Science Spotlights
Posted on: August 23, 2017
Rocky Mountain bristlecone pines are long-lived, exhibit delayed maturation, have low genetic diversity, and inhabit cold, high-elevation environments. They are threatened by the non-native disease white pine blister rust, warming temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and altered disturbance regimes.
Sustaining bristlecone pine populations is essential to (1) maintain healthy mountain-top ecosystems and (2) ensure that the young bristlecone pine trees of today and tomorrow have the opportunity to achieve great age with picturesque gnarled trunks and wind-swept canopies for future generations to experience and enjoy.