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Introductory

SPECIES: Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra | Diamondleaf Willow
ABBREVIATION : SALPLNP SYNONYMS : Salix pulchra Cham. Salix pulchra var. yukonensis Schneid. SCS PLANT CODE : SAPLP COMMON NAMES : diamondleaf willow tealeaf willow tea-leaved willow thin red willow TAXONOMY : The currently accepted scientific name of diamondleaf willow is Salix planifolia Pursh ssp. pulchra [1,5]. The species S. planifolia Pursh has been variously interpreted by taxonomists. Hitchcock and Cronquist [16] and Hulten [17] considered it a North American form of a circumboreal species: S. phylicifolia L. ssp. planifolia (Pursh) Hiitonen. However, recent studies have shown that chromosome counts from North American plants differ from European plants. Thus, Argus [1] and Dorn [8] consider North American and Eurasian plants distinct species: Salix phylicifolia = European and Asian plants Salix planifolia = North American plants Two subspecies of S. planifolia Pursh, separated primarily geographically, are recognized [1,5]: ssp. planifolia - planeleaf willow (primarily south of northern British Columbia) ssp. pulchra (Cham.) Argus - diamondleaf willow (Alaska and adjacent Northwest Territories) This report's discussion is restricted to the northwestern subspecies, diamondleaf willow. Two varieties of diamondleaf willow are recognized [1,5]: var. pulchra var. yukonensis (Schneid.) Argus LIFE FORM : Shrub FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : No special status OTHER STATUS : NO-ENTRY COMPILED BY AND DATE : Ronald Uchytil, August 1991 LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : NO-ENTRY AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : Uchytil, Ronald J. 1991. Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra. In: Remainder of Citation

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE

SPECIES: Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra | Diamondleaf Willow
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : Diamondleaf willow grows throughout most of Alaska and the Yukon Territory. It also occurs in the northwestern Northwest Territories, and in northwestern British Columbia. It is not found south of latitude 56 degrees N in British Columbia [5]. The two varieties are distributed as follows [1]: var. pulchra - Generally throughout most of Alaska but absent from the Aleutian Islands and southern coastal Alaska from Prince William Sound eastward. Uncommon in the Yukon Territory and the Tanana River Lowlands. var. yukonensis - Common in the Yukon, Tanana, and Kuskokwim river valleys and their tributaries. Also in the northern and southern Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and northern British Columbia. ECOSYSTEMS : FRES11 Spruce - fir FRES44 Alpine STATES : AK BC NT YT ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS : DENA LACL WRST YUCH BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : NO-ENTRY KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : NO-ENTRY SAF COVER TYPES : 201 White spruce 202 White spruce - paper birch 203 Balsam poplar 204 Black spruce 254 Black spruce - paper birch SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : NO-ENTRY HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : Diamondleaf willow is a dominant or codominant in numerous sedge-shrub tundra communities mostly north of the Brooks Range in Alaska. Associated carices include aquatic sedge (Carex aquatilis), Bigelow sedge (C. bigelowii), and shortstalk sedge (C. microchaeta). Associated willows include Richardson willow (Salix lanata) and netleaf willow (S. reticulata). It may also codominate shrubby tundra communities with dwarf birches (Betula spp.), numerous huckleberries (Vaccinium spp.), northern labrador-tea (Ledum palustre), Richardson willow, Alaska bog willow (S. fuscescens), least willow (S. rotundifolia), and other willows (Salix spp.) [15,34]. In interior Alaska, it is often a component of seral willow communities on floodplain terraces, forming thickets with grayleaf willow (S. glauca), Richardson willow, and alders (Alnus spp.) [34]. Published classifications listing diamondleaf willow as a dominant in community types (cts) are presented below: Area Classification Authority ne AK general veg. cts Hanson 1953 AK general veg. cts Viereck & Dyrness 1980

VALUE AND USE

SPECIES: Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra | Diamondleaf Willow
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : NO-ENTRY IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : Diamondleaf willow is an important moose browse in Alaska [23,26]. It is also browsed by snowshoe hare and Dall sheep [35]. Willows in general are a preferred food and building material of beaver [27]. Willow shoots, catkins, leaves, and buds are eaten by numerous small mammals and birds [14]. In Alaska, willows are an important food of ptarmigan [35]. PALATABILITY : Diamondleaf willow is a preferred moose browse; however, it is less palatable than Alaska willow (Salix alaxensis), sandbar willow (S. interior), and littletree willow (S. arbusculoides) [23]. NUTRITIONAL VALUE : Diamondleaf willow browse has moderate to relatively high moisture, protein, and caloric content. It provides a nutritious food supply for wintering moose [26]. COVER VALUE : Diamondleaf willow thickets provide cover for wildlife. VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : In Alaska, numerous willow species are used for wildlife habitat restoration, streambank protection, and reclamation of sites disturbed by mining and construction. Three general methods of planting willows on disturbed sites in northern latitudes are [21,24,38]: (1) planting stem cuttings, (2) transplanting containerized rooted cuttings or seedlings, and (3) planting bundles of dormant branches. OTHER USES AND VALUES : All willows produce salacin, which is closely related chemically to aspirin. Native Americans used various preparations from willows to treat tooth ache, stomach ache, diarrhea, dysentery, and dandruff [22]. Native Americans also used flexible willow stems for making baskets, bows, arrows, scoops, and fish traps [18]. Native Alaskan peoples ate young diamondleaf willow leaves both raw and cooked [35]. MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : NO-ENTRY

