Herbivory strains resilience in drought-prone aspen landscapes of the western United States

Abstract

Aspen forests in the northern hemisphere provide richer biodiversity compared to surrounding vegetation types. In both North America and Europe, however, aspen stands are threatened by a variety of human impacts: clear felling, land development, water diversion, fire suppression and both wild and domestic ungulate herbivory. We conducted a landscape assessment of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) for the purpose of identifying key components of resilience. Specifically, we tested novel measures linking plant–animal interactions, compared crucial functional differences in aspen types and made restorative recommendations based on the outcome of these assessments