Source: UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
DEVELOPING NOVEL APPROACHES TO ASPEN RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION IN THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
MCINTIRE-STENNIS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1009729
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
UTA-01291
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2016
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2021
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Mock, KA, E.
Recipient Organization
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
LOGAN,UT 84322
Performing Department
Wildland Resources
Non Technical Summary
Non-Technical Summary In the western US, there is increasing concern about the rapid decline of aspen. This decline has been well-documented in many locations, and is forecast to continue under current land management approaches and climate trends (Worrall et al. 2013, Rehfeldt et al. 2009). A decline in western aspen would have negative impacts on biodiversity, wildlife habitat, land values, water yield, livestock forage, the wood fiber market, fuelbreaks, and recreational aesthetics in Utah. Recent research suggests that seed-based reproduction in aspen is more common than previously thought, but occurs episodically and is highly vulnerable to herbivory. Current aspen restoration practices are limited to clearfelling to regenerate existing clones from root suckering, but this practice does not increase genetic diversity and does not allow restoration of aspen to areas where it currently does not exist. Developing seed-based restoration practices and protocols for aspen would help increase the genetic diversity of western aspen, which would enhance its ability to adapt to changing climates. Seed-based restoration practices would also enable restoration of aspen to locations where it has recently disappeared or whether the climate is projected to be suitable in the coming years. The proposed project will investigate the feasibility of seedling-based restoration in aspen and will assess the rates and patterns of seed production in aspen.An unusual feature of aspen in the Intermountain West is that there is a high level of triploidy, which is a genetic state where a clone has three copies of its chromosomes instead of the usual two copies. Triploidy is expected to render an aspen clone sterile, and triploids are expected to have different physiology, and therefore different advantages and vulnerabilities, compared to "normal" or diploid aspen. Another goal of the proposed research is to determine how triploids differ physiologically and whether they are indeed sterile. These findings will impact aspen management because the current practice of clearfelling is expected to favor triploid clones, whereas seedling-based restoration is expected to favor diploid clones.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
30%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1230622107050%
2010622108050%
Knowledge Area
201 - Plant Genome, Genetics, and Genetic Mechanisms; 123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0622 - Broadleaf forests of the West;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology; 1080 - Genetics;
Goals / Objectives
Goals & Objectives This project addresses the following McIntire-Stennis research area: "Reforestation and management of land for the production of crops of timber and other related products of the forest."The overall goal of this proposed project is to investigate a range of specific questions about aspen regeneration, genetics, and adaptive diversity which have the most immediate management implications. Answering these questions will not only help focus research on the most productive questions about aspen conservation/restoration, but the resulting research publications will augment USU's reputation as a leader in aspen research. Specific objectives and associated tasks are as follows:Objective 1: Determine whether triploidy in aspen is a risk or a benefit to persistence in the changing climates of the Intermountain West.Obj.1 Task 1: Determine whether stomatal sizes and densities are significantly different among diploid and triploid clones.Obj. 1Task 2: Determine whether diploid and triploid root cuttings perform differently in greenhouse and field settings.Objective 2: Assess potential barriers to natural seedling regeneration in the Intermountain West.Obj. 2 Task 1: Determine whether triploid trees produce viable seed/pollen at a reduced rate.Obj. 2 Task 2: Determine whether aspen seed accessions from aspen in Utah and Alberta, Canada have similar, and low, rates of triploidy.Objective 3: Determine the feasibility of nursery propagation and outplanting of seedlings.Obj. 3 Task 1: Assess seedling mortality rates at various stages in nursery propagation and after outplanting.Obj. 3 Task 2: Conduct an economic analysis of seedling-based restoration.Objective 4: Use genomic approaches to understand and predict adaptive trait variation. Obj. 4 Task 1: Bioinformatics Professional Development and Capacity Building.
Project Methods
Methods Objective 1, Task 1: Work on stomatal size and density differences between diploid and triploid clones will continue. This project uses stomatal impressions made from leaves of trees of known ploidy level to measure stomatal size and density among leaves within trees, between different clones, and between different cytotypes. Trees in Logan Canyon and Blacksmith Fork Canyon will be targeted.Objective 1, Task 2: Work on assessing a variety of physiological differences between diploid and triploid clones in Utah and in Wisconsin will continue, with collaborators from the University of Wisconsin.Objective 2, Task 1: A set of previously identified diploid and triploid aspen clones in Logan Canyon will be surveyed for flower, seed, and pollen production. Pollen size and quality and seed quantity, size and germination rates will be assessed in these clones over multiple years.Objective 2, Task 2: Aspen seeds from multiple trees in Utah and Alberta were collected and grown in a nursery setting in 2015. Leaf tissue from 100 of each seedling per source was collected and preserved on desiccant. In November 2016, ploidy levels will be determined in each of these samples using a combination of flow cytometry and microsatellite genotyping. The triploid rates among clones in areas near the seed collection sites are known, both for Utah (~30%) and Alberta (~2%). If triploid rates are lower than this in both seed accessions, then the higher rates of triploidy in Utah may are likely due to positive selection, which would increase their frequency. If triploid rates are higher in Utah seeds, then the elevated rate of triploidy in clones is likely due to an elevated rate of unreduced gamete formation.Objective 3, Task 1: A project initiated on Cedar Mountain, Utah, involving the outplanting of approximately 8000 seedlings in Fall 2015, will be continued. Continuation entails maintaining fences, controlling weeds and gophers, and making annual measurements of seedlings as they mature (height, basal diameter and survival in all trees; above ground volume, and specific leaf area in a random subset of 20 trees per accession per exclosure).Objective, 3 Task 2: In 2020, mortality data from all years of the Cedar Mountain project will be synthesized for a manuscript and landowner-targeted publications assessing the practicality and silvicultural benefits of seedling-based aspen restoration. The manuscript will also include models of alternative protocols, based on project experiences, a summary of topics where further research is needed, and recommendations for applications.Objective, 4 Task 1: The PI will attend courses on DNA metabarcoding, bioinformatics, data manipulation, and statistical analysis of genomic data.

