Genetic variation and the natural history of quaking aspen

In the fall, sightseers take to the highways of North America to enjoy the brilliant colors that are revealed as deciduous trees recycle the dominant greens of chlorophyll. In the western United States and Canada, the most colorful tree in the fall is the quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides. Brilliant yellows, rich golds, and shimmering shades of red shine, contrasting with the various green shades of the conifers. Quaking aspen earns its name for the distinctive fluttering of its leaves, even in the most gentle breezes. Early French-Canadian trappers called the tree an aspen because of its similarity to Populus tremula, a closely related species in Europe and Asia. One of the legends attached to the aspen reflects Judeo-Christian influences. The aspen quake in fear today, according to folklore, because Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross of aspen. In addition to the esthetics of quaking leaves and brilliant fall colors, extraordinary features of the natural history and genetics of aspen lend it special appeal for naturalists and laboratory scientists. Quaking aspen merits a variety of superlatives: It is North America's most widely distributed native tree species and the second most widely distributed in the world (Barnes and

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