Barnett and Stohlgren investigated aspen (Populus tremuloides) regeneration in the Gros Ventre River valley, the National Elk Refuge, and a small part of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, to see if elk (Cervus elaphus) browsing was as damaging as previously thought. Forty-four percent of randomly sampled aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands in elk winter range had stems between 10 cm and 2 m tall, indicating new growth. Because quantities of new stems/ha were similar in areas classified as "crucial winter range", "winter range", and "non-winter range", Barnett and Stohlgren suggest that patchy, but successful aspen regeneration may be occurring at a landscape scale. While the densities of new stems found would not allow full stand replacement, they may indicate aspen persistence on elk winter range.
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