P051: Stocking Guidelines for Aspen Restoration: Predicting Treatment Persistence After Successive Conifer Removals

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) forest communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin are undergoing succession to conifers that impact aspen vigor and stifle natural regeneration. Removal of conifers from aspen stands is undertaken around the Lake Tahoe Basin. However, little is known about stocking and treatment persistence: specifically, how much growing space must be provided to aspen trees and their root sucker regeneration for vigorous growth to be sustained until the next restorative thinning. The report introduces the Aspen Stocking Assessment Model and provides examples of its use in simulating aspen conifer stand development before and after restorative thinning.