Stand Dynamics of Aspen, Lassen National Forest, Northern California
Andrew Pierce
This project focuses on quaking aspen and white fir in the Diamond Mountains area of Lassen National Forest. I studied the competitive interactions between these two species in both pure and mixed stands. Plots were intensively mapped to obtain spatially explicit data and all mature stems were cored to provide data on growth and age. These plots were located between 1900 and 2100 meters on north facing slopes, which allowed for some control of topographic variables. These plots allowed me to investigate spatial patterns and competitive interaction between trees as well as test some of the hypotheses of symmetric and asymmetric competition. The final title of my Master's thesis was Spatial Patterns of Regeneration and Interspecific Competition in Mixed Aspen-White Fir Forests in the Northern Sierra Nevada, USA. An article based upon this thesis has been submitted to the Journal of Vegetation Science and is currently in the review process.
This project was supported with funding from the National Forest Service
