Current trends in the management of aspen and mixed aspen forests for sustainable production

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is a remarkable species that per forms several significant ecological roles throughout its range while at th e same time is facing ever-increasing harvesting pressure. Although its ful l product potential remains untapped, aspen utilization has increased notic eably in the past 15 years as it has become a desired species for engineere d wood products such as oriented strand board, and a preferred hardwood in the production of high quality pulp and paper products, Concurrent with thi s increase in aspen utilization has been an increase in the importance of e cological concepts in forest management. Any new silvicultural concepts in aspen management designed to address these ecological concepts must be grou nded in the silvics and life history traits of the species. Here we present three trends in aspen management; aspen retention, a renewed interest in a spen thinning, and the advent of cut-to-length (CTL) harvesters that allow forest managers to address these considerations by capitalizing on aspen's unique characteristics. Finally, we discuss traditional harvesting methods and these trends in the context of their genetic implications.