Timber cutting has led to the loss or damage of stands in many areas, while in other areas suckers are aggressively expanding into meadows and clearcuts. Aspens rarely establish themselves as seedlings in new areas, so it is possible that their range could diminish over time. As the environment has changed over thousands of years, these clones have been unable to adapt, in a Darwinian sense, to new conditions. Whereas Darwin's theory of evolution is based on sexual reproduction and the passing on of genetically fit offspring, aspens survive despite being genetically frozen in time. If they are, in fact, adapting to the environment without altering their genetic makeup, they may offer a unique insight into the process of evolution.
Aspens challenge our imagination.
The writers and poets stop taking notes and study the quivering leaves and chalky white bark. I wonder how long this particular stand will survive amongst the encroaching developments and changing landscape of Squaw Valley. We turn up the trail towards Shirley Canyon and wander into the ephemeral beauty of penstemons, Indian paintbrushes, and columbines. David Lukas is a freelance naturalist and writer living in the Yuba Watershed of the Sierra Nevada. This essay was originally published in the Spring 1997 issue of Orion .