Progress 07/01/16 to 06/30/21

Outputs
Target Audience:Foresters, forest managers, and forest scientists in western U.S. Changes/Problems:In the original objective 2, our goal was to determine (1) whether triploid aspen produced viable seed/pollen at a reduced rate compared to diploids, (2) whether seed accessions from Utah and Alberta, Canada had similar rates of triploidy, and (3) whether seed crops from individual maternal trees had varying rates of triploid production. In all of these projects, we produced some preliminary data but realized that a great deal more genotyping and fieldwork would be necessary to address these questions. Our budgets did not allow us to complete these objectives adequately. In the original objective 3, one of our goals was to conduct an economic analysis of seedling-based restoration. Our mortality rates were so high in the outplanting experiments that this kind of analysis was not reasonable. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Undergraduate research: Palmer B (2016) Stomatal Differences in Western Aspen and Linkage to Drought Tolerance. Utah State University Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 542. <a href="https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/542">https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/542</a> Theses: Bidner Robert (anticipated 2021) Methods to improve our understanding of aspen regeneration and distribution in the Intermountain West. Successful defense Spring 2020. Utah State University, Wildland Resources Department MS pending thesis completion. Advisor: Karen Mock Alex Howe (2018) Assessment of a seedling-based approach ot aspen restoration in the Intermountain West. Utah State University, Wildland Resources Department MS. Advisor: Karen Mock Amy Flansburg (2018) Trembling aspen triploid advantage has physiological basis with geographic caveats. University of Wisconsin at Madison, Zoology Department MS. Advisor: Richard Lindroth (Karen Mock committee member) How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Public Outreach: "A year after southern Utah's Brian Head Fire, the aspens are bouncing back in a surprising way that could strengthen the forest" Salt Lake Tribune article October 22, 2018 by Brian Maffly https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2018/10/22/year-after-southern/. "Aspen seedlings on the Brian Head fire footprint" Audio and web-supported article produced by Wild About Utah, a Utah Public Radio production. October 1, 2018. https://wildaboututah.org/aspen-seedlings-on-the-brian-head-fire-footprint/. "Aspen regeneration", Utah Native Plant Society, Provo Public Library, Provo, Utah. November 5, 2016 and February 1, 2017. Conference presentations: Bidner RJ, Landhäusser SL, McAvoy DJ, Long JN, Mock KE, Kolb T (2019) Comparing below-ground vs. above-ground metrics of stand condition and regeneration potential in aspen (Populus tremuloides). 12th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, Flagstaff, Arizona, June 23-27, 2019. Bidner, RJ, Landhäusser SL, Mock KE (2019) Considering below-ground factors in aspen regeneration. Cedar Mountain Landowner Meeting, Cedar City UT, November 2019. Dixit A, Mock KE, Kolb T (2019) Differences in drought adaptation between southwestern provenances of ponderosa pine. 12th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, Flagstaff, Arizona, June 23-27, 2019. Dixit, A, Kolb T, Burney O, Mock KE. Provenance variation in drought and heat adaptive traits of southwestern ponderosa pine. Society of American Foresters National Convention, virtual, October 29-31, 2020. Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Mock KE. A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration. High Altitude Restoration Central Rockies Society for Ecological Restoration Conference, Colorado State University, March 7-9, 2017. Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Violett RD, Mock KE. A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration. Intermountain Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting, Utah State University, March 31- April 1, 2017. Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Mock KE. A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration in the western US. 11th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, University of Alberta, June 19-22, 2017. Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Violett RD, Mock KE. Challenges in bringing seedling-based aspen restoration to the south-western US. 3rd Restoring Forests Conference, Lund, Sweden Sept 12-15, 2017. (presented by Landhäusser). Howe, AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Mock KE. Bringing seedling-based aspen restoration to the western U.S.: a test of Canadian nursery protocols in a challenging environment. International Union of Forest Research Organizations 125th Anniversary Congress 2017, Freiburg, Germany, September 18-22, 2017. Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Mock KE. A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration in the western US. 14th Biennial Conference of Science & Management on the Colorado Plateau & Southwest Region. 14th Biennial Conference of Science & Management on the Colorado Plateau & Southwest Region. Northern Arizona University, September 11-14, 2017. Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Violett RD, Mock KE. A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration in the Intermountain West. Restoring the West Conference, Utah State University, October 17-18, 2017. Mock KE, Landhäusser S, Long JN. Invited Plenary Presentation: Keynote: Opening the windows of opportunity to maintain aspen in western US forests. Western Forest Insect Work Conference, Jackson, Wyoming, May 1-5, 2017. Mock KE, Howe AA, Long JN, DeRose RJ (2017) Triploid aspen in western landscapes: why they might matter. 14th Biennial Conference of Science & Management on the Colorado Plateau & Southwest Region. Northern Arizona University, September 11-14, 2017. Mock KE, Howe A, Long JN, DeRose RJ, Burney O, Landhäusser S. Triploid aspen in the US: occurrence and implications. International Union of Forest Research Organizations 125th Anniversary Congress 2017, Freiburg, Germany, September 18-22, 2017. Mock KE. Invited Keynote Presentation: Landscape clonal patterns as clues to ecological and evolutionary mechanisms. 12th Clonal Plant Symposium, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, July 29- August 2, 2018. Mock KE, Kitchen S, Yocom L. Invited presentation: Aspen seedlings in the Brian Head fire footprint: a silvicultural experiment. Intermountain Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, Cedar City, Utah, June 7, 2018. Mock KE. Invited Seminar: Aspen in a changing landscape: what's possible?. Northern Arizona University School of Forestry, Flagstaff, Arizona, November 14, 2018. Seminar followed by graduate student workshop. Mock KE, Landhäusser S, Burney O, Yocom L. Invited presentation: The case for restoration with aspen seedlings in post-fire landscapes. 12th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, Flagstaff, Arizona, June 23-27, 2019. Mock KE. Invited seminar, Aspen in the western US: a forest ecology perspective, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, February 14, 2019. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This is a final report.