Journal of Student Research 2023

Journal of Student Research 10 drained wetlands to make the land “productive”. Today, the importance of wetlands is better understood. Wetlands provide many ecosystem services, including fish and wildlife habitat, protection from shoreline erosion, maintenance of groundwater supply, floodwater abatement, sediment trapping, and improving water quality (Dhal, 1990). As a result of their importance, wetlands have become a focal point for ecological restorative efforts. Unfortunately, a restored wetland is often considered not as high quality as a natural one because they tend to have lower biodiversity and lack similar function (Whigham, 1999). Both issues can stem from the fact that restoration projects are often never fully completed or end in failure (Whigham, 1999). As a result, it may be most beneficial to focus on restoring a few key elements or species of a wetland and letting nature take its course. One such key species vital for the succession of bogs to forests is the tamarack ( Larix larcinia Du Roi ) (Duncan, 1954). The tamarack is unique in its ability to colonize sedge mat or sphagnum stages of bogs and through that colonization the site is prepared for more valuable tree species to move in (Duncan, 1954). Therefore, assisting in the reintroduction of tamaracks on a degraded site can restart the successional clock, setting up the site for succession from a bog in either a sedge mat or sphagnum stage to a forest succession, which will provide decades of natural transformations (Duncan, 1954). Baseline data on existing vegetation and abiotic conditions such as wetland hydrology and light availability can help people make more informed decisions regarding tamarack restoration. The level of soil moisture is crucial to tamarack survival. Tamaracks are typically found in moist—but not saturated—areas and prefer a lower water table than black spruce (Evans et al., 2016). This could explain why tamaracks are often observed growing on top of hummocks (Evans et al., 2016). Although tamaracks are usually found in wetlands with saturated soil, they tend to prefer well-drained soils (Farrar, 1995). Knowing the depth of the water table across a site can help determine the most suitable place for tamaracks to live because they prefer a deeper water table (Evans et al., 2016). Hydrology can be measured by installing water table wells in key locations throughout the site (Miletti et al., 2005). The existing plant community can potentially affect the competitive environment tamaracks experience during establishment. Light availability is one of the most important abiotic factors to the survival of tamaracks because tamaracks are shade intolerant (Evans et al., 2016). Tamaracks create shade in their understory allowing for shade tolerant species such as red maple ( Acer rubrum ) to establish and eventually overtop the tamaracks (Miletti et al., 2005), which is how the transformation from bog to forests initiates. There is a careful balance between the positive effects tamaracks can have on wildlife and the negative effects wildlife can have on the reintroduction of tamaracks. Tamaracks themselves offer food and habitat for birds and small mammals such as the red squirrel, American red crossbill, red backed vole, white footed mouse, and shrews (Duncan, 1954). While white-tailed deer do not generally browse on tamaracks, their presence alone can introduce mechanical damage to tamarack saplings. Mechanical damage in this sense can be defined as the trampling or the breaking of the hypocotyl by deer walking through the area (Duncan, 1954) or when white tails mark their territory via rubbing their antlers on the trunks of young tamaracks. We compared the structure of a planted tamarack stand at a wetland