Single-leaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) grows no further north than Cassia County, Idaho. It seems resolved to sequester itself to the Southern end of the Albion, Jim Sage, and Black Pine Mountains. What is prohibiting this tree species from progressing farther north? No doubt soil type, topography, and climate play a role, but there may be more to it. The vast basalt flows of the Snake River Plain serve as barriers for many tree species. The agents of pollination and reseeding are no match for it. Pinyon Pines thrive in the ranges of Nevada, western Utah, and southern California. This is definitely a tree that prefers arid landscapes and slopes above the alkaline flats of greasewood and the sagebrush steppe. Perhaps our study of the pinyon decline in Idaho could benefit from looking at populations on the edge in other states. Or, perhaps we could pay a visit to Bannock County where we read that a small isolated population of pinyon pine exists. (Range maps of the pinyon pine are credited to USDA Plants Database, and to Wikimedia Commons)
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November 09, 2019
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Last updated: February 13, 2020