Autumn Aspen Trees
Changing aspen foliage can present one of the most tranquil
times of year. If you're
an artist or photographer whose portfolio contains fall aspen art,
please
click here to learn more about
opportunities with Golden Autumn.
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All the aspen trees (including White Poplar) typically
grow in large colonies derived from a single seedling, and spreading by
means of root suckers; new stems in the colony may appear at up to 30–40
m from the parent tree. Each tree only lives for 40–150 years above
ground, but the root system of the colony is long-lived, in some cases
for many thousands of years, sending up new trunks as the older trunks
die off above ground. For this reason it is considered to be an
indicator of ancient woodlands. One such colony in Utah, given the
nickname of "Pando", is claimed to be 80,000 years old, making it
possibly the oldest living colony.
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| A Forest Changes Color as... |
| Taylor Kennedy |
| 18x24 Phot... |
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| A View Across a Forest of... |
| Marc Moritsch |
| 36x48 Phot... |
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| Autumn Aspens at Winter P... |
| Patty Baker |
| 8x10 Wall P... |
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| Aspens in Fall, Kebler Pass, Colorado... |
| Darrell Gulin |
| 24x18 Photograph... |
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| Aspen Trees in Autumn, Yellowstone Na... |
| Christer Fredriksson |
| 24x18 Photograph... |
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| Aspen Trees Near Mcclure Pass in Gunn... |
| Greg Gawlowski |
| 32x24 Photograph... |
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| Autumn Colors in the Aspen Forests of... |
| Greg Gawlowski |
| 48x36 Photograph... |
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Some aspen colonies become very large with time,
spreading about a metre per year, eventually covering many acres. They
are able to survive intense forest fires as the roots are below the heat
of the fire, with new sprouts growing after the fire is out. However,
aspens do not thrive very well in the shade, and it is difficult for
aspen seedlings to grow in an already mature aspen stand. Fire
indirectly benefits aspen trees, as it allows the saplings to flourish
in open sunlight on account of the burned landscape. Lately aspen has
increased its popularity in forestry, mostly because of its fast growth
rate and ability to regenerate from sprouts, which makes the
regeneration of the forest after harvesting much cheaper, as no planting
or sowing is required.
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| Sunset Over Hills and Aspens |
| FogStock |
| 24x18 Photograph... |
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| Aspen Forest Reflected in Maroon Lake... |
| Greg Gawlowski |
| 24x18 Photograph... |
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| Colorful Aspens in Logan Canyon, Utah... |
| Julie Eggers |
| 32x24 Photograph... |
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| Aspen Trees with Sunlight... |
| Julie Eggers |
| 18x24 Phot... |
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| Autumn Aspen Colors, Mt. ... |
| Stuart Westmoreland |
| 18x24 Phot... |
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| Colorful Aspens in Logan Canyon, Utah... |
| Julie Eggers |
| 24x18 Photograph... |
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| A Stand of Aspen Trees Displaying Aut... |
| Melissa Farlow |
| 16x12 Photograph... |
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| Fall Colors on Aspen Trees, Maroon Be... |
| Gavriel Jecan |
| 24x18 Photograph... |
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The unusual ability of aspen leaves to twist and bend
(quake) due to the flattened petioles may not be fully understood. It is
thought to help protect the trees from severe winds, perhaps by helping
dissipate energy more uniformly throughout the canopy? It is also
thought to improve the rate of photosynthesis throughout the tree by
reducing the exposure of the outer leaves to extreme sunlight by
presenting the leaves at an oblique angle to the sun throughout the day,
while at the same time allowing more light through to the lower leaves
which are generally overshaded. This would enable leaves throughout the
tree to photosynthesize more efficiently.
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| Ashley National Forest |
| Alain Thomas |
| 59x21 Fine Art Print |
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| The White Bark of Autumn Colored Aspe... |
| Charles Kogod |
| 24x18 Photograph... |
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| Aspen Trees along Oxbow Bend, Grand T... |
| Hugh Rose |
| 24x18 Photograph... |
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| Aspen Trees Stand Above a Carpet of F... |
| Phil Schermeister |
| 24x18 Photograph... |
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| Aspen above Pear Lake in Autumn, Boul... |
| Scott Smith |
| 40x30 Photograph... |
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Aspen wood is white, and soft, but fairly strong, and
with very low flammability. It has a number of uses, notably for making
matches, where its low flammability makes it safer to use (easy to blow
out) than most other woods. Shredded aspen wood is also a popular animal
bedding, as it lacks the phenols associated with pine and juniper, which
are thought to cause respiratory ailments in some animals. Heat treated
aspen is a popular material for the interiors of a sauna.
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| Aspen Trees with Golden L... |
| Jamie Wild |
| 24x32 Phot... |
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| Aspen Grove on Fish Lake ... |
| Scott Smith |
| 18x24 Phot... |
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| Aspens and Mountain |
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| Aspen Light, Left |
| Gary Collins |
| 34x26 Fine Art Print |
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| Montezuma Mountain, Aspen, Colorado |
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| 17x11 Fine Art Print |
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| Aspen Glow |
| Gary Collins |
| 28x22 Fine Art Print |
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| Golden Aspens |
| Robert Holman |
| 32x24 Fine Art Print |
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The aspen
tree's quivering leaves are, in Christian lore, said to be the result of
arrogance at the Crucifixion because the aspen did not tremble like other
trees. A German version claims that the aspen was the only tree to refuse
to acknowledge the divinity of Jesus. The cross that Christ was crucified
on is sometimes said to have been aspen wood.
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| Aspen Leaves |
| Phil Schermeister |
| 18x24 Phot... |
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| Carving on Tree, Routt Na... |
| Robert Franz |
| 12x16 Phot... |
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| Close View of Several Asp... |
| Joel Sartore |
| 18x24 Phot... |
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| Birds Nest in Aspen Forest near the R... |
| Julie Eggers |
| 24x18 Photograph... |
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| Aspen Leaf Landing on Water |
| Fred Luhman |
| 32x24 Photograph... |
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