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Larix laricina | |
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Tamarack larch in fall colors, with red spruce in the background | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Gymnospermae |
Division: | Pinophyta |
Class: | Pinopsida |
Order: | Pinales |
Family: | Pinaceae |
Genus: | Larix |
Species: | L. laricina |
Binomial name | |
Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch | |
Natural range of Larix laricina | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Larix laricina, commonly known as the tamarack, [3] hackmatack, [3] eastern larch, [3] black larch, [3] red larch, [3] or American larch, [3] is a species of larch native to Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland, and also south into the upper northeastern United States from Minnesota to Cranesville Swamp, West Virginia; there is also an isolated population in central Alaska. [4]
Larix laricina is a small to medium-size boreal deciduous conifer tree reaching 15–23 m (49–75 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 60 cm (24 in) diameter. [5] The bark of mature trees is reddish, the young trees are gray with smooth bark. [6] The leaves are needle-like, 2.5 cm (1 in) long, light blue-green, turning bright yellow before they fall in the autumn, leaving the shoots bare until the next spring. [5] The needles are produced in clusters on long woody spur shoots. [5] The cones are the smallest of any larch, only 1–2.3 cm (3⁄8–7⁄8 in) long, with 12-25 seed scales; they are bright red, turning brown and opening to release the seeds when mature, 4 to 6 months after pollination. [6]
Key characteristics: [7]
This section relies largely or entirely on a single source .(January 2023) |
Tamaracks are very cold tolerant, able to survive temperatures down to at least −62 °C (−80 °F), and commonly occurs at the Arctic tree line at the edge of the tundra. Trees in these severe climatic conditions are smaller than farther south, often only 3 m (10 ft) tall. They can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions but grow most commonly in swamps, bogs, or muskegs, in wet to moist organic soils such as sphagnum, peat, and woody peat. [3] [6] [5] They are also found on mineral soils that range from heavy clay to coarse sand; thus texture does not seem to be limiting. Although tamarack can grow well on calcareous soils, it is not abundant on the limestone areas of eastern Ontario. [5]
Tamarack is generally the first forest tree to grow on filled-lake bogs. [5] [8] In the lake states, tamarack may appear first in the sedge mat, sphagnum moss, or not until the bog shrub stage. Farther north, it is the pioneer tree in the bog shrub stage. Tamarack is fairly well adapted to reproduce successfully on burns, so it is one of the common pioneers on sites in the boreal forest immediately after a fire. [9]
The central Alaskan population, separated from the eastern Yukon populations by a gap of about 700 kilometres (430 mi), is treated as a distinct variety Larix laricina var. alaskensis by some botanists, though others argue that it is not sufficiently distinct to be distinguished. [5]
Tamaracks are easily susceptible to fires, as they have shallow roots and thin bark. [5] The tamarack's shallow root system also leaves it susceptible to being knocked over by high-speed winds. It has also been discovered that abnormally high water levels often kill tamarack stands. [8] Flooding, mainly caused by beaver dams and newly constructed roads, can kill off stands and damage adventitious roots. [5] [8]
Tamaracks are targeted by many species of insects. One of the most prominent damaging insects is larch sawfly, which is non-native. [5] [8] It causes damage across its range and causes defoliation which can kill the trees within 6 to 9 years. [5] [8] To lessen the problem, parasites have been imported to kill the larch sawflies in parts of Minnesota and Manitoba. [8] Another serious defoliator is the larch casebearer ( Coleophora laricella). All tamaracks are susceptible to being killed by the larch casebearer, however recently the outbreaks of larch casebearer have been less severe. [8]
There are some other insects that can harm Tamaracks, including spruce budworm ( Choristoneura fumiferana ); the larch-bud moth ( Zeiraphera improbana ); the spruce spider mite ( Oligonychus ununguis ); the larch-shoot moth (Argyresthia laricella ); and the eastern larch beetle ( Dendroctonus simplex ). [8] Healthy trees are left mostly unaffected by eastern larch beetles. [8] Defoliation by the larch casebearer makes infestation of the eastern larch beetle more likely. [10] [8]
Only one of the many pathogens that affect Tamarack causing diseases serious enough to have an economic impact on its culture, is the Lachnellula willkommii fungus. It is a relatively new pathogen in Canada, first recorded in 1980 and originating in Europe. The fungus causes the formation of large cankers and a disease known as larch canker which is particularly harmful to the tamarack larch, killing both young and mature trees. [11] Rust is the only common foliage disease amongst Tamaracks, and causes minimal damage to the trees. [8] The needle-cast fungus (Hypodermella laricis) is also a cause for concern in Tamaracks. [8]
Tamarack forms extensive pure stands in the boreal region of Canada and in northern Minnesota. [5] In the rest of its United States range and in the Maritime Provinces, tamarack is found locally in both pure and mixed stands. [5]
