Aspen Bibliography
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Forest Ecology and Management
Volume
594
Publisher
Elsevier BV
First Page
1
Last Page
11
Publication Date
7-23-2025
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Abstract
Restoration of large carnivores in northern Yellowstone National Park in the late 20th century resulted in a sustained reduction of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis) and their herbivory, facilitating new growth of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) saplings. In 2020–21, we examined 87 randomly selected, previously sampled aspen stands across northern Yellowstone, combining random plots with stand-wide observations. Forty-three percent of stands contained a new cohort of small trees (5–10 cm dbh), the first documented recruitment of overstory aspen trees in northern Yellowstone since the 1940s. Both aspen saplings ( ≥2 m tall) and small trees were absent in 1998 but increased rapidly after 2007, to a mean density in 2020–21 of 1460/ha (95 % CI: 833–2087). This increase resulted in a loge ratio effect size of 5.0, a strong effect compared to other trophic cascade studies. Stand conditions in 2020–21 varied widely: 30 % of stands had saplings throughout, 32 % had patchy sapling recruitment, and 38 % had few or no saplings. The proportion of young aspen ≥2 m tall was inversely related to browsing rates of aspen < 2 m (p< 0.001), which averaged 59 % of leaders browsed (range 0–100 %). These results suggest a restoration of ecological processes resulting in widespread but highly variable recruitment of new aspen trees. Bison (Bison bison) numbers and their effects have increased in recent years, limiting aspen recovery in some areas. While future conditions may not replicate the past, new aspen trees resulting from a trophic cascade increase the likelihood that aspen stands will persist in northern Yellowstone.
Recommended Citation
Painter, Luke E., Beschta, Robert L., and Ripple, William J. "Changing aspen stand structure following large carnivore restoration in Yellowstone." Forest Ecology and Management, vol. 594, 2025, pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122941
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