Production and quality of sap from bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum Marsh) on Vancouver Island, British Columbia

• Main Author: Bruce, Deirdre
• Other Authors: Smith, Dan
• Language: English; en
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: forestry; non-timber forest products; bigleaf maple; bigleaf maple syrup; bigleaf maple sap; value added; forest dependent communities; sustainability; UVic Subject Index::Sciences and Engineering::Agriculture::Forests and forestry
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1828/936

Bigleaf maple tapping has become increasingly popular on Vancouver Island and additional information is needed to assist in the sustainable development of this non-timber forest product. This research is an exploratory study that investigates sap flow in the 2006/2007 season on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Sap flow was highly variable throughout the season. Fluctuations in air temperature, above and below zero, were shown to trigger sap flow. This study characterizes the dissolved solid components of the sap and syrup collected during the 2006/2007 season. The carbohydrate content of the bigleaf maple sap is mainly sucrose with a minor component of fructose and glucose. The concentration of carbohydrates varied throughout the season. The main cations in the bigleaf maple sap and syrup are calcium, potassium and magnesium.