Introductory
SPECIES: Pinus balfouriana | Foxtail Pine 



ABBREVIATION : 
PINBAL

SYNONYMS : 
NO-ENTRY


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   PIBA
   PIBAA
   PIBAB


COMMON NAMES : 
   foxtail pine


TAXONOMY : 

The currently accepted scientific name of foxtail pine is Pinus
balfouriana Grev. & Balf. [8,13,18].  There are two subspecies [13,18]:

P. b. ssp. austrina R. J. & J. D. Mastrogiuseppe
P. b. ssp. balfouriana Grev. & Balf.

Mastroguiseppe [13] published the name P. b. ssp. austrina for the
southern Sierra Nevada group.  In recognizing the southern Sierra Nevada
populations as a distinct subspecies, the northern Klammath Mountains
populations became P. b. ssp. balfouriana.

In pollination experiments, the two subspecies exhibit almost full
crossability.  Southern Sierra Nevada Onion Valley female cones
pollinated with pollen from the Klammath Mountains (Yolla Bolly) to the
north produced 84 percent as much seed as they did with Onion Valley
pollen.  A crossability of 84 percent is fairly typical for two
subspecies [5,13].  These two disjuncts have probably been separated
since the Pleistocene.  It is interesting that for some characteristics
the southern Sierra Nevada subspecies is more similar to the Great Basin
bristlecone pine (P. longaeva), but it is intermediate between the
northern Klammath Mountains subspecies and Great Basin bristlecone pine
for others [12,13].

Essential oils of wood and foliage support the morphological and
chemical separation of foxtail and bristlecone pines.  However, there
may be a natural hybrid between them in the White Mountains of
California.  Cones from these trees resemble those of the foxtail pine.
If this has occurred, then westerly winds may have carried pollen from
the southern foxtail populations across the Owens Valley to the
bristlecones in the White Mountains.  When this cross was conducted in a
laboratory, fairly high numbers of hybrid seed were produced [5,13,17].


LIFE FORM : 
Tree

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
Kathy Ahlenslager, October 1986


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
Kathy Ahlenslager, December 1987



AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Ahlenslager, Kathleen E. 1986. Pinus balfouriana. In: Remainder of Citation

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Pinus balfouriana | Foxtail Pine 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
Foxtail pine is endemic to California and occurs only at high
elevations, on upper slopes and exposed ridges.  It exists as two
disjunct subspecies separated by about 300 air miles (92 km):  in the
Klammath Mountains of northwestern California and in the southern high
Sierra Nevada.  The nothern subspecies, balfouriana, occurs as several
scattered stands in the Marble, Scott, and Yolla Bolly Mountains, as
well as the Trinity Alps [5,8,12,13].

The southern subspecies, austrina, is centered on the upper South Fork
of the Kern River drainage mostly in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National
Parks, as well as the adjacent Inyo National Forest.  On the east side
of the Sierra Nevada, this subspecies is only 20 air miles (30 km) from
the closely related bristlecone pine of the Inyo Mountains [5,8,12,13].


ECOSYSTEMS : 
   FRES23  Fir - spruce
   FRES26  Lodgepole pine
   FRES28  Western hardwoods


STATES : 
     CA


ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS : 
     KICA  SEQU


BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
   4  Sierra Mountains


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
   K008  Lodgepole pine - subalpine forest


SAF COVER TYPES : 
   205  Mountain hemlock
   207  Red fir
   256  California mixed subalpine


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
Foxtail pine is not found as a dominant, codominant, or indicator
species in any habitat type.  In the Klammath Mountains, ssp.
balfouriana occurs on ridges and upper southern and western slopes over
7,200 feet (2,200 m).  Here it is associated with whitebark pine (Pinus
albicaulis), mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana), Shasta red fir (Abies
magnifica var. shastensis), lodgepole pine (P. contorta ssp.
murrayana), and Jeffrey pine (P. jeffreyi) [2,3,12,13].

In the southern Sierra Nevada, ssp. austrina is characteristic of
treeline where it forms nearly pure forests.  Although individual trees
are widely spaced with little understory vegetation, there are
occasional associations of lodgepole pine, whitebark pine, and limber
pine (P. flexilis) [2,3,12,13].

VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Pinus balfouriana | Foxtail Pine 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
The seeds of foxtail pine are edible to some wildlife.  Trees often
occur in clumps, probably from the caches of seed-eaters, such as
Clark's nutcrackers.  Small animals and birds may benefit from these
seed caches [9].


