P091: Ecosystem Response to Aspen Restoration

This project involved studying how the different parts of aspen forests respond to restoration treatments being implemented by land management agencies around the Lake Tahoe Basin. We studied response of the aspen ecosystem to removal of encroaching conifers and burning of cut conifer wood in piles. In particular, we studied response of aspen trees, the regeneration of new aspen and invading conifers, and changes in the herbaceous vegetation layer which is a "hotspot" of biodiversity in healthy aspen forests but gets shaded out by conifers and may be at risk of replacement by invasive plants.