MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
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Ingleside. It occupied the boggy lowland soils, which are water-soakt 
or nearly so all of the time. 
The association consists of the dominant species, Larix laricina and 
Acer rubrum, with very few secondary species, nearly all of which 
are relics of the preceding herbaceous and shrubby growth. At the 
present time there are no typical examples of this association in this 
general area, altlio it is well represented farther south in Michigan. A 
distant view of the boggy land northwest of Ingleside would lead one to 
the impression that it was an extensively and typically develop! Larix 
association. Closer investigation does not bare out the impression. 
Only the tallest trees are tamarack. They are being killed off by the 
larvae of the sawtly. In between them are countless trees of spruce 
( Picea mariana) and cedar ( Thuja occidentalis) , many of which lack 
but ten to fifteen feet of topping the tamarack. Tamarack seedlings 
are rather scarce, while spruce and cedar seedlings are very abundant. 
The tamarack is normally the first tree to appear in the Chamaedapline 
bog. This fact is very apparent in bogs thruout Michigan and the 
author has observed it many times in southern Michigan. Silver Lake 
in this region is the only good example of this in the vicinity. A severe 
fire was followed by an extensiv development of Chamaedapline into 
which tamarack is commencing to invade, followed shortly by spruce, 
Picea mariana , often appearing as the xerophytic modification to which 
the name Picea brevifolia was given by Peck. The development of this 
arboreal association cuts off the light from the ground and consequently 
nearly eliminates the ground vegetation. The development of tama- 
racks paves the way for genetically higher trees, the next to appear 
usually being the black spruce (Picea mariana). In this area, at virtu- 
ally the same time, the white cedar (Thuja occidentalis ) also appears. 
These two species grow together, seemingly without competition for 
a number of years and they finally succeed in dominating the ground 
when they reach a height nearly that of the tamaracks. See Plate 10b. 
The tamaracks, however, readily remain as relics. From data kindly 
supplied from the personal observations of Mr. C. E. Spicer in the 
vicinity of Crystal Lake, Benzie County, Michigan, about 100 miles 
south of this area, this cycle may represent as short a time as 35 
years. 
Burning of ground occupied by this association results in the rather 
rapid succession thru the fireweed and Chamaedapline associations to 
Larix. When cedar bogs are severely burnt a tamarack stage next 
precedes the invasion of cedar. Unless the burn is severe there is no 
Larix stage unless some other factor, as proximity of seeding trees, 
should enter strongly into the case. 
Tamarack easily persists as a relic in the cedar bog and will continue 
to do so as long as openings occur where tamarack seedlings have 
a chance to develop. Tamarack seedlings grow faster than spruce and 
cedar seedlings for a number of years. The fact that spruce and cedar 
seedlings can develop in the shade of the tamarack, while the tamarack 
seedling virtually requires ihe maximum of light — sunlight- — precludes 
the development of tamarack except in openings. Such openings will 
have to occur time and time again or else the dying of the old trees 
might leave no seedlings to reproduce it. 
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