High in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, the wind-swept whitebark pine has stood for centuries in Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and California. But now, rising temperatures and drought imperil the tree’s future, even though it's federally protected as a threatened species.
By mid-century, up to 80% of its habitat could disappear, according to a study led by Sean Parks of the USDA Forest Service and other federal agencies. The hardy pine thrives in harsh, high-elevation zones, like windy ridges and steep slopes.
Diana Tomback, a researcher at the University of Colorado Denver, collaborated on the study. She said squirrels, grizzly bears, and birds like Clark’s nutcracker rely on the whitebark pine’s fat-rich seeds.
“The tree also acts like snow fences at the high elevation, keeping water flowing downstream by slowing snow melt over the summer months,” Tomback said. “And this benefits farms, ranches and towns.”
Tomback said most of the tree’s future habitat will likely be in national parks and wilderness, places that are protected but where restoration is harder to do.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between KUNR, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
