scholarly journals Polyploidy influences plant–environment interactions in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 630-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burke T Greer ◽  
Christopher Still ◽  
Grace L Cullinan ◽  
J Renée Brooks ◽  
Frederick C Meinzer
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Plant Environment

Canopy and edge activity of bats in a quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) forest

2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (7) ◽  
pp. 798-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.W. Pettit ◽  
K.T. Wilkins
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Regression Tree ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Forest Canopies ◽  
Bat Activity ◽  
Cart Analysis

Characteristics of edges affect the behavior of species that are active in and near edges. Forest canopies may provide edge-like habitat for bats, though bat response to edge orientation has not been well examined. We sampled bat activity in quaking aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx.) forest canopies and edges in Heber Valley, Utah, during summer 2009 using Anabat detectors. Categorization and regression tree (CART) analysis of echolocation characteristics (e.g., frequency, duration) identified two guilds based on characteristic frequency (i.e., high- and low-frequency guilds). We used linear regression to compare characteristics of canopy and edge vegetation (e.g., tree height, diameter at breast height) to bat activity levels. Activity levels of high-frequency bats did not respond differentially to edge vegetation; low-frequency bat activity seemed to respond to canopy height. Activity levels of high-frequency bats were significantly greater than low-frequency bats in both edges and canopies. We detected significantly more bat activity in forest edges than in forest canopies, indicating the importance of edges to bats in forests.

Impact of extrafloral nectar availability and plant genotype on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) visitation to quaking aspen (Salicaceae)

2015 ◽  
Vol 148 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathon R. Newman ◽  
Diane Wagner ◽  
Patricia Doak
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Plant Genotype ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Natural Induction ◽  
Formica Fusca ◽  
Time Of Year ◽  
Nectar Availability

AbstractFor quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michaux; Salicaceae) the rate of extrafloral (EF) sugar secretion is increased by defoliation and decreased by drought. Although wholesale blocking of EF nectar has been shown to reduce ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) visitation to aspen, the effect of more subtle and realistic variations in nectar availability on ant recruitment is unknown. Working in Alaskan boreal forest (United States of America), we reduced and supplemented EF nectar availability on potted aspen ramets of three genotypes and surveyed visitation by free-living Formica fusca (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Ants were more responsive to a subtle increase in sugar availability than to a decrease. While nectar reduction had no effect on ant visitation, nectar supplementation increased ant visitation to one aspen genotype by 70% during an early summer trial. Average ant visitation to different aspen genotypes varied during the late summer, indicating that aspen genotype can influence attractiveness to ants. We conclude that natural induction of EF secretion in response to herbivory may benefit aspen through improved ant recruitment, though the response is dependent on aspen genotype and time of year. Differences among aspen genets in attractiveness to ants could influence the relative success of genotypes, especially in settings in which aspen regenerates from seed.

scholarly journals Distribution, Morphology, Survival, and Genetics of Aspen (Populus Tremuloides) Seedlings Following the 1988 Yellowstone Fires

1996 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 118-122
Author(s):  
Monica Turner ◽  
Rebecca Reed ◽  
William Romme ◽  
Gerald Tuskan
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Plant Competition ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Rare Event ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Burned Areas

An unexpected consequence of the 1988 Yellowstone fires was the widespread establishment of seedlings of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the burned forests, including areas outside the previous range of aspen (Kay 1993; Romme et al. 1997). Although aspen is the most widely distributed tree species in North America (Powells 1965), it is relatively uncommon and localized in distribution within Yellowstone National Park (Despain 1991). Most aspen stands in Yellowstone are found in the lower elevation landscapes in the northern portion of the park, and the species was absent - prior to 1988 -- across most of the high plateaus that dominate the southern and central park area. Aspen in the Rocky Mountain region reproduces primarily by means of vegetative root sprouting. Although viable seeds are regularly produced, establishment of seedlings in the wild is apparently a rare event due to the limited tolerance of aspen seedlings for desiccation or competition (e.g., Pearson 1914; McDonough 1985). In the immediate aftermath of the 1988 Yellowstone fires, there was a brief "window of opportunity" for aspen seedling establishment, as a result of abundant aspen seed production, moist weather conditions in spring and summer, and bare mineral soil and reduced plant competition within extensive burned areas (Jelinski and Cheliak 1992; Romme et al. 1997). We initiated this 3-year study in 1996 to address four questions about the aspen seedlings now growing in burned areas across the Yellowstone Plateau: (1) What are the broad-scale patterns of distribution and abundance of aspen seedlings across the subalpine plateaus of Yellowstone National Park? (2) What is the morphology and population structure -- e.g., proportions of genets (genetic individuals that developed from a single seed) and ramets (vegetative root sprouts produced by a genet) of various ages - in aspen seedling populations? (3) What are the mechanisms leading to eventual persistence or extirpation of seedling populations along an elevational gradient, particularly with respect to ungulate browsing and plant competition? (4) What is the genetic diversity and relatedness of the seedling populations along gradients of elevation and substrate?

