GRAUMLICH, L.J. and HESSL, A.E. This dissertation research will examine the effects of fire, climate variation, intensity of ungulate browsing and management policy (emphasizing fire and wildlife management) on aspen regeneration over the last two hundred years in northwest Wyoming. Forest age structure will be estimated from tree cores collected in a sample stratified according to fire history and elk-browsing pressure. The inclusion of stands that have been similarly affected by climatic fluctuations, but with distinct management histories, will help the PIs to disentangle the influence of these various factors-something previous studies have not done successfully. The research has implications for understanding ecological dynamics as influenced by resource management practices.
