Aspen Regeneration Transects

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) reproduce by clone sprouts off of their root systems. Livestock can do a number on aspen groves, browsing the young shoots (or suckers) until the root system has no energy to produce more. The adult trees eventually die out with no suckers to replace them. A number of our livestock exclusion fences protect aspen groves. To measure regeneration we survey the groves annually, counting the number of mature trees and suckers within three feet on either side of a 100-foot transect. We also measure canopy cover simply using point-intercepts, giving a percentage for the entire transect.

setting up a transect

suckers ready to be counted