Growth and chemical responses of balsam fir saplings released from intense browsing pressure in the boreal forests of western Newfoundland, Canada

•High moose density negatively impacts the health of balsam fir saplings.•Elimination of browsing pressure relaxes constitutive chemical defenses.•Phenol levels are influenced by light availability and sapling height.•Having escaped moose, tall exposed saplings invest less in chemical defense.•The importance of phenols versus tannins in defense likely shifts with season.