Black spruce (Picea mariana) is usually tamarack's main associate in mixed stands on all sites. Other commonly associated overgrowth species include balsam fir (Abies balsamea), white spruce (Picea glauca), and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the boreal region. [5] In the better organic soil sites in the northern forest region, the most common associates are the northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis), balsam fir, black ash (Fraxinus nigra), and red maple (Acer rubrum). [5] In Alaska, quaking aspen and tamarack are almost never found together. [5] Additional common associates are American elm (Ulmus americana), balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera), jack pine (Pinus banksiana), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), Kenai birch (B. papyrifera var. kenaica), and yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis). [5]
There are a vast number of shrubs associated with Tamarack due to their range, some of the common ones are dwarf and swamp birch (Betula glandulosa and Betula pumila), willows (Salix spp.), speckled alder (Alnus rugosa), and red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) bog Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum), bog-rosemary (Andromeda glaucophylla), leather leaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata), blueberries and huckleberries (Vaccinium spp.) and small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos). [5] [8] Characteristically the herbaceous cover includes sedges (Carex spp.), cottongrass (Eriophorum spp.), three-leaved false Solomonseal (Maianthemum trifolium), marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris), marsh-marigold (Caltha palustris), and bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata). [8]
The wood is tough and durable, but also flexible in thin strips, and was used by the Algonquian people for making snowshoes and other products where toughness was required. The natural crooks located in the stumps and roots are also preferred for creating knees in wooden boats. [8] Currently, the wood is used principally for pulpwood, but also for posts, poles, rough lumber, and fuelwood; it is not a major commercial timber species. [8] Tamarack wood is also used as kickboards in horse stables. [5] Older log homes built in the 19th century sometimes incorporated tamarack along with other species like red or white oak. The hewn logs have a coarse grainy surface texture.
It is also grown as an ornamental tree in gardens in cold regions. Several dwarf cultivars have been created that are available commercially. [12] [13] Tamarack is commonly used for bonsai. [14]
Tamarack poles were used in corduroy roads because of their resistance to rot. Tamarack posts were used before 1917 in Alberta to mark the northeast corner of sections surveyed within townships. They were used by the surveyors because at that time the very rot-resistant wood was readily available in the bush and was light to carry.[ citation needed ] Their rot resistance was also why they were often used in early water distribution systems.
The aboriginal peoples of Canada's northwest regions used the inner bark as a poultice to treat cuts, infected wounds, frostbite, boils and hemorrhoids. The outer bark and roots are also said to have been used with another plant as a treatment for arthritis, cold and general aches and pains. [15]
Wildlife use the tree for food and nesting. Porcupines eat the inner bark, snowshoe hares feeds on tamarack seedlings, and red squirrels eat the seeds. [8] Birds that frequent tamaracks during the summer include the white-throated sparrow, song sparrow, veery, common yellowthroat, and Nashville warbler. [16] [8]
Tamarack is very intolerant of shade. [8] Although it can tolerate some shade during the first several years, it must become dominant to survive. [8] When mixed with other species, it must be in the over story. [5] The tree is a good self-pruner, and boles of 25- to 30-year-old trees may be clear for one-half or two-thirds their length. [5] [8]
Because tamarack is very shade-intolerant, it does not become established in its own shade. [8] Consequently, the more tolerant black spruce eventually succeeds tamarack on poor bog sites, whereas northern white-cedar, balsam fir, and swamp hardwoods succeed tamarack on good swamp sites. [5] [8] Recurring sawfly outbreaks throughout the range of tamarack have probably sped the usual succession to black spruce or other associates. [8]
Various tests on planting and natural reproduction indicate that competing vegetation hinders tamarack establishment. [8]
The shade-intolerance of tamarack dictates the use of even-aged management. [5] [8] Some adaptation of clear cutting or seed-tree cutting is generally considered the best silvicultural system because tamarack seeds apparently germinate better in the open, and the seedlings require practically full light to survive and grow well. [8] Tamarack is also usually wind-firm enough for the seed-tree system to succeed. Satisfactory reestablishment of tamarack, however, often requires some kind of site preparation, such as slash disposal and herbicide spraying. [8]
The names tamarack and hackmatack appear to derive from Algonquian but have undergone contamination with the word tacamahac , from Nahuatl, so the precise words that underlie them are unclear. [17] The word akemantak meaning "wood used for snowshoes" has been cited[ by whom? ] as a name for the species, but the Proto-Algonquian *a·kema·xkwa this appears to represent was the name for the white ash. [18]
Taiga or tayga, also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga or boreal forest is the world's largest land biome. In North America, it covers most of inland Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northern contiguous United States. In Eurasia, it covers most of Sweden, Finland, much of Russia from Karelia in the west to the Pacific Ocean, much of Norway and Estonia, some of the Scottish Highlands, some lowland/coastal areas of Iceland, and areas of northern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, and northern Japan.
