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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Revisiting Trophic Cascades And Aspen Recovery In Northern Yellowstone, Robert L. Beschta, Luke E. Painter, William J. Ripple
Revisiting Trophic Cascades And Aspen Recovery In Northern Yellowstone, Robert L. Beschta, Luke E. Painter, William J. Ripple
Aspen Bibliography
We revisit the nature and extent of trophic cascades and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) recovery in the northern range of Yellowstone National Park (YNP), where studies have reported on Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis) browsing and young aspen heights following the St. John, 1995-96 reintroduction of gray wolves (Canis lupus). A recent study by Brice et al. (2021) expressed concerns about methodologies employed in earlier aspen studies and that results from those studies exaggerated the extent to which a trophic cascade has benefitted aspen, concerns such as: (a) the selection of aspen stands, (b) …
Bison Influences On Composition And Diversity Of Riparian Plant Communities In Yellowstone National Park, J. Boone Kauffman, Dian Lyn Cummings, Cimarron Kauffman, Robert L. Beschta, Jeremy Brooks, Keeley Macneill, William J. Ripple
Bison Influences On Composition And Diversity Of Riparian Plant Communities In Yellowstone National Park, J. Boone Kauffman, Dian Lyn Cummings, Cimarron Kauffman, Robert L. Beschta, Jeremy Brooks, Keeley Macneill, William J. Ripple
Aspen Bibliography
Riparian zones are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the Intermountain West, USA, and provide valuable ecosystem services, including high rates of biotic productivity, nutrient processing, and carbon storage. Thus, their sustainability is a high priority for land managers. Large ungulates affect composition and structure of riparian/stream ecosystems through herbivory and physical effects, via trailing and trampling. Bison (Bison bison) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) have been characterized as "ecosystem engineers" because of their demonstrated effects on phenology, aboveground productivity of grasses, and woody vegetation structure. Bison have greatly increased in numbers during the last two decades …
Pando's Pulse: Vital Signs Signal Need For Course Correction At World-Renowned Aspen Forest, Paul C. Rogers
Pando's Pulse: Vital Signs Signal Need For Course Correction At World-Renowned Aspen Forest, Paul C. Rogers
Aspen Bibliography
Upland aspen (Populus spp.) forests contribute significantly to biodiversity in their circumboreal role as keystone species. As aspen ecosystems flourish or diminish, myriad dependent species follow suit. The 43-hectare Pando aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) clone in Utah, USA, is thought to be the largest living organism on earth, but is faltering due to chronic herbivory. Long-term resilience in aspen communities, including Pando, rests on successful recruitment of vegetative suckers that are nutritiously desirable to browsing ungulates. Here, I evaluate aspen reproduction alongside numerous vital indicators of Pando's status in the first trend assessment of this embattled iconic forest. …
Growth–Defense Trade-Offs Shape Population Genetic Composition In An Iconic Forest Tree Species, Olivia L. Cope, Ken Keefover-Ring, Eric L. Kruger, Richard L. Lindroth
Growth–Defense Trade-Offs Shape Population Genetic Composition In An Iconic Forest Tree Species, Olivia L. Cope, Ken Keefover-Ring, Eric L. Kruger, Richard L. Lindroth
Aspen Bibliography
All organisms experience fundamental conflicts between divergent metabolic processes. In plants, a pivotal conflict occurs between allocation to growth, which accelerates resource acquisition, and to defense, which protects existing tissue against herbivory. Trade-offs between growth and defense traits are not universally observed, and a central prediction of plant evolutionary ecology is that context-dependence of these trade-offs contributes to the maintenance of intraspecific variation in defense [Züst and Agrawal, Annu. Rev. Plant Biol., 68, 513–534 (2017)]. This prediction has rarely been tested, however, and the evolutionary consequences of growth–defense trade-offs in different environments are poorly understood, especially in long-lived species …
Mule Deer Impede Pando’S Recovery: Implications For Aspen Resilience From A Single-Genotype Forest, Paul C. Rogers, Darren J. Mcavoy
Mule Deer Impede Pando’S Recovery: Implications For Aspen Resilience From A Single-Genotype Forest, Paul C. Rogers, Darren J. Mcavoy
Ecology Center Publications
Aspen ecosystems (upland Populus-dominated forests) support diverse species assemblages in many parts of the northern hemisphere, yet are imperiled by common stressors. Extended drought, fire suppression, human development, and chronic herbivory serve to limit the sustainability of this keystone species. Here we assess conditions at a renowned quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) grove—purportedly the largest living organism on earth—with ramifications for aspen biogeography globally. The “Pando” clone is 43 ha and estimated to contain 47,000 genetically identical aspen ramets. This iconic forest is threatened in particular by herbivory, and current management activities aim to reverse the potential for …
Aspen Recruitment In The Yellowstone Region Linked To Reduced Herbivory After Large Carnivore Restoration, Luke E. Painter, Robert L. Beschta, Eric J. Larsen, William J. Ripple
