Aspen Fire Ecology
by Eric Peterson
QUAKING
ASPEN. THIN WHITE BARK, LEAVES THAT TURN YELLOW IN THE FALL, LEAVES
THAT TREMBLE IN THE SLIGHTEST OF BREEZES - THAT'S A CHARACTERISTIC THAT GIVES
THEM THIER LATIN NAME- POPULUS TREMULOIDES.
TREMULOIDES!!
WE
LIKE 'EM! UNFORTUNATELY ACROSS THE WEST
OUR ASPEN STANDS ARE ON THE DECLINE. IT
IS BECAUSE WE HAVE VIGOROUSLY FOUGHT WILDFIRES FOR DECADES.
PROTECT
CONIFERS FROM FIRE FOR A LONG TIME AND
THEY OUTCOMPETE ASPEN. FIRE REJUVENATES
ASPEN STANDS BECAUSE OF THIER UNIQUE ECOLOGY.
TAKE A LOOK AT A PROSCRIBED BURN HERE NEAR SODA LAKE IN SUBLETTE COUNTY.
THE
ASPEN TREES THAT WE SEE ARE ONLY A PORTION OF THE LIVING ORGANISM. IN FACT,
ASPEN CLONES ARE THE LARGEST ORGANISMS IN THE WORLD.
THE
ASPEN'S COMPETITOR IS THE CONIFER FOREST. A STAND OF CONIFERS IS HUNDREDS OF
SINGLE PLANTS. RUN A FIRE THROUGH AN ASPEN/CONIFER STAND AND YOU'LL KILL THE
CONIFERS AND TERMINATE THE ABOVE GROUND PARTS OF THE ASPEN ORGANISM.
THE
ASPEN ORGANISM'S ROOT SYSTEM, HOWEVER, SHOOTS THOUSANDS OF NEW SHOOTS. BAM!
MEANWHILE THE CONIFERS HAVE TO START FROM SEED.
THE
WAY FIRE INTERACTS WITH DIFFERENCES IN PLANT ECOLOGY - THATS WHY FIRE IS A GOOD
THING FOR AN ASPEN CLONE WHICH IS BEING STRANGLED BY CONIFERS.
FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, I'M ERIC PETERSON.