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5/6/2020 19 Comments

The Aspen Tree: A Closer Look

Picture this…

You are hiking along a gorgeous canyon in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Forest. You come across a small creek. Surrounding that creek, you see a stand of hundreds of Aspen Trees slowly rustling in the wind. You wonder, are these trees part of something bigger?

Well, you’d be right to think that. In fact, Aspen trees are considered one of the largest organisms on the planet with an resilient life force that resides underground in the form of an extensive root system. These roots can remain dormant or inactive for many years until the right conditions, such as sufficient sunlight, allow for a stand of trees to grow above ground. A stand of trees is also called a “clone” because each individual tree is genetically identical, creating one large organism. Fungi also operate this way. Fascinatingly, if a single Aspen clone was removed from the stand, its tough root system would barely be affected because it reproduces so rapidly!

In deciduous forests, Aspen trees can quickly colonize recently burned or bare areas. Their thin, white outer bark protects a green photosynthetic layer underneath which helps the trees to create sugars and thrive in sub-optimal conditions, often times when other deciduous trees stay dormant. This sugary layer can then provide dire nutrients for wildlife such as deer or elk during hard winters or when food is scarce.

The oldest and heaviest known Aspen stand can be found in Utah's Fishlake National Forest. It is rumored to be over 80,000 years old and weigh nearly 6,600 tons.

​What an awesome tree!
19 Comments
Chambi link
6/4/2022 06:50:49 am

What a magnificent work of art, this tree! I hope more trees like this are set out to places!

Reply
Anne Hombre link
6/4/2022 08:09:03 am

I would love to see a tree like this in a closer look! Will definitely go to this place.

Reply
Raphael link
6/5/2022 04:28:51 am

All the way from rainforest care to tree planting. From fruit harvests to biological and botanical research. Trees provide a multitude of jobs.

Reply
Dy link
6/5/2022 04:47:33 am

Pruning is basically the act of removing dead and overgrown branches from trees and shrubs. Pruning trees encourages growth, and there are other reasons for doing it as well, such as to remove dangerous branches, branches that are rubbing against each other, branches that are too close to the roof or to power lines, and to get rid of weak or infected branches.

Reply
Anker link
6/5/2022 05:52:45 am

What a beautiful piece of tree! Keep up the good work and plant more like this.

Reply
Sonia link
6/5/2022 06:19:53 am

Beautiful trees like these should be more appreciated! Kudos to you!

Reply
Tet link
6/5/2022 06:22:37 am

Trees like this should be appreciated and have the people plant more of these!

Reply
Jason link
6/30/2022 08:38:32 am

Great post! Trees like this should be appreciated and be planted more around the world.

Reply
Yassi link
8/7/2022 09:50:10 am

Interesting blog! This should be spread more so that people would know that there are trees that only grows in some countries.

Reply
Wesley link
8/11/2022 08:36:23 am

Interesting blog! I never thought that there's kinds of trees that exists in some countries.

Reply
Alex link
8/15/2022 08:54:57 am

Very exciting to read! Glad to see a new kind of tree that only grows in a specific country.

Reply
Jowls link
8/16/2022 08:59:11 am

Nice! Can't wait to travel to this place to see one of these trees for real.

Reply
Mendez link
8/23/2022 01:50:34 am

Awesome tree! Never knew that there's some types of trees that only exists in some countries.

Reply
Kurog link
8/25/2022 02:10:28 am

Nice tree! Never knew there would be something like this to grow here.

Reply
Sherwin Alvarez link
8/29/2022 10:06:44 am

Nice! This will be a great addition to my knowledge about plants.

Reply
Franco link
8/30/2022 02:38:36 am

This is a great website! Now, I know these information and will definitely save this for future reference for people about plants.

Reply
Tree Removal link
8/31/2022 01:35:18 am

What an interesting blog! This should be spread more widely so that people are aware that there are trees that grow only in certain countries.

Reply
Booya link
10/20/2022 02:22:38 am

Gardening, whether in your yard, in pots on your windowsill or in a square foot of space between your house and your sidewalk, is a wonderful way to enjoy nature while still adhering to social distancing recommendations.

Reply
Hank link
10/20/2022 05:34:52 am

Pruning citrus trees requires a different approach. Remove entire branches at the trunk.

Reply



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    This blog is managed by the staff and volunteers of Galena Creek Visitor Center. We write about parts of the natural world that we find fascinating and want to teach others about, as well as keeping you updated on the Visitor Center and park. If you want to learn more, please sign up for our monthly newsletter, where we share upcoming events, updates on the ecology of the park, and highlights from each month.

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