The pressures facing quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) forests in the Intermountain West are multifaceted. Fire suppression, climate change and browsing pressure by ungulates are just several of the factors that threaten the health of this foundation species. Here we present two leading scientists in North America who study aspen forest ecology. Dr. Rick Lindroth (University of Wisconsin-Madison) will discuss the chemical defense mechanisms underlying aspen ecology and the roles that genotype, environment and their interaction play in impacting the effectiveness of defenses. Dr. Sam St. Clair (Brigham Young University) will discuss the health of aspen forests within the ecological context of other environmental stressors facing this species in the Interior West. He will focus on the impacts of fire regimes, climate change and ungulate herbivory on aspen forest resilience.