Quaking Aspen Research Paper

The Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is a very abundant tree in the mountainous regions here in Utah. Moreover, this particular species of tree is very popular because it grows most commonly around burn sites. After a natural disaster the Quaking aspen is usually one of the first trees to take root. The Quaking aspen is well known here because of this, however the common person may find it hard to identify when an aspen tree is not healthy. Sooty bark canker (encoelia pruinosa) is a canker is often a parasite that takes hold of these wonderful trees and is responsible for the death of many.
Symptoms
The early stages of sooty bark canker appear are sunken areas however they still maintain normal bark color. Although not immediately apparent, the sooty bark canker does most of its damage under the bark. As dead bark falls off, the black, sooty canker becomes visible which is the diagnosis of the canker. Further under the bark appears a black, almost feather like appearance that is distinctly visible on the surface of the tree. The cankers form a light grey band on the bark which continues around the surface of the tree making the tree look almost like a candy cane. Fruiting bodies also are commonly protruding off the wood and grow with the canker lines. Underneath the cankers, the wood is a light grey. …show more content…
Perhaps the best, and only control of this disease is to catch it early and to prune the branches that are infected. Pruning the fruiting bodies before they are able to release the spores lessens the effect of future outbreaks. If wounds are visible on the tree, fungicide can be used to seal off wounds to avoid penetration of encoelia pruinosa. When disposing of the infected branches, it is best to just throw them away. Avoiding composting or burning of the infected branches will ensure that the fruiting bodies do not get a chance to spread the spores after being