Ecological Relationships of Bristlecone Pine

Abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. Abstract:Functional relationships between bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva Bailey)1 growth characteristics and environmental factors were investigated near Wheeler Peak and Bastian Peak in E-central Nevada. Because of bristlecone pine's intolerance to shading it constituted only a small percentage of the total tree cover on sites favoring good growth rates and dense timber stands. On such sites limber pine (P. flexilis James) and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmanni Parry ex Engelm.) dominated the stands. On harsher sites bristlecone pine often formed essentially pure, although sparse, stands. Regression analyses (both simple and multiple) and analyses of variance revealed that bristlecone pines are faster growing, taller, straighter and less sensitive to climatic fluctuations on sites where moisture conditions are favorable. Organic carbon, clay and mean air temperature accounted for 83% of the variation in mean annual growth rates of bristlecone pine. Organic carbon and mean air temperature accounted for 55% of the variation in mean sensitivity (a measure of annual variation in ring width) of the trees. Maximum tree age is associated with harsh growing conditions which result in slow growth rates and dense, highly resinous wood.1D. ?. Bailey (1970) demonstrated seveial important differences between the "Great Basin" bristlecone pines and the "Rocky Mountain" bristlecone pines (Pinus aristata) as described by Engelmann. He proposed that the Great Basin population be considered a separate species, viz., Pinus longaeva Bailey. Nomenclature for other plant species follows Munz and Keck (1959). IntroductionBristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva Bailey) grows and attains great longevity on dry,

Blister rust and western forest biodiversity: ecology, values and outlook for white pines

“…Great Basin bristlecone pine occurs at treeline in the extremely harsh Great Basin ranges; the best‐developed, nearly single‐species stands are on dolomite and limestone soils (B ailey 1970; V asek and T horne 1977; B easley and K lemmedson 1980). Where other pines can grow, it is a poor competitor.…”

“…2003). The oldest living trees in the world, at nearly 5000 years of age, are Great Basin bristlecone pine (C urrey 1965; H awksworth and B ailey 1980); B easley and K lemmedson (1980: 242) noted the special aesthetic appeal of these gnarled, weather‐beaten trees. Living and dead Great Basin bristlecone pine trees together have provided a continuous 7000‐year tree‐ring chronology and weather record (F erguson 1969).…”

“…Where other pines can grow, it is a poor competitor. But of all the white pines, Great Basin bristlecone pine appears to be the most tolerant of dry, well-drained sites and nutrient-deficient soils; the most ancient of trees occur on the most restrictive soils (Vasek and Thorne 1977;Beasley and Klemmedson 1980). Great Basin bristlecone pine forms forest associations with an even greater number of associates than does Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine (Table 3b).…”

“…& Fremont) at its lower limits, limber pine at higher elevations, and forms single-species, open-canopy stands on harsh sites up to 3540 m. In eastern Nevada, it occurs in scattered stands with limber pine and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Perry ex Engelm. ); in northern Nevada, it is found with whitebark pine (Billings and Thompson 1957;Vasek and Thorne 1977;Beasley and Klemmedson 1980;Hawksworth and Bailey 1980). Great Basin bristlecone pine often grow only 18 m tall and commonly develop a multistemmed form of considerable girth (Vasek and Thorne 1977).…”

Low ectomycorrhizal inoculum potential and diversity from soils in and near ancient forests of bristlecone pine (<i>Pinus longaeva</i>)

“…(Wright and Mooney 1965). Although P. longaeva can occur in mixed stands with rare limber pine (Pinus flexilis James) and A. tridentata on more nutrient-rich sites, it is mostly found in scattered stands in harsh high-elevation sites where other plant species are absent (Wright and Mooney 1965;Beasley and Klemmedson 1980). Artemisia tridentata, an arbuscular mycorrhiza-dependent shrub, is dominant in all non-forested subalpine areas.…”