Tamaracks

[cam]

I was reading a recent National Geographic magazine in which they discussed removing problem trees like Tamaracks from Yellowstone Park. I was surprised to see this as I always thought Tamaracks were very graceful and the branches remind me of the Spanish Moss that grows on trees down south.
There are a number in my neighbourhood that are used as specimens and also sold by nearby nurseries. Are the Tamaracks discussed in the aritcle the same?
Thanks Cam

 

[cam]

Tamarack

Sorry folks, it wasn't Tamaracks. After re-reading this months issue of National Geographic (PG81) it turns out to be Tamarisk trees and Russian Olives.
(my vision isn't what it used to be!)
Cam

 

[TreeBarber]

Im not familiar what Tamarisks are but I am familiar with Russian Olives and can see where they would be a problem. I remember they being quite prolific at my uncles place in the tri-cities area of Washington state.

 

[Stumper]

Also know by th ecommon name "Salt Cedar". They are an extremely invasive exotic that actually modify the soils in which they grow....making it inhospitable for other plants. They can be pretty but they suck the hairy moose lips when they choke our southwestern waterways.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

they suck the hairy moose lips

Thank you for that mental picture....









As a side note, tamarisks are also very bad for radio communications - they have an amazing ability to absorb RF energy, making dead spots out of highways along which they grow.

 

[Locoweed]

Hmm

Maybe that is the way to get rid of them. You could mount your gigawatt kicker in your SUV and do some drive by microwaving of them. Wonder how much power it would take to fry them?

 

[woodville]

Really absorb RF, that's something I've never heard of! How did you find out about this and any more info?

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

It's what I do. Cellular network engineering. I once took a newbie engineer on a drive to a spot where I knew tamarisks would do their Suck The RF Thing, just to show her some real world stuff. The idea was to break her in right by getting her QUICKLY over the idea that the job could be done exclusively from behind a computer screen. Simulations are useful, but simulations aren't real life. Her jaw literally dropped when she saw the signal strength go throught the floor when we went behind the row of tamarisks.

Some folks in Europe once did a pretty comprehensive study on which trees absorb the most RF. Turns out eucalyptus is at the head of the class.

Of course, size counts, particularly the size of the needles or leaves. Georgia pines do a NUMBER on cellular frequencies, but don't bother, say, FM radio.