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

SPECIES: Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra | Diamondleaf Willow
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : Diamondleaf willow is an upright, multiple-stemmed, deciduous shrub generally between 3 and 6 feet (0.9 and 1.8 m) tall but occasionally up to 15 feet (4.6 m) [35]. In exposed arctic and alpine sites it may assume a low, prostrate form [35]. It has smooth, gray bark. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants in 0.5- to 3-inch-long erect catkins [1]. The fruit is a two-valved silky,pubescent capsule 0.3 inch (8 mm) long [35]. RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : Undisturbed State: Phanerophyte (nanophanerophyte) Burned or Clipped State: Hemicryptophyte Burned or Clipped State: Therophyte REGENERATION PROCESSES : Diamondleaf willow's primary mode of reproduction is sexual. It produces an abundance of small, light-weight seeds. Like most willows, it probably begins seed production at an early age (between 2 and 10 years) [14]. At maturity, the fruit splits open, releasing the seed. Each seed has a cottony down that aids in dispersal by wind and water [6]. Seeds are dispersed during the growing season and remain viable for only about 1 week [6]. The seeds contain significant amounts of chlorophyll so that photosynthesis generally occurs as soon as the seed is moistened. Germination occurs within 24 hours of dispersal on moist seedbeds [6]. In germination tests, 95 to 100 percent of seeds germinated within 1 to 3 days at temperatures between 41 and 77 degrees F (5-25 C) [7]. Exposed mineral soils provide the best seedbed. Germination is inhibited by litter [14]. Vegetative reproduction: Diamondleaf willow sprouts from the root crown if aboveground stems are broken or destroyed by cutting, flooding, or fire. Detached stem fragments form adventitious roots if they remain moist. Thus portions of stems will root naturally if buried in moist soil [14]. SITE CHARACTERISTICS : Diamondleaf willow grows in arctic and alpine tundra, open black and white spruce (Picea mariana, P. glauca) woodlands, muskegs, and carex fens [1]. In open spruce woodlands, diamondleaf willow trees usually occur as scattered individuals but become more dense along riparian areas [26,35]. In open black spruce woodlands, diamondleaf willow often attains highest cover in areas with shallow, perched water tables on the surface of permafrost [9]. In the mountains of interior Alaska, it often forms extensive thickets above timberline [17]. It also forms extensive thickets in treeless bogs, and at treeline in northern Alaska [35]. In arctic tundra it grows on river banks, islands, river terraces, and on rolling uplands [4]. SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : Diamondleaf willow is a component of stable, shrub-dominated tundra communities [3,4]. It is intolerant of shade, and uncommon in climax boreal forests, unless they remain relatively open. Foote [12] reported diamondleaf willow occurring in early successional stages following wildfire in black spruce forests. It reached its greatest abundance about 30 years after fire, but thereafter declined as it was overtopped by trees; by 56 years after fire, it was absent. Along the Chena River in interior Alaska, diamondleaf willow was not found in successional terrace communities but grew only as scattered individuals in climax black spruce/sphagnum moss stands [29]. These climax stands provided favorable sites for diamondleaf willow because they were relatively open and wet due to extensive permafrost. SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : Diamondleaf willow catkins appear in the early spring before the leaves are fully expanded [35]. In Alaska, flowering generally occurs in May and June, and seeds generally mature in late May, June, and July [7,35]. Seeds are dispersed soon after ripening; dispersal occurs later with increasing latitude and elevation. For example, seeds are dispersed from late May to early June in the Fairbanks area but are not dispersed until early August along the Meade River [7].

