“Quaking aspen, Utah’s state tree, once covered 40 percent of Monroe Mountain, but today conifers are encroaching into many stands. In other places, aspen shoots fail to mature because they are eaten by cattle, sheep, deer and elk.
For one of Utah’s largest aspen communities to rebound and thrive, the U.S. Forest Service says, parts of Monroe Mountain must burn.
The Salt Lake Tribune
“Next to riparian, aspen is the most biodiverse habitat in the West. There is no upland habitat that compares for wildlife, grasses, shrubs, birds. The soft wood is great for a lot of cavity nesters. It drops leaves in the fall [creating mulch that retains water] so snow makes it into the ground underneath and that is a great source for aquifer recharge,” said Mary O’Brien of the Grand Canyon Trust, which endorses the project.
Much of Monroe Mountain, the plateau south of Richfield that tops out at 11,226 feet above sea level, was once blanketed in sweeping stands of aspen, but many are either being displaced with subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce or are becoming decrepit because young clonal trees don’t get a chance to mature.
“Aspen forests are among the West’s signature ecosystems, yet they have been in steep decline thanks to decades of fire suppression and browsing by hungry hooved munchers, both wild and domestic, and more recently from drought and climate change.”
– The Salt Lake Tribune
"Aspen forests are among the West's signature ecosystems, yet they have been in steep decline thanks to decades of fire suppression and browsing by hungry hooved munchers, both wild and domestic, and more recently from drought and climate change."
106 Reforestation presents – “Fighting wildfire with Forests. The Mighty Quaking Aspen”
Watch this inspiring short video to learn more about these amazing trees, and how they help resist wild fires.
The Incredible Quaking Aspen.
Did you know that quaking aspens in a healthy forest resist wildfires? Watch this short video to learn more.
2 Comments
Miki Williams
I support the aspen improvement programs!
Jhon Miller
Well done! Good luck with your amazing projects!
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