Forest Sciences Commons^™

Does Moose Browsing Threaten European Aspen Regeneration In Koli National Park, Finland?, Sauli Harkonen, Kalle Eerikainen, Riikka Lahteenmaki, Risto Heikkila

Aspen Bibliography

Large European aspen (Populus tremula) trees host hundreds of species of which many are threatened species of conifer-dominated, old-growth boreal forests. Aspen is also one of the deciduous tree species most intensively used by moose (Alces alces) in Finland. In conservation areas aspen regeneration is facilitated by large-scale disturbances, especially fires and windstorms, and also by mortality of individual trees and small-scale disturbances that create small openings. These aggregated patches of young aspens provide high quality feeding sites for moose. In Finland, it has been hypothesized that intense browsing pressure by moose on aspen may prevent new aspen cohorts from …