Aspen Status Report and Recommendation for the Book Cliffs

Authors

Paul C. Rogers
Cody M. Mittanck
Ronald J. Ryel

Document Type

Report

Publisher

Western Aspen Alliance, Wildland Resources Department, Utah State University

First Page

1

Last Page

23

Location

39.166626,-110.292374

Publication Date

2013

Abstract

Regionally quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forests are experiencing numerous impediments to resilience. In the West, recent drought, fire suppression, insects, diseases, climate trends, inappropriate management, and ungulate herbivory are impacting these high biodiversity forests. We conducted a landscape assessment of aspen communities in the Book Cliffs region, Vernal Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management, for the purposes of determining landscape-level status of aspen and making recommendations for future management of these forests. The study area consists of 268 distinct aspen polygons totaling approximately 70 ha (174 acres) of aspen forest surrounded by much larger tracts of pinyon-juniper, sagebrush, grassland, and riparian types. This relatively small coverage amplifies the importance of moist aspen forests as oases of biodiversity in much larger landscapes of arid systems.

Comments

The following technical paper is based on material presented here, although it appears in a more condensed form. This article is expected to be published in spring of 2014:

Rogers, P.C. & C.M. Mittanck. 2014. Herbivory strains resilience in drought-prone aspen landscapes of the western United States. Journal of Vegetation Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12099

Recommended Citation

Rogers, PC, Mittanck, CM, and Ryel, RJ. 2013. Aspen Status Report and Recommendations for the Book Cliffs. Western Aspen Alliance, Logan, UT.