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
Foxtail pine provides some cover for bird and small animal species [9].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Foxtail pine has little to no value for rehabilitation due to the
Eextremely slow growth rate of seedlings and mature trees [1,5].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Trees of this species are useful as habitat, food for wildlife, and for
watershed protection.  Foxtail pine is an interesting species due to its
disjunct distribution and the size it reaches in harsh environments
[13].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Pinus balfouriana | Foxtail Pine 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Even at upper treeline, the typical growth habit of mature foxtail pines
is erect and straight with a largely intact cambium, full crown, and
retained leader.  The sparse crowns of contorted trees are often only
supported by a narrow strip of cambium, the living tissue of a tree.
The effects of sand and ice-blasting by wind are seen in older trees
with double "pick-a-back" growth form.  The windward trunk is dead, but
a narrow strip of cambium supports branches on the leeward side of the
tree, the "piggy back" [12].

Trees of the northern foxtail pine, ssp. balfouriana grow erect or with
an uphill lean.  Individuals are commonly 30 to 60 feet (100-200 m)
high.  The tallest is recorded at 98 feet (32 m).  One large relict of
the southern foxtail pine, ssp. austrina, growing at 10,540 feet (3,200
m) on Alta Peak, Tulare County, California, is 6.7 feet (2 m) in d.b.h.
and 78.5 feet (24 m) in height [3].  Trees retain needles 10 to 15
years.  Although the southern Sierra Nevada foxtail pine usually grows
erect, it is more often twisted.  Trees retain needles 20 to 30 years
[12].

Foxtail pines have deep and spreading root systems which probably occupy
the openings between trees [2].  Since they grow as widely spaced
individuals, the density of associated plants is low, with an absence of
associated plant competition [13].

Foxtail pines and bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva and P. aristata)
share numerous interesting characteristics [13]:

   (1)  occurrence at the upper limits of tree growth and a reduced 
        rate of growth
   (2)  a capacity for long life
   (3)  continued growth after loss of large areas of tissue 
        from drought, stress, wind injury, and soil erosion
   (4)  heavy, dense, resin-impregnated wood with small, 
        closely arranged water-conducting cells (tracheids) which
        provide resistance to moisture and decay
   (5)  survival in an environment of drought, low temperatures, 
        short growing season, daily temperature extremes, and poor 
        soils
   (6)  retention of needles for several years, which reduces their 
        need for moisture and nutrients, as well as helps to carry a
        tree over several years of stress
   (7)  relative safety from ground fire due to sparse ground cover 
        and litter scarcity

The longevity of foxtail pine is of interest because of the long life
spans reported for its close relatives the bristlecone pines.  In
general, trees of northern foxtail pine do not live as long as those of
southern foxtail pine.  The greatest known age of the northern foxtail
pine is 364 years.  In comparison, the greatest known age of a southern
foxtail pine is 682 years.  Northern foxtail pine, growing in the moist
Klammath Mountains, has a greater frequency of heartwood decay than
southern foxtail, which grows in the drier Sierra Nevada [13].

It is often difficult to determine the exact age and growth rates of
these trees because of asymmetric growth and heartwood decay.  Tree ages
can be estimated with increment bores.  Based on ring counts and growth
rates, the maximum attainable age for northern foxtail pine is estimated
to be 1,300 to 1,500 years, while that of southern foxtail pine is 2,500
to 3,000 years [12,13].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
The environmental and physiological factors contributing to the longevity of
foxtail pines also work to lower their regeneration potential.  Seedlings are
slow growing [3].  With the caching of foxtail pine seeds by seed-eaters,
seedlings often occur in dense clusters.  The effects of this caching in the
regeneration of foxtail pine appears beneficial, since there is a high
frequency of clumped trees [6].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Subspecies balfouriana occurs as several scattered stands in the Marble,
Scott, and Yolla Bolly mountains, as well as the Trinity Alps from 6,700
to 9,000 feet (2,000-2,400 m).  Occasional individuals grow in mountain
valleys as low as 6,400 feet (1,950 m).  This Klammath Mountain
subspecies is found on ridges, as well as upper southern and western
slopes where trees form open stands at elevations over 7,200 feet (2,200
m).  Northern foxtail pine occurs on several parent material types but
is especially common on ultrabasic serpentine, schist, and granodiorite
[2,5,12,13].

