View source for User:Cinobunny/Larix laricina

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== Article Draft ==
(a majority of the original article was plagiarized or uncited without similar description to the references hence the almost entire rewrite)

=== Lead ===
'''''Larix laricina''''', commonly known as the '''tamarack''',<ref name="GD">{{Gymnosperm Database|family=Pinaceae|genus=Larix|species=laricina|access-date=2011-05-28}}</ref> '''hackmatack''',<ref name="GD" /> '''eastern larch''',<ref name="GD" /> '''black larch''',<ref name="GD" /> '''red larch''',<ref name="GD" /> or '''American larch''',<ref name="GD" /> is a species of [[larch]] native to [[Canada]], from eastern [[Yukon]] and [[Inuvik]], [[Northwest Territories]] east to [[Newfoundland (island)|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]].<ref>{{BONAP|ref|genus=Larix|species=laricina|state=1}}</ref>

=== Article body ===

== Description ==
''Larix laricina'' is a small to medium-size [[Boreal forest|boreal]] [[deciduous]] [[conifer]] [[tree]] reaching {{convert|15|-|23|m|abbr=on|ft}} tall, with a trunk up to {{convert|60|cm|in|abbr=on}} diameter.<ref name="FEIS" /> The bark of mature trees are reddish, the young trees are gray with smooth bark.<ref name=":0" /> The [[Leaf|leaves]] are needle-like, {{convert|2.5|cm|in||abbr=on|frac=4|}} short, light blue-green, turning bright yellow before they fall in the autumn, leaving the shoots bare until the next spring.<ref name="FEIS" /> The needles are produced in clusters on long woody spur shoots.<ref name="FEIS" /> The [[Conifer cone|cones]] are the smallest of any larch, only {{convert|1|-|2.3|cm|abbr=on|frac=16|in}} long, with 12-25 seed scales; they are bright red, turning brown and opening to release the [[Seed|seeds]] when mature, 4 to 6 months after [[pollination]].<ref name=":0">{{eFloras|1|233500743|Larix laricina|family=Pinaceae|first=William H.|last=Parker}}</ref>

Key characteristics:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Barnes |first1=Burton V. |url=https://archive.org/details/michigantreesgui00barn |title=Michigan Trees |last2=Wagner Jr. |first2=Warren H. |date=September 15, 1981 |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]] |isbn=978-0-472-08018-2 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

* The needles are normally borne on a short shoot in groups of 10–20 needles.
* The larch is deciduous and the needles turn yellow in autumn.
* The seed cones are small, less than {{convert|2|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=4}} long, with lustrous brown scales.
* Larch are commonly found in swamps, fens, bogs, and other low-land areas.

== Distribution and ecology ==
Tamaracks are very cold tolerant, able to survive temperatures down to at least {{convert|-62|C|F|0}}.<ref name=":23">{{Silvics|volume=1|genus=Larix|species=laricina|first=William F.|last=Johnston|access-date=2015-12-04}}</ref> Trees in these severe climatic conditions are smaller than farther south, often only {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on|round=5}} tall.<ref name="FEIS3">{{FEIS|genus=Larix|species=laricina|type=tree|last=Uchytil|first=Ronald J.|year=1991}}</ref> They can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions but grow most commonly in [[Swamp|swamps]], [[Bog|bogs]], or [[Muskeg|muskegs]], in wet to moist organic soils such as [[sphagnum]], [[peat]], and woody peat.<ref name="GD3">{{Gymnosperm Database|family=Pinaceae|genus=Larix|species=laricina|access-date=2011-05-28}}</ref><ref name=":03">{{eFloras|1|233500743|Larix laricina|family=Pinaceae|first=William H.|last=Parker}}</ref><ref name="FEIS3" />

Tamarack is generally the first forest tree to grow on filled-lake bogs.<ref name=":12">{{cite web |last=Hogan |first=C. Michael |date=November 24, 2008 |title=Black Spruce |url=http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=44751 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005174426/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=44751 |archive-date=October 5, 2011 |access-date=2011-05-28 |work=GlobalTwitcher.com}}</ref><ref name="FEIS3" /><ref name=":23" />  Tamarack is fairly well adapted to reproduce successfully on burns, so it is one of the common [[Pioneer species|pioneers]] on sites in the boreal forest immediately after a fire.<ref name=":12" />

The central [[Alaska|Alaskan]] population, separated from the eastern [[Yukon]] populations by a gap of about {{convert|700|km|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.<ref name="FEIS3" />

== Associated forest cover ==
Tamarack forms extensive pure stands in the [[Boreal ecosystem|boreal]] region of [[Canada]] and in northern [[Minnesota]]. In the rest of its United States range and in the [[Maritime Provinces]], tamarack is found locally in both pure and mixed stands. It is a major component in the [[Society of American Foresters]] (SAF) [[Forest cover type|forest cover types]] Tamarack and [[black spruce–tamarack]].