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Key Impacts and Accomplishments We demonstrated that field-collected aspen seeds, while viable for only a few days in natural settings, can be stored in a simple -20C chest freezer for at least seven years and remain viable with high rates of germination. Germination rates will continue to be assessed annually for another 2 years prior to final publication of the results. The ability to store aspen seeds is critical for future regeneration operations after fires or in assisted migration programs. We initiated a Utah-based seed bank for aspen, with collections through 2020 representing 133 maternal trees. Seed quantities vary by maternal tree accession, but many accessions contain sufficient seeds for operational restoration efforts using nursery-grown stock. These seeds have already been useful in the experiments conducted for this project, and have been shared with several other aspen researchers in the US and Canada. Moving forward, we will anticipate working with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands as well as with regional US Forest Services offices to establish ongoing seed collection and banking programs. We conducted several outplanting experiments in southern Utah using nursery-grown stock. Our results showed that (i) nursery protocols for aspen seedling production may need to be regionalized for best results, (ii) that in the absence of ungulate herbivory, rodent herbivory can be a major determinant of seedling survival, (iii) that the availability of mid to late-summer moisture is a major determinant of seedling survival, (iv) that site selection for restoration efforts is more important for survival than seed accession location, and (v) that in high-altitude post-burn sites, aspen seedlings could be a viable restoration strategy for increasing genetic diversity and for assisted migration. We established, along with collaborators at the University of Wisconsin and the University of California at Berkeley, that there are physiological differences between diploid (2 sets of chromosomes) and triploid (3 sets of chromosomes) aspen in Utah and Colorado. Although the larger aspen clones tend to be triploid, resulting in faster growth, triploids may be particularly vulnerable to drought-related mortality. Clearfelling, the most common method of aspen regeneration in western US landscapes, is expected to favor triploids and cannot increase genetic diversity. Our findings about triploid aspen suggest that seed-based and regeneration should be developed as a supplemental restoration strategy. We assembled a collection of aspen 1635 genetic samples from 9 states across the Intermountain West. Sampled trees were tagged and georeferenced, and DNA was extracted from these samples. This data set was the foundation of theses by Rob Bidner (defended 2021) and Jim Walton (matriculated Fall 2020), as well as an ongoing collaboration with Ben Blonder (UC Berkeley). Publications from these collections are still progressing, and work will continue under my next UAES project (UTA0151). With collaborators at Northern Arizona University, we demonstrated that ponderosa pine plantings may be a viable option in landscapes where aspen seedlings are not likely to survive. Further we demonstrated that seed accessions from maternal trees hotter, drier did seem to yield seedlings with slightly better survival in these types of environments, but rodent herbivory was a significant cause of mortality. Therefore, as with aspen, site selection and seedling protection are important considerations in restoration projects.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Bagley, J. C., Heming, N. M., Gutierrez, E. E., Divesetty, U. K., Mock, K. E., Eckert, A. J., & Strauss, S. H. (2020, April 23). Genotyping-by-sequencing and ecological niche modeling illuminate phylogeography, admixture, and Pleistocene range dynamics in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). Ecology and Evolution, 10(11), 4609-4629.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Blonder, B., Ray, C. A., Walton, J. A., Castaneda, M., Chadwick, K. D., Clyne, M. O., Gauzere, P., Iversen, L. L., Lusk, M., & Mock, K. E. (2021, December). Cytotype and genotype predict mortality and recruitment in Colorado quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). To appear in Ecological Applications, e02438.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Dixit, A., Kolb, T., Burney, O., Mock, K. E., & Grady, K. (2021, November). Provenance Variation in Early Survival, Growth, and Carbon Isotope Discrimination of Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Growing in Three Common Gardens across an Elevational Gradient. Forests, 12, 1561.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Gompert, Z., & Mock, K. E. (2017, January 01). Detection of individual ploidy levels with genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) analysis. Molecular Ecology Resources, 17(6), 1156-1167.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Howe, A. A. (Presenter & Author), Landh�usser, S. M. (Author Only), Burney, O. T. (Author Only), Violett, R. (Author Only), Mock, K. E., Society of American Foresters National Convention, "A Seedling-Based Approach to Aspen Restoration," Society of American Foresters, Madison, Wisconsin. (November 2, 2016 - November 6, 2016)


Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:The proposed research will benefit public and private landowners and land managers who own forested land containing (or potentially containing) aspen, as well as research scientists in ecology and forestry. Changes/Problems:Objective 1: Determine whether triploidy in aspen is a risk or a benefit to persistence in thechanging climates of the Intermountain West (IW). Obj.1 Task 1: Determine whether stomatal sizes and densities are significantly different among diploid and triploid clones. 2020: I was not able to recruit another undergraduate student to work on this task given COVID-related constraints on fieldwork. No additional work will be performed on this task. Objective 2: Assess potential barriers to natural seedling regeneration in the Intermountain West. Obj. 2 Task 1: Determine whether triploid trees produce viable seed/pollen at a reduced rate 2020: Flower phenology and seed collection was minimal this year due to COVID constraints on fieldwork. Obj. 2 Task 3: (new 2018) Determine the rate of triploidy among seed crops from individual maternal trees of separate clones representing both diploids and triploids. 2020: Seed crop collection was minimal in 2020 due to COVID restrictions on travel. Obj. 3 Task 2: Conduct an economic analysis of seedling-based restoration. 2020: This task was not completed because aspen survival rates were too low for the analysis to be meaningful. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two graduate students and one undergraduate student received training as part of this study in 2020. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Three papers from this project were published in 2020: Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Long JN, Violett RD, Mock KE (2020) Exploring seedling-based aspen (Populus tremuloides) restoration near range limits in the Intermountain West, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 476:118470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118470 UAES paper 9349 Kreider MR*, Mock KE, Yocom LL (2020) Methods for distinguishing aspen seedlings from suckers in the field. Journal of Forestry118: 561-568. Issue cover photo.doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvaa030 UAES paper 9325 Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Long JN, Mock KE (2020) Regional differences in aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) seedling response to an established nursery protocol. New Forests 51:367-378. <a href="//doi.org/10.1007/s11056-019-09727-8">doi.org/10.1007/s11056-019-09727-8</a> UAES paper 9166 One presentation related to this project was made in 2020: Dixit, A, Kolb T, Burney O, Mock KE. Provenance variation in drought and heat adaptive traits of southwestern ponderosa pine. Society of American Foresters National Convention, virtual, October 29-31, 2020. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue with seed monitoring, ploidy analyses, monitoring of seedlings planted in exclosures, and manuscript preparation.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Determine whether triploidy in aspen is a risk or a benefit to persistence in thechanging climates of the Intermountain West (IW). Obj. 1Task 3: (new as of 2018) Assessment of landscape-scale variation in sex and cytotype in aspen in the IW. 2020: The manuscript on this task has been completed and MS student Robert Bidner successfully defended it in December 2020. I anticipate that his manuscripts will be submitted for publication in Spring 2021. The primary finding is that there is a strongly biased sex ratio in aspen, with more males than females. This bias is especially evident at higher elevations, but no sex bias was detected due to environmental variables associated with soil moisture variation. Objective 3: Determine the feasibility of nursery propagation and outplanting of seedlings. Obj. 3 Task 1: Assess seedling mortality rates at various stages in nursery propagation and after outplanting. 2020: Publications by graduate student Alex Howe: Howe et al. 2020 Regional differences in aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) seedling response to an established nursery protocol. New Forests 51:367-378. Howe et al. 2020 Exploring seedling-based aspen (Populus tremuloides) restoration near range limits in the Intermountain West, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 476: 118470. Work is also continuing on data analysis and manuscript preparation on 2019 planting experiment. Obj.3 Task 3: (new 2018) Determine whether nursery-produced aspen seedlings can be used to restore post-fire landscapes. 2020: Seedling survival monitoring was conducted in 2020 and will be conducted again in 2021. Objective 4: Use genomic approaches to understand and predict adaptive trait variation. Obj. 4 Task 1: Bioinformatics Professional Development and Capacity Building. 2020: Manuscript with collaborator Benjamin Blonder (now at University of California at Berkeley) has been completed and submitted for review. This manuscript has been assigned UAES paper # 9305, which is mentioned in the acknowledgements.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Howe, A. A., Landhausser, S. M., Burney, O. T., Long, J. N., & Mock, K. E. (2020, February). Regional differences in aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) seedling response to an established nursery protocol. New Forests, 51, 367-378
