Quaking Aspens
(Populus tremuloides)
Aspen trees have a diverse ecological skill set and fascinating environmental capabilities
PioneersAspens have environmental resilience and can proliferate into uninhabited areas, such as burned areas
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Clonal Aspens clone through suckers (sprouts) and form genets (clonal communities) made up of one organism with
low genetic diversity |
Wildfire DependentAspens sprout quickly after fires and have flame resistance, helping maintain an equilibrium between the stronger conifers
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Aspens Benefit...
(Pretty much everything)
Sudden Aspen Decline
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Symptoms |
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Correlation with Drought: SAD started showing after droughts
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Aspens fatally affected by SAD have a non-synonymous mutation in their drought resistance genes compared to the aspens non-fatally affected
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This Explains |
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