Twenty-year change in aspen dominance in pure aspen and mixed aspen/conifer stands on the Uncompahgre Plateau, Colorado, USA

Aspen dominance is decreasing in the forested communities of the study area. Pure stands are likely to persist without decline for a considerable time. Mixed stands are likely to continue to experience a decrease in overstory aspen canopy dominance. These changes are probably within the historic range of variability, but restoration of aspen canopy cover consistent with an early- to mid-seral landscape condition would require disturbances such as fire or cutting to create canopy gaps to permit growth of suckers into the overstory of mixed species stands.