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Federally Listed, Proposed and Candidate Species
Whitebark Pine
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 Photo Credit: USFS - Richard Sniezko |
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Potential Distribution in Wyoming
Counties where Whitebark Pine is known or believed to occur.
Fremont County | Hot Springs County | Lincoln County | Park Coutny | Sublette County | Teton County
- For Species Lists, please use the IPaC System
Section 7 Range
If an action is proposed within the Section 7 Range, potnetial effects to the species and habitat should be considered. Project proponets are encouraged to contact the FWS Wyoming Ecological Servcies Office.
Download Section 7 Range GIS Data or Section 7 Range Google Earth layers
Species Information
Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is a candidate for listing under the Act (76 FR 42631; July 19, 2011). In Wyoming, whitebark pine usually occurs above 8000 feet on cold and windy subalpine to alpine sites. Whitebark pineis a five-needle pine that is typically 16 to 66 feet tall with a rounded or irregularly spreading crown shape. When located in relatively dense stands of conifers, whitebark pinestend to grow as tall, single-stemmed trees. In open, more exposed sites, trees frequently have multiple stems. Above tree line, the species grows in a krummholz form (stunted, shrub-like growth). Dark brown to purple seed cones grow at the outer ends of upper branches and are 2 to 3 inches long. The scales of the cones are thick and do not open on their own. Whitebark pine is almost exclusively dependent upon Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), a bird in the family Corvidae (whose members include ravens, crows, and jays), to open its cones and disperse the seeds.
The presence of whitebark pine promotes increased biodiversity and contributes to critical ecosystem functions. Whitebark pine is frequently the first conifer to establish after disturbances such as wildfires. Snow drifts form around whitebark pine trees, thereby increasing soil moisture, modifying soil temperatures, and holding soil moisture longer. The shade from whitebark pine trees slows the progression of snowmelt, reducing spring flooding at lower elevations. Whitebark pine also provides highly nutritious seeds for numerous species of birds and mammals.
Major threats to whitebark pine include mortality from disease caused by the nonnative white pine blister rust, predation by the native mountain pine beetle, climate change, habitat loss from past and ongoing fire suppression activities, and the combined negative effects of these individual threats.