If you have hiked through classic mountain scenery of America's most iconic National Parks such as Rocky Mountain, Glacier-Waterton, Crater Lake, or Yosemite you have likely admired the stout, twisted, and ancient beauty of whitebark pine. This hardy species is one of the "5-needle pine" species. An important component of Krummholz communities, this distinct species is specially adapted to the cold, windy conditions of high elevations and latitudes. Whitebark pine is considered a keystone species of montane and subalpine ecosystems as it regulates water runoff by slowing snowmelt, it reduces soil erosion after wildfire, and it provides s critical food resource to birds and mammals.
Populations of whitebark pine are threatened range wide by several interacting forces:
These factors are all affected and even exacerbated by factors associated with climate change including increased annual temperatures, warmer winters, reduced snow fall, and drought.
Populations of whitebark pine are threatened range wide by several interacting forces:
- white pine blister rust, and introduced fungal disease
- mountain pine beetle outbreaks
- Competition from shade-tolerant tree species encroaching due to fire suppression
These factors are all affected and even exacerbated by factors associated with climate change including increased annual temperatures, warmer winters, reduced snow fall, and drought.