Aspen, elk, and fire in the Rocky Mountain national parks of North America
White CA, Olmsted CE, Kay CE. 1998. Aspen, elk, and fire in the Rocky Mountain national parks of North America. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 26(3):449-462
Across 6 Rocky Mountain parks aspen shows consistent responses to increased browsing by ungulates and decreased frequency of fire. Most stands are in decline. Aspen stands regenerate well in areas of low elk density and in some areas of moderate ek density, but in areas of high and very high elk density doesn't grow over 2 m. Burning accelerates clone deterioration.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- White, Clifford; Olmsted, Charles; Kay, Charles
- Units
- YELL
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Aspen (Populus tremuloides), Browsing, Ecology, Elk (Cervus elaphus), Plant Studies