Aspen Recruitment In The Yellowstone Region Linked To Reduced Herbivory After Large Carnivore Restoration, Luke E. Painter, Robert L. Beschta, Eric J. Larsen, William J. Ripple
Aspen Bibliography
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) recruitment during the 1980s–90s was suppressed by Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis) herbivory on winter ranges in the Yellowstone region, and saplings (young aspen taller than 2 m) were rare. Following the 1995–96 reintroduction of gray wolves (Canis lupus), browsing decreased and sapling recruitment increased in Yellowstone National Park. We compared aspen data from inside the park to data collected in three winter ranges outside the park. For most areas, the percentage of young aspen browsed annually was 80–100% in 1997–98, decreasing to 30–60% in 2011–15. Sapling recruitment was inversely …
Evaluating The Use Of Tree Shelters For Direct Seeding Of Castanea On A Surface Mine In Appalachia, Christopher Barton, Jarrod Miller, Kenton L. Sena, Patrick Angel, Michael French
Evaluating The Use Of Tree Shelters For Direct Seeding Of Castanea On A Surface Mine In Appalachia, Christopher Barton, Jarrod Miller, Kenton L. Sena, Patrick Angel, Michael French
Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications
American chestnut (Castanea dentata), once a primary constituent of the eastern hardwood forest ecosystem, was nearly extirpated from the forest canopy by the accidental introduction of chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica). An intensive breeding program has sought to breed blight resistance from Chinese chestnut into American chestnuts, while maintaining as much of the desirable American chestnut phenotypes as possible. Previous studies suggest that these blight resistant American chestnuts, termed “restoration chestnuts”, are capable of thriving on reclaimed surface mines. We direct seeded pure Chinese, pure American, and three backcross lines into brown sandstone minesoil on a mine …
Standard-Level Herbivory In An Old-Growth Conifer Forest Canopy, David C. Shaw, Kristina A. Ernest, H. Bruce Rinker, Margaret D. Lowman
Standard-Level Herbivory In An Old-Growth Conifer Forest Canopy, David C. Shaw, Kristina A. Ernest, H. Bruce Rinker, Margaret D. Lowman
All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences
Herbivory is an important ecological process in forest canopies but is difficult to measure, especially for whole stands. We used the Wind River Canopy Crane in Washington State to access 101 randomly-located sample points throughout the forest canopy. This provided a relatively quick and convenient way to estimate herbivory for a whole stand. The overall level of herbivory was estimated at 1.6% of leaf area. The distribution was strongly skewed to the lower canopy where broad-leafed species experienced higher levels of herbivory. Herbivory averaged 0.3% in conifers and 13.5% in broad-leafed species. Fully half of the sample points had no …
The Use Of Tree Shelters In Restoring Forest Species To A Floodplain Delta: 5-Year Results, William Conner, L Wayne Inabinette, Evaden F. Brantley
The Use Of Tree Shelters In Restoring Forest Species To A Floodplain Delta: 5-Year Results, William Conner, L Wayne Inabinette, Evaden F. Brantley
Publications
Without herbivory control, natural seed sources, and seasonal flood events, recovery of the Pen branch delta in South Carolina to former conditions (prior to thermal discharge) may take many years. To assess the recovery process, seedlings of baldcypress (TuxoLtiurn distichum), water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), swamp blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora), and green ash (Fraxinuspennsylucmicn) were planted in four areas of the delta in 1994. One-half of the seedlings were protected using tree shelters 1.5 m tall. Heights of seedlings were taken after planting and at the end of each growing season from 1994 to 1998. Survival at the end of …
Moose (Alces Alces L.) Browsing In Young Scots Pine Stands In Relation To The Characteristics Of Their Winter Habitats, Risto Heikkila, Sauli Harkonen
Moose (Alces Alces L.) Browsing In Young Scots Pine Stands In Relation To The Characteristics Of Their Winter Habitats, Risto Heikkila, Sauli Harkonen
Aspen Bibliography
Moose (Alces alces L.) browsing was studied in young Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands mixed with deciduous trees in high-density winter ranges. The proportional use of twig biomass decreased as the availability increased. The total as well as proportional biomass consumption were higher on the moist than on the dry type of forest. The per tree consumption of pine was higher on the moist type, where the availability of pine was lower. Deciduous trees were more consumed on the moist type, where their availability was relatively high. The consumption of pine saplings increased as the availability of …
The Ecology Of A Moth Associated With The Northern Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia Purpurea), Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Charles R. Rupprecht
The Ecology Of A Moth Associated With The Northern Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia Purpurea), Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Charles R. Rupprecht
Field Station Bulletins
Endothenia daeckeana Krft. is an obligate associate of S. purpurea L. in Wisconsin. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the ecological relationship between this moth and its host plant.