FIRE ECOLOGY

SPECIES: Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra | Diamondleaf Willow
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : Diamondleaf willow is a fire-adapted species. Most plants sprout from the root crown following top-kill by fire [10,37]. Viereck and Schandelmeier [36] reported that even old, decadent willows sprout prolifically immediately after fire. The sprouting ability of willows is apparently more vigorous and prolific than that of birches or alders [36]. Diamondleaf willow's abundant, wind-dispersed seeds colonize burned areas [30]. POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : survivor species; on-site surviving root crown or caudex off-site colonizer; seed carried by wind; postfire years 1 and 2 off-site colonizer; seed carried by animals or water; postfire yr 1&2

FIRE EFFECTS

SPECIES: Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra | Diamondleaf Willow
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : Severe fires in white and black spruce forests where diamondleaf willow grows as scattered individuals can kill willows by completely removing soil organic layers and charring the roots [39]. Less severe fires only top-kill plants. DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : NO-ENTRY PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : Diamondleaf willow sprouts from the root crown following most fires. Sprouts develop more rapidly than seedlings do and probably reach over 20 inches (50 cm) in height by the end of the first growing season [37]. DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : Diamondleaf willow is common on recent burns in lowland black spruce forests in interior Alaska. One 11-year-old burn had about 4,700 diamondleaf, Alaska, and grayleaf willow stems per acre (11,600/ha), and lesser amounts of spruce and poplar [37]. Sampling numerous burns in lowland black spruce types in interior Alaska, Foote [12] observed that diamondleaf willow averaged 295 stems per acre (728/ha) on 1- to 5-year-old burns, and 771 stems per acre (1,905/ha) on 5- to 30-year-old burns. Its density probably increases or remains constant for up to 30 years after a forest fire, but thereafter declines as young trees overtop it [12]. Since diamondleaf willow seeds are dispersed in the summer and remain viable for only about one week, the season of a fire determines if it will establish during the first or subsequent postfire years [30,36]. Fire severity affects the mode of diamondleaf willow postfire recovery. Following light fires it recovers quickly, sending up new shoots from undamaged root crowns. Few if any seedlings establish following this type of burn because organic soil layers, which prevent seedling establishment, are only partially consumed [32]. Following severe fires, however, the primary mode of recovery is seedling establishment. Severe fires that burn deep into organic soils kill willows but expose mineral soils, which provide excellent seedbeds. Nine years after a wildfire in a black spruce woodland in interior Alaska, diamondleaf willow cover reached 24 percent on scarified firelines within the burn, due to rapid seedling establishment. In the main burn the 6-to 8-inch-thick (15-20 cm) organic layer was only partially burned. Here, diamondleaf willow reestablished by sprouting, and cover after 9 years was only 3 percent [32]. Cover in nearby unburned areas was 2 percent. FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : Prescribed fire can be used to rejuvenate decadent willows.

