Abstract
A survey conducted by the authors in 1993 in six stands within an area of declining aspen revealed that aspen mortality ranged from 25 to 67 percent per stand. Tree-ring analyses revealed that trees dead at time of sampling in 1993 had been growing slower in four of the six stands during the previous decade than were the surviving trees. However growth declines had also occurred in trees that were alive in 1993. The greatest mortality of bigtooth aspen trees occurred in 1992, following 2 consecutive years of severe gypsy moth defoliations. Based on basal area decline and stand deterioration in response to defoliation, we recommend harvesting bigtooth aspen stands in this area well prior to 70 years of age.
Parent Publication
Citation
Davis, Donald D.; Frontz, Timothy M. 2003. Growth and mortality of bigtooth aspen trees stressed by defoliation. In: Van Sambeek, J. W.; Dawson, Jeffery O.; Ponder Jr., Felix; Loewenstein, Edward F.; Fralish, James S., eds. Proceedings of the 13th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-234. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 538-543