[[Black spruce]] (''Picea mariana'') is usually tamarack's main associate in mixed stands on all sites. The other most common associates include [[balsam fir]] (''Abies balsamea''), [[white spruce]] (''Picea glauca''), and [[quaking aspen]] (''Populus tremuloides'') in the boreal region.<ref name="FEIS2">{{FEIS|genus=Larix|species=laricina|type=tree|last=Uchytil|first=Ronald J.|year=1991}}</ref> In the better organic soil sites in the northern forest region, the most common associates are the [[northern white-cedar]] (''Thuja occidentalis''), balsam fir, [[Fraxinus nigra|black ash]] (''Fraxinus nigra''), and [[red maple]] (''Acer rubrum'').<ref name="FEIS2" /> In [[Alaska]], quaking aspen and tamarack are almost never found together.<ref name="FEIS2" /> 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'').<ref name="FEIS2" />

Tamarack stands cast light shade and so usually have a dense undergrowth of shrubs and herbs. Because the tree has an extensive range, a great variety of shrubs is associated with it. Dominant tall shrubs include [[American dwarf birch|dwarf]] and [[swamp birch]] (''Betula glandulosa'' and ''Betula pumila''), [[Willow|willows]] (''Salix'' spp.), [[speckled alder]] (''Alnus rugosa''), and [[red-osier dogwood]] (''Cornus stolonifera'').<ref name=":22">{{Silvics|volume=1|genus=Larix|species=laricina|first=William F.|last=Johnston|access-date=2015-12-04}}</ref> Low shrubs include [[bog Labrador tea]] (''Ledum groenlandicum''), [[bog-rosemary]] (''Andromeda glaucophylla''), [[leather leaf]] (''Chamaedaphne calyculata''), and [[small cranberry]] (''Vaccinium oxycoccos'').<ref name="FEIS2" /><ref name=":22" /> Characteristically the herbaceous cover includes [[Carex|sedges]] ''(Carex'' spp.), [[cottongrass]] ''(Eriophorum'' spp.), [[three-leaved false Solomonseal]] (''Maianthemum trifolium''), [[marsh cinquefoil]] (''Potentilla palustris''), [[Caltha palustris|marsh-marigold]] (''Caltha palustris''), and [[bogbean]] (''Menyanthes trifoliata'').<ref name=":22" /> Ground cover is usually composed of [[sphagnum moss]] ''([[Sphagnum]]'' spp.) and other mosses.<ref name="FEIS2" /><ref name=":22" />

Tamaracks are easily susceptible to fires, as they have shallow roots and thin bark.<ref name=":2">{{Silvics|volume=1|genus=Larix|species=laricina|first=William F.|last=Johnston|access-date=2015-12-04}}</ref><ref name="FEIS" /> The tamarack's shallow root system also leaves the susceptible to being knocked over by high-speed winds. It has also been discovered that abnormally high water levels often kill tamarack stands.<ref name=":2" /> Flooding, mainly caused by beaver dams and newly constructed roads, can kill off stands and damage advantageous roots.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Calvo-Polanco |first1=Mónica |last2=Señorans |first2=Jorge |last3=Zwiazek |first3=Janusz J. |date=27 June 2012 |title=Role of adventitious roots in water relations of tamarack (Larix laricina) seedlings exposed to flooding |url=https://bmcplantbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2229-12-99 |journal=BMC Plant Biology |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=99 |doi=10.1186/1471-2229-12-99 |issn=1471-2229 |access-date=17 September 2023}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> 

Tamaracks are targeted by many species of insects. One of the most prominent damaging insect is [[larch sawfly]], which is non-native.<ref name="FEIS">{{FEIS|genus=Larix|species=laricina|type=tree|last=Uchytil|first=Ronald J.|year=1991}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> They cause damage across their range and cause defoliation which can kill the trees within 6 to 9 years.<ref name="FEIS" /><ref name=":2" /> To lessen the problem parasites have been impotered to kill the larch sawflies in parts of Minnesota and Manitoba.<ref name=":2" /> 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.<ref name=":2" />

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]]'').<ref name=":2" /> Healthy trees are left mostly unaffected by eastern larch beetles.<ref name=":2" /> Defoliation by the larch casebearer makes infestation of the eastern larch beetle more likely.<ref name="McKee">{{cite thesis |last=McKee |first=Fraser |date=2015 |title=Biology and population dynamics of the eastern larch beetle, Dendroctonus simplex LeConte, and its interactions with eastern larch (tamarack), Larix laricina. |url=https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/175514 |type=PhD |chapter=1.2 Factors associated with the increased tree-killing activity of eastern larch beetles |publisher=University of Minnesota}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

=== References ===

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