scholarly journals A Landscape Approach to Aspen Restoration: Understanding the Role of Biophysical Setting in Aspen Community Dynamics

2002 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 97-102
Author(s):  
Kathryn Brown ◽  
Andrew Hansen ◽  
Robert Keane ◽  
Lisa Graumlich
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
Conifer Encroachment ◽  
Considerable Debate ◽  
Fire Exclusion

Considerable debate surrounds the persistence of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) communities in western North America. Loss of aspen cover has been documented in several studies in various Rocky Mountain ecosystems (Loope and Gruel 1973; Romme et al. 1995; Renkin and Despain 1996; Wirth et al. 1996; Baker et al. 1997; Kay 1997; Bartos and Campbell 1998; White et al. 1998; Gallant et al. 2003). Explanations for loss of aspen include conifer encroachment, fire exclusion, herbivory, and climatic fluctuations (Loope and Gruell 1973; Mueggler 1985; Bartos et al. 1994; Romme et al. 1995; Kay 1997; White et al. 1998). However, many studies documenting aspen decline have been geographically limited or based on a small sample of subjectively chosen stands (Barnett and Stohlgren 2001; Hessl 2002; Kaye et al. 2003).

scholarly journals Effect of Propagation Tray Design on Early Stage Root Development of Acer rubrum, Quercus rubra, and Populus tremuloides 1

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darby McGrath ◽  
Jason Henry ◽  
Ryan Munroe ◽  
Erin Agro
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Root Development ◽  
Root Architecture ◽  
Quercus Rubra ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Red Oak ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Red Maple

Abstract This experiment investigated the effect of different plug-tray cell designs on root development of red maple (Acer rubrum), red oak (Quercus rubra), and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) seedlings. In April of 2015, seeds of each species were sown into three plug trays with different substrate volumes and grown for 17 weeks. Two trays had permeable walls for air-pruning, one with vertical ribs and one without. The third tray had impermeable plastic cell walls. Harvested seedlings were analyzed for root dry weight, length, volume, surface area and number of deflected roots. Root length per volume was highest in the impermeable-walled tray for red maple and quaking aspen. The total numbers of deflected root systems were higher for all species in the impermeable-walled tray. Seedlings grown in the air-pruning trays had smaller proportions of deflected root masses. Greater substrate volume did not influence root deflection development. The air-pruning tray without vertical ribs had the lowest total number of root masses with misdirected roots and lower proportions of root masses with misdirected roots for all species. These results indicate that improved root architecture in root-air pruning tray designs is achievable in tree propagation; however, vertical plastic structures in air-pruning trays can still cause root deflections. Index words: Deflected roots, air-pruning, seedling, propagation, plugs, root architecture. Species used in the study: red maple (Acer rubrum L.); red oak (Quercus rubra L.); quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.).

THE PERSISTENCE OF QUAKING ASPEN (POPULUS TREMULOIDES) IN THE GRAND MESA AREA, COLORADO

2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1603-1614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Kulakowski ◽  
Thomas T. Veblen ◽  
Sarah Drinkwater
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Quaking Aspen

scholarly journals Short-Term Responses of Aspen to Fire and Mechanical Treatments in Interior Alaska

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas F. Paragi ◽  
Dale A. Haggstrom
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Loess Hills ◽  
Interior Alaska

Abstract Fire suppression and limited timber markets presently hinder maintenance of the early successional broad-leaved forest for wildlife habitat near settlements in interior Alaska. During 1999ߝ2003, we evaluated the efficacy of prescribed burning, felling, and shearblading (with and without debris removal) to regenerate quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). Treatments were conducted largely during the dormant period for aspen: prescribed burns in mid-May and mechanical treatments in late August through early April. Prescribed burns on loess hills produced 40,900ߝ233,000 stems/ha by the second growing season. Low relative humidity, slope of more than 10°, southerly aspect, and juxtaposition to open areas produced fire behavior adequate to ensure top killing and vigorous sprouting response. Felling by chainsaw on loess hills produced 34,800ߝ89,800 stems/ha, whereas dozer shearblading on glacial outwash (loam over gravel) produced 74,200ߝ209,200 stems/ha (cleared portions and windrows combined) and a sandy loam floodplain produced 31,400ߝ64,800 stems/ha. Pushing debris into windrows or scraping thick moss allowed warmer soils and produced greater sprouting on cleared sites relative to sections where debris or moss remained. Mechanical treatments were 25ߝ75% of current prescribed fire costs, but debris accumulation may hinder access by browsing species and attract terrestrial predators of gallinaceous birds.

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