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Howe, A. A., Landhausser, S. M., Burney, O. T., Long, J. N., Violett, R., & Mock, K. E. (2020, November). Exploring seedling-based aspen (Populus tremuloides) restoration near range limits in the Intermountain West, USA. Forest Ecology and Management, 476
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kreider, M. R., Mock, K. E., & Yocom, L. L. (2020, November). Methods for Distinguishing Aspen Seedlings from Suckers in the Field. Journal of Forestry, 118(6), 561568.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Presentations Mock, K. E., 12th Clonal Plant Symposium, "Opening Keynote: Landscape clonal patterns as clues to ecological and evolutionary mechanisms," Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine. (July 29, 2018 - Present)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Presentations Mock, K. E., Intermountain Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, "Aspen seedlings in the Brian Head fire footprint: a silvicultural experiment," Cedar City, UT. (June 7, 2018 - Present)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Presentations Mock, K. E., Western Forest Insect Work Conference, "Keynote: Opening the windows of opportunity to maintain aspen in western US forests," Jackson, WY. (May 1, 2017 - Present)


Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:The proposed research will benefit public and private landowners and land managers who own forested land containing (or potentially containing) aspen, as well as research scientists in ecology and forestry. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three graduate students received training as part of this study in 2019. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Mock, KE, Landhäusser S, Burney O, Robert Bidner, Aalap Dixit, and Alex Howe. Organized and presented a meeting for Cedar Mountain landowners about our research in aspen. November 12, 2019. Bidner RJJ, Mock KE (2019) Effects of elevation and heat load on the landscape-scale distribution of male and female trees in aspen (Populus tremuloides). POSTER, North American Forest Ecology Workshop annual meeting, Flagstaff, Arizona, July 2019. Mock KE, Landhäusser S, Burney O, Yocom L. Invited presentation: The case for restoration with aspen seedlings in post-fire landscapes. 12th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, Flagstaff, Arizona, June 23-27, 2019. Mock KE. Invited seminar, Aspen in the western US: a forest ecology perspective, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, February 14, 2019. Dixit A, Mock KE, Kolb T (2019) Differences in Drought Adaptation between Southwestern Provenances of Ponderosa pine. ORAL PRESENTATION 12th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, Flagstaff, Arizona, June 23-27, 2019. Flower phenology and seed collection continuing. Bidner RJJ, Landhäusser SL, McAvoy DJ, Long JN, Mock KE, Kolb T (2019) Comparing below-ground vs. above-ground metrics of stand condition and regeneration potential in aspen (Populus tremuloides). ORAL PRESENTATION 12th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, Flagstaff, Arizona, June 23-27, 2019. Kreider M, Yocom L, Mock KE. Post-fire aspen seedling survival reduced by competition. POSTER: International Fire Ecology and Management Congress, November 18-22, 2019, Tucson Arizona. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue with seed monitoring, ploidy analyses, and monitoring of seedlings planted in exclosures.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Karen Mock: Forest Stewardship Achievement Award 2019, presented by Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands for work on aspen in Utah. Obj. 1 Task 3: (new as of 2018) Assessment of landscape-scale variation in sex and cytotype in aspen in the IW: MS student Robert Bidner has completed analysis of sex for a set of 1400 aspen samples from across the Intermountain West and is preparing a manuscript on this work. Obj. 2 Task 1: Determine whether triploid trees produce viable seed/pollen at a reduced rate: Flower phenology and seed collection continuing. Obj. 2 Task 3: (new 2018) Determine the rate of triploidy among seed crops from individual maternal trees of separate clones representing both diploids and triploids: Initial results from genotyping seed lots by maternal tree indicate that rates of triploidy are low in seed crops from Utah aspen trees, in contrast to rates of triploidy in aspen forests in Utah. Genotyping and seed crop collection will continue. Objective 3: Determine the feasibility of nursery propagation and outplanting of seedlings. Obj. 3 Task 1: Assess seedling mortality rates at various stages in nursery propagation and after outplanting: Project on aspen seed accession differences in production nursery setting was completed and a paper published on the findings (Howe et al. 2019). This work demonstrated that despite widespread occurrence and wind-dispersed seed and pollen, aspen seed accessions from different areas show very different responses to nursery protocols designed to maximize root:shoot ratios. These findings indicate (i) that regional or local accessions may require different protocols for stock production and (ii) that standing genetic variation and local adaptation may be more pronounced than previously thought. A manuscript describing the outplanting phase of this work in 2018 is underway by MS student Alex Howe. A subsequent experiment with outplanting nursery stock was conducted in 2019. In this study, larger pot sizes (D40) were used, along with deeper planting, to minimize summer/fall moisture loss. A complete block design was incorporated, with 480 total trees planted in single plot. Treatments included mulch around the seedling, log on the south/west side of the seedling, wire around the roots to discourage pocket gopher herbivory, wire & log, mulch & wire, and wire & log & mulch, along with a control (no treatment). Each treatment type was replicated five times, and treatments were located in a Latin square design. Survival and vigor data was collected on each seedling in Fall 2019. The experiment will continue in 2020. Obj.3 Task 3: (new 2018) Determine whether nursery-produced aspen seedlings can be used to restore post-fire landscapes: Aspen seedlings were planted in four exclosures on private land near Brian Head, Utah in late July 2019. Each exclosure was planted with 400 seedlings, arranged in five treatment blocks, each replicated four times within the exclosure. Treatment blocks were arranged in a Latin square design, and included (i) a log placed on the southwest side of the seedling to minimize evaporative soil moisture loss, (ii) biochar placed in the planting hole to increase soil moisture retention in the root zone, (iii) logs & biochar, (iv) pot size variation (D16 vs. D40), and v) no treatment. The first round of measurements (root collar diameter, log dimensions, vigor) was recorded. A collaborator from New Mexico State University, Owen Burney, also provided 400 ponderosa pine seedlings representing 5 accessions on an elevational gradient, and these were planted in an additional exclosure at the Brian Head site. Initial measurements were also obtained for these trees. This collaboration is part of a larger study by PhD student Aalap Dixit and Dr. Thomas Kolb at Northern Arizona University, and is intended to characterize differences in seed accessions for ponderosa pine nursery-grown stock used in restoration projects. Objective 4: Use genomic approaches to understand and predict adaptive trait variation. Obj. 4 Task 1: Bioinformatics Professional Development and Capacity Building: My lab developed a new collaboration with Dr. Benjamin Blonder at Arizona State University to use next-generation sequencing (RADseq) to determine ploidy levels and clonal membership for a set of 503 samples collected from an area in southwestern Colorado. This work allowed my lab to develop additional laboratory and bioinformatic skills with respect to RADseq techniques. The results of this study are currently in preparation for publication.