Aspen

One is the flattened leaf petiole, which reduces aerodynamic drag during high winds and decreases the likelihood of trunk or branch damage.

The bark also contains lenticels that serve as pores for gas exchange, in which their respiratory function resembles that of the stomata on leaves.

Some aspen colonies become very large with time, spreading about 1 m (3 ft) per year, eventually covering many hectares.

The high stem turnover rate combined with the clonal growth leads to proliferation in aspen colonies.

Aspens have increased in popularity as a forestry cultivation species, mostly because of their fast growth rate and ability to regenerate from sprouts.

Additionally, successional replacement by conifers due to fire suppression alters forest diversity and creates conditions where aspen may be at less of an advantage.

Young aspen bark is an important seasonal forage for the European hare and other animals in early spring.

While standing trees sometimes tend to rot from the heart outward, the dry timber weathers very well, becoming silvery-grey and resistant to rotting and warping, and has traditionally been used for rural construction in the northwestern regions of Russia (especially for roofing, in the form of thin slats).