In landscape settings where biophysical factors allow rapid rates of growth, aspen may be able to store more carbohydrates in roots and shunt more energy to secondary metabolites. If so, aspen plants in these settings may be less palatable to herbivores and be able to re-grow more quickly following herbivory, fire, or release from conifer competition. Understanding these relationships is critical to effectively managing aspen. This knowledge would allow aspen restoration efforts to be placed in the landscape settings where they are likely to be most successful. Also, the distribution of herbivores could be managed to focus browsing away from landscape settings where aspen are most vulnerable.
Aspen performance varies by biophysical setting.
Although aspen stands may be found along a gradient of nutrient, moisture, and temperature regimes, certain settings should be more favorable than others. The objective of this research is to quantify growth rates of aspen suckers across gradients in soil nutrients, soil moisture, and temperature. In more favorable biophysical settings, aspen will produce more secondary metabolites to reduce herbivory and grow more quickly following herbivory. As the biophysical setting becomes more favorable and the requirements of aspen growth and persistence are met, aspen should better withstand loss of tissue. In more favorable settings, aspen should produce more protective secondary metabolites and better withstand herbivory.