Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest Explained

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
Map:California
Relief:yes
Location:White Mountains, Inyo County, California, United States
Coordinates:37.3857°N -118.1789°W
Elevation Max:3410m (11,190feet)
Elevation Min:3000m (10,000feet)
Area Sqmi:43.75
Area Ref:[1] [2]
Administrator:United States Forest Service

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is a protected area high in the White Mountains in Inyo County in eastern California.

Geography

The forest is east of the Owens Valley, high on the eastern face of the White Mountains in the upper Fish Lake-Soda Spring Watershed, above the northernmost reach of the Mojave Desert into Great Basin ecotone.[3] The forest's mountain habitat is in the Central Basin and Range ecoregion (EPA) and Great Basin montane forests (One Earth).[4] The Patriarch Grove is the source of Cottonwood Creek, a designated Wild and Scenic River.

Ecology

See also: Great Basin montane forests. The Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) trees grow between 9,800 and 11,000 feet (3,000–3,400 m) above sea level, in xeric alpine conditions, protected within the Inyo National Forest.[5] [6] Limber pine (Pinus flexilis) also grow in the forest.

Methuselah

The Methuselah Grove in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is the location of the "Methuselah", a Great Basin bristlecone pine that is years old.[7] It is considered to be the world's oldest known and confirmed living non-clonal organism. It was temporarily superseded by a 5,062 year old bristlecone pine discovered in 2010. In May 2017 however, Dr. Peter Brown removed this tree from his database of old trees because the tree and core sample could not be found.[8] "Methuselah" is not marked in the forest, to ensure added protection from vandals.[9]

Visiting

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is generally open from mid-May through the end of November, weather permitting.

Methuselah Grove trail

The Methuselah Grove trail starts from the visitor center at and makes a 4.5miles loop that includes the side valley of the Methuselah Grove where the oldest tree lives, a high section looking out eastward over Nevada's basin-and-range region, and side trails to old mining sites. Numbered natural-history markers are explained by a booklet.

Fire

On September 4, 2008, an arsonist set fire to the Schulman Grove Visitor Center and several bristlecone pines. The building and all the exhibits within were destroyed. Activities to rebuild the center began the next day and are now complete.[10] [11]

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Miller . Leonard . The Ancient Bristlecone Pine . The Bristlecone site . September 10, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100904235006/http://www.sonic.net/bristlecone/intro.html . September 4, 2010 . live .
  2. Web site: Discovery. https://web.archive.org/web/20100828090713/http://sonic.net/bristlecone/Schulman.html . August 28, 2010. dead.
  3. Web site: Bryce . S. A. . Ecoregions of Nevada . poster . . USGS . etal . January 12, 2020.
  4. Web site: Great Basin Montane Forests. One Earth. Reed. Noss. December 12, 2023.
  5. http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72DTgBAjAwgAykeaxcN4jhYG_h4eYX5hPgYwefy6w0H24dcPNgEHcDTQ9_PIz03VL8iNMMgycVQEAObEnGA!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjJNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=stelprdb5129900&navid=100000000000000&pnavid=null&ss=110504&position=Not%20Yet%20Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Inyo%20National%20Forest-%20Special%20Places Inyo N.F.-Bristlecone Forest
  6. http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6IeDdGCqCPOBqwDLG-AAjgb6fh75uan6BdnZaY6OiooA1tkqlQ!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjJNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=stelprdb5138621&navid=150130000000000&pnavid=150000000000000&ss=110504&position=Not%2520Yet%2520Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Inyo%2520National%2520Forest-%2520Nature NFS: Bristlecone Natural History
  7. Web site: Pinus longaeva . January 4, 2015 . Gymnosperm Database . March 15, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190517015108/https://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_longaeva.php . May 17, 2019 . live .
  8. Web site: Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research OldList. January 6, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130412091010/http://www.rmtrr.org/oldlist.htm. April 12, 2013. live.
  9. News: SCHLOSSBERG. TATIANA. Celebrate Earth Day With a 4,800-Year-Old Tree (If You Can Find It). The New York Times . April 22, 2016 . April 22, 2016. NY Times. https://web.archive.org/web/20160423082225/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/23/science/earth-day-worlds-oldest-tree-bristlecone-pine.html. April 23, 2016. live.
  10. News: Fire claims Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest visitor center . September 6, 2008 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20080918025153/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2008/09/fire-claims-bri.html . September 18, 2008 . live .
  11. Web site: Arson Charges for Schulman Visitor Center Fire . Tom . Woods . April 10, 2009 . January 27, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131114121022/http://www.sierrawave.net/1782/arson-charges-for-schulman-visitor-center-fire/ . November 14, 2013 . live .

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