Mixed Aspen - Lodgepole pine forest

Mixed Aspen - Lodgepole Pine Forest

Aspen Forest

Aspens are the only deciduous tree at this altitude. Refereed to as "quaking" or "trembling aspen" their green leaves shimmer against the background of pine in the summer wind. Aspen leaves turn a brilliant yellow and orange during the fall making for spectacular vistas as one looks over the landscape. Aspen forests possess a rich understory providing habitat for diverse animal life. Scattered aspens can be found between 5,600 ft and treeline. At the upper limit to their range they are found on sunnier southern exposures.

Figure 1.5 Aspen forest in foreground (Photo Credit: N.C. Heywood)

Aspen grow in a variety of soil conditions from wet to dry, clayey or rocky, but are less rocky and deeper than soils support lodgepole pine. The lush aspen forests with the densest undergrowth are those found in the moister sites. Soils are rich in nutrients as aspen leaves decay rapidly, unlike pine needles. Understory density decreases as conditions become windier, drier, and on sites of poor soil quality. Most aspen ecosystems are successional, invading disturbed sites, only to be succeeded by pine forests in less than fifty years. Soil improvements made by decaying aspen litter aid conifer invasion.

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Created by Michael Ritter ( mritter@uwsp.edu ) Last revised June 25, 1997