Site characteristics

Species characteristics

Natural disturbance

Stand characteristics

Ecology

Two-aged aspen stand in northern Minnesota (A.R. Ek)

There are three tree species in the North Central Region which are often referred to as aspen or poplar. Combined, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata Michx.) and balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.) cover over 10 million acres of forest in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. These three species rely heavily on vegetative reproduction, they are fast growing, relatively short lived and provide a number of wildlife habitat values. There are also a number of distinct features of each species. They each have unique physical characteristics, their native ranges differ, their specific soil requirements vary and the prevalence of each species varies throughout the region. This section outlines the concepts and information you need to understand aspen ecology and to establish and manage these species with ecological objectives in mind. The three species are considered together in this section but where appropriate specific features are pointed out about each.

We also refer you to the Silvics of North America manual; specifically, the Quaking Aspen, Bigtooth Aspen and Balsam Poplar sections.