Fading Gold: The Decline of Aspen in the West
Do you enjoy traveling into the mountains to see the gold-colored aspens in the fall?
Quaking aspen in the Western United States are getting harder to find. In recent years, scientists have noted that populations of quaking aspen are in decline in the western United States and Canada. Study of the causes, and in some cases action, is needed to understand and reverse this trend so opportunities to view and enjoy aspen do not fade.
Celebrating Wildflowers explores how aspens grow, the symptoms and possible causes of aspen decline, and the challenges to maintaining this species in the western landscape. Enjoy this unique species and its dazzling fall colors. Find out about the wildflowers found in aspen groves, and the carvings left on the trees' bark by visitors.
Join us to learn about one of our important western trees and the wildflowers that depend upon them for their habitat.
How Aspens Grow
Learn about aspen biology
Aspen Ecology
Explore the interactions of aspen with its environment
Aspen Decline
What is happening to the aspen?
Managing Aspen
What are we doing to manage the aspen?
Fall Colors of Aspen
See the dazzling fall colors of aspen
Flowers in the Aspen Groves
Enjoy the wildflowers that live with aspen
Basque Carvings
Learn about historic carvings left on aspen bark
More Information
Related links and publications
YouTube: Loda Lake Hike
The Michigan Garden Club, a member of the Garden Clubs of America, partner with the Manistee National Forest produced a DVD about Loda Lake for their distant garden club chapters to learn more about Loda Lake. A portion of this video is posted on YouTube.