REFERENCES

SPECIES: Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra | Diamondleaf Willow
REFERENCES : 1. Argus, George W. 1973. The genus Salix in Alaska and the Yukon. Publications in Botany, No. 2. Ottowa, ON: National Museums of Canada, National Museum of Natural Sciences. 279 p. [6167] 2. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434] 3. Bliss, L. C. 1988. Arctic tundra and polar desert biome. In: Barbour, Michael G.; Billings, William Dwight, eds. North American terrestrial vegetation. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press: 1-32. [13877] 4. Bliss, L. C.; Cantlon, J. E. 1957. Succession on river alluvium in northern Alaska. American Midland Naturalist. 58(2): 452-469. [14931] 5. Brayshaw, T. Christopher. 1976. Catkin bearing plants of British Columbia. Occas. Pap. No. 18. Victoria, BC: The British Columbia Provincial Museum. 176 p. [6170] 6. Brinkman, Kenneth A. 1974. Salix L. willow. In: Schopmeyer, C. S., technical coordinator. Seeds of woody plants in the United States. Agric. Handb. 450. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 746-750. [5412] 7. Densmore, Roseann; Zasada, John. 1983. Seed dispersal and dormancy patterns in northern willows: ecological and evolutionary significance. Canadian Journal of Botany. 61: 3207-3216. [5027] 8. Dorn, Robert D. 1977. Willows of the Rocky Mountain States. Rhodora. 79: 390-429. [6000] 9. Dyrness, C. T.; Grigal, D. F. 1979. Vegetation-soil relationships along a spruce forest transect in interior Alaska. Canadian Journal of Botany. 57: 2644-2656. [12488] 10. Dyrness, C. T.; Norum, Rodney A. 1983. The effects of experimental fires on black spruce forest floors in interior Alaska. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 13: 879-893. [7299] 11. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905] 12. Foote, M. Joan. 1983. Classification, description, and dynamics of plant communities after fire in the taiga of interior Alaska. Res. Pap. PNW-307. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 108 p. [7080] 13. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others]. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998] 14. Haeussler, S.; Coates, D. 1986. Autecological characteristics of selected species that compete with conifers in British Columbia: a literature review. Land Management Report No. 33. Victoria, BC: Ministry of Forests, Information Services Branch. 180 p. [1055] 15. Hanson, Herbert C. 1953. Vegetation types in northwestern Alaska and comparisons with communities in other arctic regions. Ecology. 34(1): 111-140. [9781] 16. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur. 1964. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 2: Salicaceae to Saxifragaceae. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 597 p. [1166] 17. Hulten, Eric. 1968. Flora of Alaska and neighboring territories. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 1008 p. [13403] 18. Kovalchik, Bernard L.; Hopkins, William E.; Brunsfeld, Steven J. 1988. Major indicator shrubs and herbs in riparian zones on National Forests of central Oregon. R6-ECOL-TP-005-88. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. 159 p. [8995] 19. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384] 20. Lyon, L. Jack; Stickney, Peter F. 1976. Early vegetal succession following large northern Rocky Mountain wildfires. In: Proceedings, Tall Timbers fire ecology conference and Intermountain Fire Research Council fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, MT. No. 14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 355-373. [1496] 21. McCluskey, D. Cal; Brown, Jack; Bornholdt, Dave; [and others]. 1983. Willow planting for riparian habitat improvement. Tech. Note 363. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 21 p. [6408] 22. Mozingo, Hugh N. 1987. Shrubs of the Great Basin: A natural history. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press. 342 p. [1702] 23. Peek, J. M. 1974. A review of moose food habits studies in North America. Le Naturaliste Canadien. 101: 195-215. [7420] 24. Platts, William S.; Armour, Carl; Booth, Gordon D.; [and others]. 1987. Methods for evaluating riparian habitats with applications to management. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-221. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 177 p. [6171] 25. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843] 26. Risenhoover, Kenneth L. 1989. Composition and quality of moose winter diets in interior Alaska. Journal of Wildlife Management. 53(3): 568-577. [14930] 27. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 1937. Range plant handbook. Washington, DC. 532 p. [2387] 28. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982. National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names. SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p. [11573] 29. Viereck, Leslie A. 1970. Forest succession and soil development adjacent to the Chena River in interior Alaska. Arctic and Alpine Research. 2(1): 1-26. [12466] 30. Viereck, Leslie A. 1973. Wildfire in the taiga of Alaska. Quaternary Research. 3: 465-495. [7247] 31. Viereck, Leslie A. 1979. Characteristics of treeline plant communities in Alaska. Holarctic Ecology. 2: 228-238. [8251] 32. Viereck, Leslie A. 1982. Effects of fire and firelines on active layer thickness and soil temperatures in interior Alaska. In: Proceedings, 4th Canadian permafrost conference; 1981 March 2-6; Calgary, AB. The Roger J.E. Brown Memorial Volume. Ottawa, ON: National Research Council of Canada: 123-135. [7303] 33. Viereck, L. A.; Dyrness, C. T. 1979. Ecological effects of the Wickersham Dome Fire near Fairbanks, Alaska. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-90. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 71 p. [6392] 34. Viereck, L. A.; Dyrness, C. T.; Batten, A. R.; Wenzlick, K. J. 1992. The Alaska vegetation classification. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-286. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 278 p. [2431] 35. Viereck, Leslie A.; Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1972. Alaska trees and shrubs. Agric. Handb. 410. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 265 p. [6884] 36. Viereck, Leslie A.; Schandelmeier, Linda A. 1980. Effects of fire in Alaska and adjacent Canada--a literature review. BLM-Alaska Tech. Rep. 6. Anchorage, AK: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Mangement, Alaska State Office. 124 p. [7075] 37. Wolff, Jerry O.; Zasada, John C. 1979. Moose habitat and forest succession on the Tanana river floodplain and Yukon-Tanana upland. In: Proceedings, North American Moose Conference and Workshop No 15; [Date of conference unknown]; Kenai, AK. [Place of publication unknown]. [Publisher unknown]. 213-244. [6860] 38. Wright, Stoney. 1989. Advances in plant material and revegetation technology in Alaska. In: Walker, D. G.; Powter, C. B.; Pole, M. W., compilers. Reclamation, a global perspective: Proceedings of the conference; 1989 August 27-31; Calgary, AB. Rep. No. RRTAC 89-2. Vol. 1. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Land Conservation and Reclamation Council: 107-116. [14361] 39. Zasada, J. 1986. Natural regeneration of trees and tall shrubs on forest sites in interior Alaska. In: Van Cleve, K.; Chapin, F. S., III; Flanagan, P. W.; [and others], eds. Forest ecosystems in the Alaska taiga: A synthesis of structure and function. New York: Springer-Verlag: 44-73. [2291]

Index

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