Northern Yellowstone aspen sapling data collected 2020-2021

A table containing data from random sampling plots in 87 randomly located aspen stands in northern Yellowstone, repeating measurements by Painter et al. (2014). Stands were relocated using GPS coordinates from 2012. Each stand contained one plot 2x30 m, extending from the live, dead or fallen tree nearest the GPS location towards the centroid of the stand. Data include number of saplings (>2 m tall and <=5 cm dbh), number of broken saplings (.2 cm diameter at 0.5 m height) and stripped, girdled saplings. Also included are fecal pile densities of bison and elk counted in two 2x50 m plots adjacent to and about 10 m from the stand, in xeric grassland or forest edge substrate. Mesic meadows or wet locations were avoided due to low likelihood of scat detection. Scat plots were not placed within the aspen stands for the same reason, many were wet or dense with vegetation so fecal piles are unlikely to persist or be detected.