Larches are deciduous conifers in the genus Larix, of the family Pinaceae. Growing from 20 to 45 metres tall, they are native to the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere, where they are found in lowland forests in the high latitudes, and high in mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the boreal forests of Siberia and Canada. Although they are conifers, larches are deciduous trees that lose their needles in the autumn.
Picea mariana, the black spruce, is a North American species of spruce tree in the pine family. It is widespread across Canada, found in all 10 provinces and all 3 territories. It is the official tree of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and is that province's most numerous tree. The range of the black spruce extends into northern parts of the United States: in Alaska, the Great Lakes region, and the upper Northeast. It is a frequent part of the biome known as taiga or boreal forest.
Abies balsamea or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States.
Mer Bleue Bog is a 33.43 km2 (12.91 sq mi) protected area in Gloucester, Ontario, an eastern suburb of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Canada. Its main feature is a sphagnum bog that is situated in an ancient channel of the Ottawa River and is a remarkable boreal-like ecosystem normally not found this far south. Stunted black spruce, tamarack, bog rosemary, blueberry, and cottongrass are some of the unusual species that have adapted to the acidic waters of the bog.
Larix decidua, the European larch, is a species of larch native to the mountains of central Europe, in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains, with small disjunct lowland populations in northern Poland. Its life span has been confirmed to be close to 1000 years, with ages of around 2000 years likely.
The International Larix Arboretum is a small arboretum of 1.2 acres (4,900 m2) dedicated to the scientific study of the larch (Larix) species. It is located within the Coram Experimental Forest, 30 yards SE of the Hungry Horse Ranger station at 10 Hungry Horse Drive Hungry Horse, Montana. The Arboretum is open to the public, without charge, during daylight hours from April to October.
The western larch is a species of larch native to the mountains of western North America ; in Canada in southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, and in the United States in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho, and western Montana. It is the most productive of the three species of larch native to North America.
Larix kaempferi, the Japanese larch or karamatsu in Japanese, is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chūbu and Kantō regions in central Honshū.
The New England-Acadian forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forest ecoregion in North America that includes a variety of habitats on the hills, mountains and plateaus of New England and New York State in the Northeastern United States, and Quebec and the Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada.
The plant pathogenic fungus Leucostoma kunzei is the causal agent of Leucostoma canker, a disease of spruce trees found in the Northern Hemisphere, predominantly on Norway spruce and Colorado blue spruce. This disease is one of the most common and detrimental stem diseases of Picea species in the northeastern United States, yet it also affects other coniferous species. Rarely does it kill its host tree; however, the disease does disfigure by killing host branches and causing resin exudation from perennial lesions on branches or trunks.
Larix gmelinii var. olgensis, synonym Larix olgensis, the Olga Bay larch or Olgan larch, is a variety of larch. The variety is named after Olga Bay in the Sea of Japan. The common name in Japanese language is 満洲唐松. The common name in Chinese is 黄花落叶松. This variety occurs in Central Sikhote-Alin, and rarely occurs in North Korea, and Jilin and eastern Heilongjiang provinces of China, between 500 and 1100 metres in elevation.
Coleophora laricella, the western larch case-bearer, is a moth belonging to the family of case-bearing moths Coleophoridae. It is native to Central and Northern Europe, with its original food source being the European larch or Larix decidua. However, it was introduced to North America in the mid-19th century where it has gained a wide range and become an invasive defoliator of several species of the genus Larix, particularly the western larch Larix occidentalis and the tamarack larch Larix laricina.
Coniferous swamps are forested wetlands in which the dominant trees are lowland conifers such as northern white cedar. The soil in these swamp areas is typically saturated for most of the growing season and is occasionally inundated by seasonal storms or by winter snow melt.
The eastern forest–boreal transition is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion of North America, mostly in eastern Canada. It is a transitional zone or region between the predominantly coniferous Boreal Forest and the mostly deciduous broadleaf forest region further south.
Neodiprion abietis, commonly known as the balsam fir sawfly, is a species of insect in the family Diprionidae. It is found in North America from Canada to northern Mexico and is phytophagous, feeding on the needles of coniferous trees.
Arceuthobium pusillum is a perennial, obligate parasitic plant in the sandalwood family. Its common names include Dwarf mistletoe or Eastern dwarf mistletoe. It is one of the most widespread dwarf mistletoes within its range which covers the eastern United States and Canada, from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia and New Jersey. The species name "pusillum" derives from Latin "pusillus", meaning very small.
Dwarf forms include: 'Blue Sparkler', with bluish foliage; 'Deborah Waxman', which reaches 4' in time; 'Lanark', which grows very low and wide; and 'Newport Beauty', a tiny form probably never exceeding 2' tall and wide.
As bonsai, they are my favorite genus because of their speed of growth, hardiness, ease of wiring and shaping, and, most of all, for their beautiful foliage color in spring and autumn.