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Bishop, M., Furniss, T. J., Mock, K. E., & Lutz, J. (2019, April 09). Genetic and spatial structuring of Populus tremuloides in a mixed-species forest of southwestern Utah, USA. Western North American Naturalist, 79(1), 63-71.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Landh�usser, S., Brad, P., & Mock, K. E. (2019). Tamm Review: Seedling-based ecology, management, and restoration in aspen (Populus tremuloides). Forest Ecology and Management, 432, 231-245.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Presentations Mock, K. E., 12th Clonal Plant Symposium, "Opening Keynote: Landscape clonal patterns as clues to ecological and evolutionary mechanisms," Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine. (July 29, 2018 - Present)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Presentations Mock, K. E., Intermountain Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, "Aspen seedlings in the Brian Head fire footprint: a silvicultural experiment," Cedar City, UT. (June 7, 2018 - Present)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Presentations Mock, K. E., Western Forest Insect Work Conference, "Keynote: Opening the windows of opportunity to maintain aspen in western US forests," Jackson, WY. (May 1, 2017 - Present)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Presentations Bidner, R. J. (Presenter & Author), Simon, L. L. (Author Only), McAvoy, D., Long, J. N., Mock, K. E. (Author Only), North American Forest Ecology Workshop, "Comparing below-ground vs. above-ground metrics of stand condition and regeneration potential in aspen (Populus tremuloides)," Flagstaff, Arizona. (June 25, 2019)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Presentations Dixit, A. (Presenter & Author), Mock, K. E. (Author Only), Kolb, T. (Author Only), North American Forest Ecology Workshop, "Differences in Drought Adaptation between Southwestern Provenances of Ponderosa pine.," Flagstaff, Arizona. (June 25, 2019)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Presentations Bidner, R. J. (Presenter & Author), Mock, K. E. (Author Only), North American Forest Ecology Workshop, "Effects of elevation and heat load on the landscape-scale distribution of male and female trees in aspen (Populus tremuloides)," Flagastaff, Arizona. (June 25, 2019)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Presentations Mock, K. E. (Presenter & Author), Simon, L. L. (Author Only), Owen, B. (Author Only), Yocom, L. (Author Only), North American Forest Ecology Workshop, "The case for restoration with aspen seedlings in post-fire landscapes." (June 25, 2019)


Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:The proposed research will benefit public and private landowners and land managers who own forested land containing (or potentially containing) aspen, as well as research scientists in ecology and forestry. Changes/Problems:Added Task 3 "Assessment of landscape-scale variation in sex and cytotype in aspen in the IW" to Objective 1. Added Task 3 "Determine the rate of triploidy among seed crops from individual maternal trees of separate clones representing both diploids and triploids" to Objective 2. Added Task 3 "Determine whether nursery-produced aspen seedlings can be used to restore post-fire landscapes" to Objective 3. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Society of American Foresters annual meeting in Portland, Oregon (October 3-7, 2018). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Mock KE. Invited Seminar: "Aspen in a changing landscape: what's possible?". Northern Arizona University School of Forestry, Flagstaff, Arizona, November 14, 2018. Seminar followed by graduate student workshop. Mock KE. Invited Keynote Presentation: "Landscape clonal patterns as clues to ecological and evolutionary mechanisms." 12th Clonal Plant Symposium, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, July 29- August 2, 2018. Mock KE. Annual invited presentation to University of Utah Biology Department Honors course: "Introduction to Aspen Biology" Course: Doing Science: The Biology of Variation, instructed by Dr. Jon Seger. Presented every fall from 2013-2018. Mock KE, Page D, Yocom LL (2018) Aspen seedlings after the Brian Head fire. Poster presentation. Restoring the West 2018: Multiple Use and Sustained Yield of Resources on Public Lands: Is It Still Possible? Logan, Utah, October 16-17, 2018. Howe AA. Assessment of a seedling-based approach to aspen restoration in the IW. Utah State University M.S. Thesis, successfully defended Spring 2018. (KE Mock, major professor) Flansburg A. Trembling aspen triploid advantage has a physiological basis with geographic caveats. University of Wisconsin M.S., successfully defended Spring 2018. (KE Mock, committee member) Bishop BS, Furniss TJ, Mock KE, Lutz JA (2019). Genetic and spatial structuring of Populus tremuloides in a mixed-species forest of southwestern Utah, USA. Western North American Naturalist, in press. Landhäusser S, Pinno B, Mock KE (2019) Tamm Review: Seedling-based ecology, management, and restoration in aspen (Populus tremuloides). Forest Ecology and Management 432: 231-245. doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.09.024 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue with aspen seed collections. Analysis of genomic data for IW phylogeography and sex distribution of aspen. Analysis of genetic data on maternal seed trees and seed progeny. Continue with planting aspen seedlings on the Brian Head fire footprint. Recruit undergrad researchers for work on aspen pollen viability and stomatal sizes. Continue mentoring MS student Rob Bidner on his aspen research projects. Present invited seminar at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in February 2019. Present invited seminar at North American Forest Ecology Workshop in June 2019. Work with Alex Howe (previous MS student) on publication of thesis chapters.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Determine whether triploidy in aspen is a risk or a benefit to persistence in the changing climates of the Intermountain West (IW). Task 1: Determine whether stomatal sizes and densities are significantly different among diploid and triploid clones. I worked actively with a USU undergraduate student on this project. The project was the basis for an Honor's Thesis, an oral presentation at USU Research Week 2015, and a poster presentation at Research on Capitol Hill 2016. We found that stomata in diploid aspen were significantly more dense and smaller than those in triploid aspen. This is consistent with diploid aspen being more resistant to catastrophic drought than triploid aspen, although stomatal sizes and densities are only part of drought resistance physiology. I hope to continue this task with another undergraduate student. Task 2: Determine whether diploid and triploid root cuttings perform differently in greenhouse and field settings. This work was performed by a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin, based partially on root cuttings which I provided from Utah clones. I was a member of the student's graduate committee. This student successfully defended her MS thesis in spring 2018. The conclusion of the thesis was that triploid aspen have a clear growth advantage over diploid aspen in the IW but not in the Great Lakes region. A publication from this thesis is expected. Task 3: Assessment of landscape-scale variation in sex and cytotype in aspen in the IW. One way to make inferences about the ecological drivers of differential persistence of triploid vs. diploid aspen clones is to assess the relative occurrence of these cytotypes with respect to landscape variables. In 2016 as a sabbatical project I collected a target of 1400 leaf samples across the IW. In collaboration with Dr. Bryce Richardson (USFS), these samples were genotyped using a genomic-scale protocol. Sex was also determined for these samples as a part of Rob Bidner's MS thesis in summer 2018. Analysis of sex, cytotype, and phylogeography is currently underway. In 2016 I collaborated with an undergraduate student and Dr. James Lutz, to map genotypes and cytotypes in Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah. This work was accepted for publication in 2019 by Western North American Naturalist (Bishop et al. 2019). Objective 2: Assess potential barriers to natural seedling regeneration in the Intermountain West. Task 1: Determine whether triploid trees produce viable seed/pollen at a reduced rate. Flower phenology and seed collection was conducted on approximately 400 tagged female trees across Utah and southern Idaho in spring 2016, 2017, and 2018, and will continue in spring 2019. Initial results suggest that a) most female clones do not produce heavy seed crops in a given year, b) individual clones and trees producing a heavy seed crop one year rarely produce heavy catkin crops in the subsequent year, c) triploid female clones do produce catkins, but that these catkins tend to lack viable seeds. In spring 2018 I constructed a database for observations and a form for field data collection which can be used on a tablet, simplifying data collection in future years. For all surveyed trees, tree tags have been placed and leaf samples have been collected for future genetic analysis. Task 2: Determine whether aspen seed accessions from aspen in Utah and Alberta, Canada have similar, and low, rates of triploidy. As noted in my UAES 2017 Annual Report, my collaborators and I have demonstrated that seed accessions from Utah have higher rates of triploidy (20%) than those from New Mexico and Canada (<- 1%). An important aspect to this question is whether triploidy rates among Utah seed crops are elevated uniformly or whether there is high variance among maternal trees. This and other questions about seed crops and ploidy are being addressed in Objective 2, Task 1, above. These findings will be reported and published together when data compilation and statistical analyses are complete. Task 3: Determine the rate of triploidy among seed crops from individual maternal trees of separate clones representing both diploids and triploids. One explanation for the high rate of triploidy in clones of the IW (Mock et al. 2012) is that rates of triploidy are low in maternal trees but that triploids are under positive natural selection because they are more fit in these environments. An alternative explanation is that triploid seeds are simply produced more frequently in the IW. In spring 2018, I worked with Dr. Owen Burney (NMSU) to conduct an experiment with seed progeny from 7 different maternal trees from different clones. The goal of this experiment is to assess the germination rates, survival rates, physical/physiological variation, and rates of triploidy among progeny of both diploid and triploid maternal trees. This project will continue through 2019. Objective 3: Determine the feasibility of nursery propagation and outplanting of seedlings. Task 1: Assess seedling mortality rates at various stages in nursery propagation and after outplanting. Because silviculture in the IW relies entirely on clear-felling, little is known about the limitations for seed-based regeneration. Seed-based regeneration, however, has the potential to increase genetic diversity, reduce fitness declines due to the accumulation of somatic mutations in long-lived clones, and restore aspen to landscapes from which it has been extirpated. Our goal in this task was to assess a) seedling survival and performance in a nursery setting, using a protocol developed for use in Alberta, Canada by Dr. Simon Landhäusser, and b) seedling performance in a field setting in southern Utah, in ungulate exclosures where aspen has been extirpated in the past. Survival of aspen seedlings was very high in the nursery setting, although growth traits varied by seed source (Utah, New Mexico, and Alberta). This work is the subject of a thesis chapter written by Alex Howe in Spring 2018 (Howe 2018; Chapter 1), and this chapter is currently in preparation for publication. Survival of nursery-produced aspen seedlings in field settings was very low, and mortality was primarily attributable to two causes: drought conditions and pocket gopher herbivory. This work highlights the importance of site selection and appropriate climatic conditions for seedling survival. This work is the subject of a thesis chapter written by Alex Howe in Spring 2018 (Howe 2018; Chapter 2), and this chapter is currently in preparation for publication. My collaboration with Dr. Simon Landhäusser (University of Alberta) on this project led us to write a review paper on aspen seedlings in restoration which was submitted and accepted (Landhäusser et al. 2019). Task 2: Conduct an economic analysis of seedling-based restoration. The survival rates for our seedling-based restoration work was too low to make an economic analysis worthwhile. However, additional funding was obtained for a continuation of this work on Cedar Mountain, Utah, and it is expected that an economic analysis will be possible if we can modify survival rates to be practical. This project continues through 2019. Task 3: Determine whether nursery-produced aspen seedlings can be used to restore post-fire landscapes. Naturally-occurring aspen seedling establishment has been described in several post-fire landscapes in the IW. In this task, Dr. Larissa Yocom and I have successfully obtained funding from the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative to construct ungulate exclosures in a southern Utah landscape which experienced a large wildlife in 2017, and to plant nursery-grown aspen seedlings from Utah sources in these locations. Four exclosures were constructed in the summer 2018, and seedlings were grown for this purpose in spring/summer 2018. Seedlings are currently being held in a dormant state at the NMSU nursery for spring 2019 planting.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Mock, K. E., 12th Clonal Plant Symposium, "Opening Keynote: Landscape clonal patterns as clues to ecological and evolutionary mechanisms," Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine. (July 29, 2018 - Present)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Mock, K. E., Intermountain Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, "Aspen seedlings in the Brian Head fire footprint: a silvicultural experiment," Cedar City, UT. (June 7, 2018 - Present)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Mock, K. E., Western Forest Insect Work Conference, "Keynote: Opening the windows of opportunity to maintain aspen in western US forests," Jackson, WY. (May 1, 2017 - Present)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Mock, K. E., School of Forestry seminar, "Aspen in a changing landscape: whats possible," Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ. (November 18, 2018)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2018 Citation: Alex, H. A. (Author Only), Landh�usser, S. M. (Presenter & Author), Burney, O. T. (Author Only), Violett, R. D. (Author Only), Mock, K. E., 3rd Restoring Forests Conference, "Challenges in bringing seedling-based aspen restoration to the south-western US," International Union of Forestry Research Organizations, Lund, Sweden. (September 12, 2017 - September 15, 2018)


Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:The proposed research will benefit public and private landowners and land managers who own forested land containing (or potentially containing) aspen. Changes/Problems:No changes or problems. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In addition to the oral presentations at scientific meetings described above, I attended 1) the annual Silviculture Instructors Tour in Flagstaff, Arizona (Nov.13-15) and 2) the Society of American Foresters annual meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico (Nov. 15-19). These were both excellent opportunities to network with other forest researchers and to discuss my research on aspen. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Invited workshop presentation for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the North American Forest Commission, Forest Genetic Resources Working Group, Cedar City UT, October 24 & 25, 2017. Oral presentations at scientific meetings: Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Violett RD, Mock KE (2017) A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration in the Intermountain West. Restoring the West Conference, Utah State University, October 17-18, 2017. Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Violett RD, Mock KE (2017) Challenges in bringing seedling-based aspen restoration to the south-western US. 3rd Restoring Forests Conference, Lund, Sweden Sept 12-15 (presented by Landhäusser). Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Mock KE (2017). 14th Biennial Conference of Science & Management on the Colorado Plateau & Southwest Region. Northern Arizona University, September 11-14, 2017. Mock KE , Howe AA, Long JN, DeRose RJ (2017) Triploid aspen in western landscapes: why they might matter. 14th Biennial Conference of Science & Management on the Colorado Plateau & Southwest Region. Northern Arizona University, September 11-14, 2017. Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Violett RD, Mock KE (2017) A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration. Intermountain Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting, Utah State University, March 31- April 1, 2017. Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Mock KE (2017) A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration in the western US. 11th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, University of Alberta, June 19-22, 2017. Howe AA, Landhäusser SM, Burney OT, Mock KE (2017) A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration. High Altitude Restoration Central Rockies Society for Ecological Restoration Conference, Colorado State University, March 7-9, 2017. Mock KE, Howe A**, Long JN, DeRose RJ, Burney O, Landhäusser S (2017) Triploid Aspen in the US: Occurrence and Implications. International Union of Forest Research Organizations 125th Anniversary Congress 2017, Freiburg, Germany, September 18-22, 2017 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue with aspen seed collections, data gathering on pollen/seed fertility, continue following aspen seedlings planted on Cedar Mountain, Utah, continue presentations and professional development activities, publish results on triploidy among aspen seed lots and stomatal sizes in aspen.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Determine whether triploidy in aspen is a risk or a benefit to persistence in the changing climates of the Intermountain West. Task 1: Determine whether stomatal sizes and densities are significantly different among diploid and triploid clones. Data collection is complete and I am actively working with a recent alumnus (BS) on a resulting paper. We decided to delay submission until a few additional samples could be included. I expect that this paper will be submitted in early 2018. We did find that stomata in diploid aspen were significantly more dense and smaller than those in triploid aspen. This is consistent with diploid aspen being more resistant to catastrophic drought than triploid aspen, although stomatal sizes and densities are only part of drought resistance physiology. Task 2: Determine whether diploid and triploid root cuttings perform differently in greenhouse and field settings. This work is being performed by a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin, based partially on root cuttings which I provided from Utah clones. I am on the student's committee, and Dr. Eric Kruger is her advisor. This student is expected to complete her dissertation in Spring 2018. Objective 2: Assess potential barriers to natural seedling regeneration in the Intermountain West. Task 1: Determine whether triploid trees produce viable seed/pollen at a reduced rate. I genotyped 94 leaf samples collected from a set of female trees which I have previously observed to produce catkins in at least one year between 2014 and 2017 in Utah and Idaho. Genotyping was accomplished using a set of 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Of these samples, 41 were trees representing unique clones and the remaining 53 represented only 13 unique clones (2-11 samples per clone). Of the 54 clones represented overall, 13 of them were triploid. In both diploid and triploid clones there were seed crop failures, but the production of large catkins with an abundance of cotton, but no seeds, seems to be a feature of triploids. The next step is to genotype more female trees and to attempt seed harvest from these and previously identified female trees, in order to increase the sample size of trees which produce large seed crops and trees which are triploid. In spring 2018 I will be constructing a database for these observations and a form for field data collection which can be used on an ipad. I worked with Alex Howe to collect male catkins to assess pollen viability in triploids vs. diploids. We currently have 17 male trees tagged. We conducted experiments with two different types of viability stains for known diploid and triploid aspen clones, but the results were not reliable. I suspect that this is because there is a range of pollen ages represented in a catkin, and this creates a range degrees of stain uptake. This work will continue in 2018. Task 2: Determine whether aspen seed accessions from aspen in Utah and Alberta, Canada have similar, and low, rates of triploidy. With my graduate student Alex Howe, we found that seed accessions from Utah have higher rates of triploidy (20%) than those from Alberta and Canada (<- 1%). An important aspect to this question is whether triploidy rates among Utah seed crops are elevated uniformly or whether there is high variance among maternal trees. Seeds for this work have been collected and will be tested in spring 2018. This finding was included in oral presentations at two meetings; (1) the 14th Biennial Conference of Science & Management on the Colorado Plateau & Southwest Region (Sep. 11-14, Flagstaff Arizona) and (2) the International Union of Forest Research Organizations 125th Anniversary Congress 2017 (Sep. 18-22, Freiburg, Germany). We also found that seeds producing three cotyledons (instead of two) had a dramatically elevated probability of being triploid. This potentially provides an economical tool for nursery growers to select for or against triploid aspen. This question can be addressed in the seed ploidy experiment above for individual trees. Objective 3: Determine the feasibility of nursery propagation and outplanting of seedlings. Task 1: Assess seedling mortality rates at various stages in nursery propagation and after outplanting. The second year of data on this project has been collected. Mortality rates varied markedly among sites, and the primary causes of mortality were gopher herbivory and drought. Seedlings from different regions did not differ significantly with respect to mortality across sites. These findings have been presented orally by graduate student Alex Howe at (1) the Restoring the West conference in Logan Utah, (2) the 14th Biennial Conference of Science & Management on the Colorado Plateau & Southwest Region, (3) the Intermountain Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting in Logan Utah, (4) the 11th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, Edmonton, Alberta, (4) and the High Altitude Restoration Central Rockies Society for Ecological Restoration Conference in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Additionally, an oral presentation on this work was presented by a collaborator, Simon Landhäusser, at the Third Restoring Forests Conference (IUFRO) in Lund, Sweden, with Alex Howe as first author. This work will be one of the chapters of Alex Howe's MS thesis, which he is scheduled to defend in January 2018. I expect that this work will be submitted for publication shortly thereafter. Task 2: Conduct an economic analysis of seedling-based restoration. The survival rate for our seedling-based restoration work was too low to make an economic analysis worthwhile. However, additional funding was obtained for a continuation of this work on Cedar Mountain, Utah, and it is expected that an economic analysis will be possible if we can modify survival rates to be practical. Objective 4: Use genomic approaches to understand and predict adaptive trait variation. Task 1: Bioinformatics Professional Development and Capacity Building. In the spring semester 2017, I organized and led a group of faculty (2) and graduate students (2) in a course on Bayesian Data Analysis (WILD 7900), following the course materials available through Dr. Zach Gompert (USU Biology Department). As a result of this course, I established a collaboration between Dr. Jim Long (USU WILD), Dr. Zach Gompert, Dr. Bill Anderegg (University of Utah Biology Department), and USU graduate student Sara Goeking. The purpose of this collaboration is to mine Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data to determine whether water deficit is leading to excessive mortality in large aspen trees. Using UAES funds, I purchased 1TB of home directory space at the University of Utah High Performance Computing facility.