Subtle geographic variations have led some scientists to split aspens into multiple species, while other scientists have considered assigning all aspens to a single circumboreal superspecies. Given the difficulty of determining the age of individual aspens, the possibility of a close relationship to one ancestral form must be kept in mind. In Squaw Valley we noticed that the trees in our scraggly patch had a similar crooked recumbent form, as if all had passed through the same environmental sieve. These forms however, occur in discrete groves of uniform shapes much like the one in Squaw Valley. These roots possess an enormous potential for suckering, that is, sending up shoots much like a potato does.
Suckers grow into woody stems that superficially resemble individual trees.
One seedling eventually expands to as many as 47,000 genetically identical stems arising from a parent root system, and may cover over 100 acres. Suckering is the primary method of aspen propagation, as successful seedlings are extremely rare or unknown in many areas of the West. Here was a perfect example of suckering. The root system is a very dynamic entity, able to transport water and nutrients from areas of excess to stems in need. In the spring it acts as a carbohydrate pantry, feeding new ramets until they grow enough to begin harvesting sunlight energy on their own.