Concepts

Physiological stress experienced by plants due to reduced water availability that can harm fitness by inducing leaf loss, reducing flower size, and decreasing seed production

Differences in chromosome copy number among individuals, specifically diploid (two copies) versus triploid (three copies) chromosome sets

Rapid, synchronous mortality of aspen across large areas characterized by gradual sudden aspen decline associated with recent drought and temperature stress

Use of infrared technology to measure surface temperatures of objects

A model selection criterion that balances goodness of fit with model complexity by penalizing models with more parameters

Variation in the strength or direction of ecological effects depending on environmental conditions or organism characteristics

Areas of transition between adjacent, distinct ecosystems with unique species assemblages at the fringes of mature stands

Physiological shifts that allow plants to adjust their rates of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance to compensate for changes in temperature

Approach using organism functional traits to understand ecological patterns and predict responses to environmental change

Vegetative reproduction producing genetically identical individuals, characteristic of quaking aspen forming cohesive clones with limited spatial interdigitation

Statistical modeling approach using spectral reflectance measurements to extrapolate functional trait values

An integrative measure of how much tension there is in the water column of the xylem, reflecting the ease or difficulty a plant has in transporting water from the soil

Environmental gradient characterized by declining water availability, derived from temperature and precipitation variables

Growth of new aspen trees through sexual reproduction (seeds) or asexual reproduction (suckering from root systems)

Influence of forest canopy openness on understory light availability and bee community composition

Vegetative damage leading to temporary or permanent defoliation and/or aboveground stem loss

Process-based framework for understanding drivers of thermal offsets and thermal coupling strengths in leaves based on energy budget parameters

The branching network of veins within a leaf that transports water and nutrients, characterized by vein density measurements

Ecological interactions between hoofed mammals and aspen trees including herbivory effects on tree health and forest composition