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Alex, H. A. (Author Only), Landh�usser, S. M. (Presenter & Author), Burney, O. T. (Author Only), Violett, R. D. (Author Only), Mock, K. E., 3rd Restoring Forests Conference, "Challenges in bringing seedling-based aspen restoration to the south-western US," International Union of Forestry Research Organizations, Lund, Sweden. (September 12, 2017 - September 15, 2017)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Mock, K. E., Food and Agriculture Organization of the North American Forest Commission, Forest Genetic Resources Working Group, "Triploidy in western aspen," Cedar City, Utah. (October 24, 2017 - October 25, 2017)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Howe, A. A. (Presenter & Author), Landh�usser, S. M. (Author Only), Burney, O. T. (Author Only), Violett, R. D. (Author Only), Mock, K. E., Restoring the West Conference, "A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration in the Intermountain West.." (October 17, 2017 - October 18, 2017)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Mock, K. E. (Presenter & Author), Howe, A. (Author Only), Long, J. N. (Author Only), DeRose, R. J. (Author Only), Burney, O. (Author Only), Landh�usser, S. (Author Only), International Union of Forest Research Organizations 125th Anniversary Congress 2017, "Triploid Aspen in the US: Occurrence and Implications.," Freiburg, Germany. (September 18, 2017 - September 22, 2017)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Howe, A. A. (Author Only), Landh�usser, S. M., Burney, O. T., Violett, R. D., Mock, K. E., 3rd Restoring Forests Conference, "Challenges in bringing seedling-based aspen restoration to the south-western US," International Union of Forestry Research Organizations, Lund, Sweden. (September 12, 2017 - September 15, 2017)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Alex, H. A. (Presenter & Author), Landh�usser, S. M., Burney, O. T., Mock, K. E., 14th Biennial Conference of Science & Management on the Colorado Plateau & Southwest Region, "A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration in the western US," Flagstaff, Arizona. (September 11, 2017 - September 14, 2017)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Mock, K. E. (Presenter & Author), Howe, A. (Author Only), Long, J. N. (Author Only), DeRose, R. J. (Author Only), Burney, O. (Author Only), Landh�usser, S. (Author Only), 14th Biennial Conference of Science & Management on the Colorado Plateau & Southwest Region, "Triploid aspen in western landscapes: why they might matter.," Flagstaff, Arizona. (September 11, 2017 - September 14, 2017)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Alex, H. A. (Presenter & Author), Landh�usser, S. M. (Author Only), Burney, O. T. (Author Only), Mock, K. E., 11th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, "A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration in the western US," Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (June 19, 2017 - June 22, 2017)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Mock, K. E. (Presenter & Author), Long, J. N. (Author Only), Landh�usser, S. (Author Only), Western Forest Insect Work Conference, "Opening the windows of opportunity to maintain aspen in western US forests.," Jackson, WY. (May 1, 2017 - May 5, 2017)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2017 Citation: Howe, A. A. (Presenter & Author), Landh�usser, S. M. (Author Only), Burney, O. T. (Author Only), Violett, R. D. (Author Only), Mock, K. E. (Author Only), Intermountain Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting, "A seedling-based approach to aspen restoration," Society of American Foresters, Logan, Utah. (March 31, 2017 - April 1, 2017)


Progress 07/01/16 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audience The proposed research will benefit public and private landowners and land managers who own forested land containing (or potentially containing) aspen. Changes/Problems:Changes/Problems no changes or problems. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Opportunities In the fall semester 2016, I audited a course in Programming for Biologists (BIOL 4760 006, Pearse), another in Bayesian Analysis of Biological Data (BIOL 4760, 002, Gompert), and online tutorials for Statistical Data Analysis in R and Programming with Python. Additionally, I funded my lab manager to attend the 6th DNA Metabarcoding School in Kunming China Aug 22-26, 2016. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Dissemination I presented a seminar to the Utah Native Plant Society at the Provo Public Library November 5, 2016. The seminar was attended by approximately 20 people, primarily retirees and federal agency biologists and foresters. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Plan of Work Continue with seed collections, data gathering on pollen/seed fertility, continue following aspen seedlings planted on Cedar Mountain, Utah, continue presentations and professional development activities, organize and attend extended workshop on Bayesian Statistical Analysis in Spring 2016, publish results on triploidy among aspen seed lots and stomatal sizes in aspen.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Accomplishments Objective 1: Determine whether triploidy in aspen is a risk or a benefit to persistence in the changing climates of the Intermountain West. Task 1: Determine whether stomatal sizes and densities are significantly different among diploid and triploid clones. Data collection is complete and I am actively working with a recent alumnus (BS) on a resulting paper. I expect that this paper will be submitted in early 2017. We did find that stomata in diploid aspen were significantly more dense and smaller than those in triploid aspen. Task 2: Determine whether diploid and triploid root cuttings perform differently in greenhouse and field settings. Objective 2: Assess potential barriers to natural seedling regeneration in the Intermountain West. Task 1: Determine whether triploid trees produce viable seed/pollen at a reduced rate. Scheduled for Spring 2017. Task 2: Determine whether aspen seed accessions from aspen in Utah and Alberta, Canada have similar, and low, rates of triploidy. We found that seed accessions from Utah have higher rates of triploidy than those from Alberta and Canada. We also found that seeds producing three cotyledons (instead of two) had a dramatically elevated probability of being triploid. This potentially provides an economical tool for nursery growers to select for or against triploid aspen A publication on these results is expected to be submitted in 2017. Objective 3: Determine the feasibility of nursery propagation and outplanting of seedlings. Task 1: Assess seedling mortality rates at various stages in nursery propagation and after outplanting. First year of data on this project has been collected. Mortality rates varied markedly among sites, and the primary causes of mortality were gopher herbivory and drought. Seedlings from different regions did not differ significantly with respect to mortality across sites. Task 2: Conduct an economic analysis of seedling-based restoration. Planned for 2017-2018. Objective 4: Use genomic approaches to understand and predict adaptive trait variation. Task 1: Bioinformatics Professional Development and Capacity Building In the fall semester 2016, I audited a course in Programming for Biologists (BIOL 4760 006, Pearse), another in Bayesian Analysis of Biological Data (BIOL 4760, 002, Gompert), and online tutorials for Statistical Data Analysis in R and Programming with Python. Additionally, I funded my lab manager to attend the 6th DNA Metabarcoding School in Kunming China Aug 22-26, 2016.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Presentations Mock, K. E. (Invited Lecture), Utah Native Plant Society Annual Meeting, "Aspen Regeneration," Utah Native Plant Society, Provo, Utah. (November 5, 2016 - Present)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Presentations Howe, A. (Presenter & Author), Landhausser, S. (Author Only), Burney, O. (Author Only), Violett, R. (Author Only), Mock, K. E., Society of American Foresters National Convention, "A Seedling-Based Approach to Aspen Restoration.," Society of American Foresters, Madison, Wisconsin. (November 2, 2016 - November 6, 2016
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Presentations Howe, A. (Presenter & Author), Landhausser, S. (Author Only), Burney, O. (Author Only), Violett, R. (Author Only), Mock, K. E., Restoring the West, "A Seedling-Based Approach to Aspen Restoration," UAES, Logan, Utah. (October 18, 2016)