Aspen persistence near the National Elk Refuge and Gros Ventre valley elk feedgrounds of Wyoming, U.S.A.
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Authors: D. T. Barnett, and T. J. Stohlgren
Date: 2001
Journal: Landscape Ecology
Volume: 16
Number: 6
Pages: 569-580
Summary of Methods: Barnett and Stohlgren investigated aspen (Populus tremuloides) regeneration in the Gros Ventre River valley, the National Elk Refuge, and a small part of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, to see if elk (Cervus elaphus) browsing was as damaging as previously thought. Forty-four percent of randomly sampled aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands in elk winter range had stems between 10 cm and 2 m tall, indicating new growth. Because quantities of new stems/ha were similar in areas classified as "crucial winter range", "winter range", and "non-winter range", Barnett and Stohlgren suggest that patchy, but successful aspen regeneration may be occurring at a landscape scale. While the densities of new stems found would not allow full stand replacement, they may indicate aspen persistence on elk winter range.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: aspen, populus tremuloides, elk, cervus elaphus, gros ventre river valley, wyoming, regeneration
Annotation: None
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