VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Larix laricina | Tamarack 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Tamarack is not a major commercial timber species.  In the United
States, it is primarily used for pulpwood.  Because the wood is heavy,
durable, and decay-resistant, it is also used for posts, poles, mine
timbers, and railroad ties.  It is used less commonly for rough lumber,
fuelwood, boxes, crates, and pails [28].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Browse:  Tamarack is an important dietary component of very few wildlife
species.  It is browsed by some animals but generally to a limited
extent.  Snowshoe hares feed on twigs and bark, and porcupines feed on
the inner bark [16].  Moose and white-tailed deer generally avoid
tamarack [6,16].  Spruce, blue, and sharp-tailed grouse readily consume
the needles and buds [34,51].  A study in north-central Canada found
that caribou consume small amounts of tamarack; needles were frequently
found in caribou rumens, but always in small amounts [36].

Seed:  Red squirrels cut and cache tamarack cones.  The pine siskin,
crossbills, and probably other seed eating birds eat tamarack seeds
[19].  Mice, voles, and shrews consume large numbers of tamarack seeds
off the ground [11].


PALATABILITY : 
The palatability of tamarack for white-tailed deer and moose is low.
Tamarack is more palatable to snowshoe hare than white spruce (Picea
glauca) is [4].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
Tamarack is probably of limited value as cover for mammals and birds
because it sheds its needles in the winter and often occurs in rather
open stands.  In northern Minnesota, ospreys prefer to nest in dead
tamarack trees.  Bald eagles occasionally nest in tamarack [35].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Tamarack may be useful for revegetating disturbed peatlands.  In
southeastern Canada, Maine, and Minnesota, tamarack naturally invades
well-drained, raised surfaces in abandoned mined peatlands [14].
Tamarack should not be planted with fast-growing trees because of its
low tolerance for shade.

On amended sand tailings in northern Alberta, tamarack survival varied
from 0 to 60 percent [51].  When planted on coal mine spoils it
performed quite well.  It grew faster than black spruce and added needed
organic matter to the spoil [51].

Tamarack can be established on disturbed sites by direct seeding or by
transplanting seedlings.  Tamarack seed does not exhibit dormancy and
can be planted in the spring or fall.  Seed should be sown at a depth of
about 0.25 inch (0.6 cm).  Seed remains viable for 4 years when kept in
sealed containers at 18 to 22 degrees F (-8 to -6 C) and a seed moisture
content of 2 to 5 percent [45].  Tamarack is easily propagated from
cuttings taken from young trees [26,54].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
In Alaska, young tamarack stems are used for dogsled runners, boat ribs,
and fishtraps.  In northern Alberta, duck and goose decoys are made from
tamarack branches.  Indians used the roots for cordage, the wood for
arrow shafts, and the bark for medicine.  Early Americans used the soft
needles for stuffing pillows and mattresses and used the roots of large
trees for ship building [26,28].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Silviculture:  Tamarack seeds germinate and establish best in the open.
Seedlings require nearly full sunlight to survive and grow well.
Consequently, even-age silviculture is best for perpetuating larch on a
site [2,27].

Insects and diseases:  Larch sawfly is the most destructive pest of
tamarck.  Epidemics occur periodically in tamarack stands across the
northern United States and Canada.  This insect is capable of
defoliating stands over large areas and killing many trees.  Trees die
after 6 to 9 years of heavy defoliation [26].  Outbreaks of the larch
casebearer have also caused extensive mortality in some areas.  The
spruce budworm, larch bud moth, spruce spider mite, larch shoot moth,
and several bark beetles also infest tamarack but seldom cause serious
injury [26].  Tamarack is generally resistant to rusts and other
diseases [26].

Flooding:  Tamarack is susceptible to damage from flooding and
disruptions in groundwater movements.  Trees have been killed over large
areas where newly constructed roads impede water movements and where
beavers dam drainage ditches or small streams [26].

Related categories for Species: Larix laricina | Tamarack