Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands in Utah are triploid (three copies of each chromosome) or diploid (two copies of each chromosome). Their abundance in the intermountain west is declining and there may be differences in physiology between the two cytptypes. The purpose of this research is to determine whether there is a significant difference in stomatal sizes and densities between these cytotypes, which could relate to differences in drought tolerance, productivity, and effective management strategies. During the summer of 2013, we collected leaves from stands representing the two cytotypes from Swan Flats and Fish Lake in Utah. From the preliminary analyses, we deduced that the variation in stomatal size and density is primarily among clones but not among cytotypes. This is consistent with other aspects of aspen physiology found to vary by clone. This study will be expanded to include a larger sample size.Â
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.