An interesting article caught my attention as I was scrolling through the New York Times online. It was entitled Emblem of the West is Dying, No One Can Figure Out Why. The emblem? The Aspen Tree.
Image: A Stand of Aspen Trees
Image: Aspen Leaves
One of the most beautiful trees to observe in nature, the Aspen appears to be mysteriously dying, and biologists are not sure why. Maybe its an insect? Or a drought? Or climatic change inducing stress?
This is a problem that is worth investigating. Students can be introduced to a real problem, and the fact that scientists do not know the cause of the plight of the aspen tree.
Resources:
Scientists Seek Root Cause of Aspen Decline
Aspens Dying Across the West, But Why?