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Brian
Ferguson, Regional Silviculturist, Intermountain Region,
USDA Forest Service, Ogden
utahbferguson@fs.fed.us
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Aspen
Regeneration: How Many and How Much?
Aspen management is beginning to gain momentum in the Intermountain
Region as we look at ecosystem processes and function. Restoring
aspen to landscapes dominated by conifer forests has become an emphasis
toward restoring healthy forests. One of the major questions that
are asked is, “How many suckers do I need to establish a new
aspen stand.” The second question that follows is, “What
do I have to do to get full coverage of aspen because I have some
sites that don’t regenerate well.” The basis for the
numbers and amount of aspen regeneration within a treatment area
are driven primarily by the project objectives described in the
proposed action. Aspen generally has the potential for great numbers
of suckers following disturbance. Suckering has been noted within
a few weeks following fire. The Dixie National Forest has documented
as many as 350,000 suckers per acre. I have noticed that people
tend to underestimate the potential for suckering and want to manage
aspen stands at extremely low numbers. This can present a big problem
where grazing ungulates can deplete aspen regeneration to the point
the aspen clone is lost. At the same time people want to overestimate
the potential for aspen recovery across a stand or landscape. We
must gain an understanding of the distribution of the live remnant
trees and potential where rootstock may no longer exists. We have
noted many cases where aspen only occupies a portion of a stand.
As vegetation managers we need to gain a greater understanding for
aspen needs and where we have the greatest opportunity for success.
We must recognize and deal with potential conflicts with other resource
uses and understanding the potential for aspen regeneration and
how that contributes to the establishment of new aspen stands.
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To
view Brian Ferguson's PowerPoint presentation with audio, click
here.
To
view Brian's PowerPoint presentation alone, click here. |
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Return
to Managing Aspen in Western Landscapes 2004 Proceedings |
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