Soil temperatures and suckering in burned and unburned aspen stands in Idaho

Monthly average soil temperatures in a burned aspen stand ranged from 0 to 8 °F higher than in the unburned stand at depths to 12 inches for a site in southeastern Idaho. From June through August the first year after burning, soil temperatures were significantly different at all depths in burned and unburned stands. By the second and third years after burning, temperatures were not significantly different for most months. Temperatures were favorable for sucker initiation on burned plots. A hypothesis for a temperature threshold of 60 °F for sucker initiation is discussed.