Bristlecone Pine

bristlecone pine

bristlecone pine, (species Pinus longaeva and P. aristata), either of two species of small pine trees that belong to the family Pinaceae and include some of the oldest individual organisms known to science. The species are native to the Rocky Mountains and other ranges of the southwestern United States, occurring usually at elevations above 1,700 metres (5,500 feet). Despite the inherent hardiness necessary to survive millennia at the environmental extremes of such arid climates and high elevations, bristlecone pines are vulnerable to changing climate conditions, particularly drought. Several populations of Great Basin bristlecone pines experienced a rare die-off event in 2022 that resulted from a combination of drought stress and bark beetle infestation.