi that form mycorrhiza with their roots. Some examples are Snow plant, Sarcodess sanguinea , spotted coral root, Corallorhiza maculata , and pinedrops, Pterospora andromeda . Fire is the major source of disturbance in the Red Fir forest. Lightning strikes the Red Fir more often because it is the tallest tree in the forest. Fires occur every 1 to 57 years and serve to regulate understory growth and provide nutrients to the soil.
Fire opens up areas for young fir trees, understory trees and shrubs to establish.
Lodgepole Pines establish on burned sites and shade out the shrubs. Even though Lodgepole Pines take advantage of the conditions in the soil after a fire, the sapling of the Red Fir eventually take over and out shade their competitor. The Red Fir forest in the last stage or old growth stage have very few seeds or saplings surviving. The thick layer of litter and competition for moisture prevents saplings from establishing and few survive. The deeply compacted litter layer is an obstacle to seedling germination.