Beautiful and Resilient

Science Moab

Can the simple beauty of an organism be enough to want to restore and preserve it? If so, Aspen would be at the top of that list. So much more than a beautiful tree, a stand or group of aspen trees is considered a singular organism with the main life force underground in the extensive root system. We talk with Paul Rogers, professor and Director of the Western Aspen Alliance, about the threats to Aspen today across the west and the Colorado Plateau. In the face of increasing drought and fire across the Colorado Plateau, this resilient tree finds itself most susceptible to the vast numbers of animals that forage on its young and nutritious shoots.