California Whitebark Pine

Pinus albicaulis

California Native Plant Society Vegetation Program (M. Kauffmann, K.G. Sikes, J. Buck-Diaz, J. Jackson, R. Floreani-Buzbee, and J. Evens). 2019 (revised 2021). Conservation Assessment for Pinus albicaulis (Whitebark Pine) for National Forest Lands in California, with Management Considerations. 131 pages.

Whitebark pine in the West. Map from Conifers of the Pacific Slope, by Michael Kauffmann.

In conjunction with the Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region’s Botany & Rare Plants Program and the California Native Plant Society’s Vegetation Program, we have been working to assess and map populations of whitebark pine in California. Pinus albicaulis is a species of concern across its range because populations are suffering from the synergistic interactions of mountain pine beetleswhite pine blister rust, fire suppression, and climate change. In 2012, Canada listed whitebark pine on the endangered species list because of high mortality rates across the country. This project has been ongoing since 2012 and below are our fieldwork reports.

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Click to view previous blog posts and pictures highlighting this project.