Subspecies austrina ranges from 8,500 to 12,000 feet (2,600-3,650 m) in
elevation on the upper South Fork of the Kern River drainage and is
characteristic of treeline.  Occasional individuals are found as low as
7,700 feet (2,350 m).  Trees grow in open stands on dry sunny ridges.
The most commobn parent material is decomposed granite, which gives rise
to shallow, coarse-textured soils, usually with boulders [2,5,12,13].

At its lower elevational limits, foxtail pine grows in pure stands or
mixed with whitebark pine, lodgepole pine, Jeffrey pine, and western
white pine (Pinus monticola).  At higher elevations trees usually grow
as widely spaced individuals in pure stands.  Plants are intolerant of
shade at all stages of growth.  Ground cover under these trees is
characterized by bare earth and rock with a few scattered herbs [3].

The growing conditions of ssp. balifouriana in the Klammath Mountains
are less extreme than those of subsp. austrina in the southern Sierra
Nevada.  With average annual precipitation in the Klammath Mountains
ranging from 50 to 60 inches (125-175 cm), subspecies balfouriana is
found in the wettest habitat of any of the bristlecone or foxtail pines.
In contrast, annual precipitation in the southern Sierra Nevada averages
20 to 30 inches (50-75 cm).  Temperature extremes are great and winds
severe.  In both areas most of the precipitation occurs as winter snow.
Summers are dry with low relative humidity [12,13].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Foxtail pine is a climax species and persists at treeline for hundreds
to thousands of years in the absence of disturbance and competition.  It
is highly adapted to its habitat of very shallow soils, slow primary
succession, short growing season, and avalanches [2,13].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Foxtail pines flower from July to August.  The period of flowering and
coneopening is uniform for foxtail pine, and the two bristlecone pines.
Ssp. balifouriana flowers somewhat later than than ssp. austrina [5,9].

Cones ripen from September to October with seed dispersal at this time.
The minimum seed-bearing age for trees is 20 years with 5 to 6 years
between large seed crops [9].

FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Pinus balfouriana | Foxtail Pine 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Foxtail pine occurs for the most part in the subalpine zone in habitats
where fuels to carry fires are nonexistant.  In this area low
temperatures and a short growing season keep the production of organic
matter low.  Surface fires are infrequent, slow-burning, and of low
intensity [15].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tree without adventitious-bud root crown
   Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)

FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Pinus balfouriana | Foxtail Pine 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Low intensity, infrequent fires do not have much effect on foxtail
pines.  Although the density of associated shrubs and herbs might be
enough to carry periodic fires, most individuals grow in habitats where
fuels are nonexistant.  Even though fire injury provides an entrance
channel for decay organisms, trees several hundred years of age have
survived fire [13].

The charred remains of trees struck by lightning in the southern Sierra
Nevada are evidence that periodic fires do occur, although they seldom
spread over large treeline areas.  This is due to the wide spacing of
trees, 30 to 60 feet (10-20 m) apart and the lack of fuels from a forest
floor composed primarily of mineral earth and rocks [1].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
NO-ENTRY


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

REFERENCES
SPECIES: Pinus balfouriana | Foxtail Pine 



REFERENCES : 

 .  Arno, Stephen F. 1980. Forest fire history in the northern Rockies.
       Journal of Forestry. 78(8): 460-465.  [11990]

 .  Arno, Stephen F.; Hammerly, Ramona P. 1984. Timberline: Mountain and
       arctic forest frontiers. Seattle, WA: The Mountaineers. 304 p.  [339]

 .  Barbour, Michael G.; Major, Jack, eds. 1977. Terrestrial vegetation of
       California. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 1002 p.  [388]

 .  Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
       reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
       associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
       U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. 
       [434]

 .  Critchfield, William B. 1977. Hybridization of foxtail and bristlecone
       pines. Madrono. 24(4): 193-244.  [713]

 .  Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
       Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p.  [905]

 .  Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
       1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
       ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p.  [998]

 .  Griffin, James R.; Critchfield, William B. 1972. The distribution of
       forest trees in California. Res. Pap. PSW-82. Berkeley, CA: U.S.
       Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and
       Range Experiment Station. 118 p.  [1041]

 .  Krugman, Stanley L.; Jenkinson, James L. 1974. Pinaceae--pine family.
       In: Schopmeyer, C. S., technical coordinator. Seeds of woody plants in
       the United States. Agric. Handb. 450. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service: 598-637.  [1380]

.  Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
       of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
       American Geographical Society. 77 p.  [1384]

.  Lyon, L. Jack; Stickney, Peter F. 1976. Early vegetal succession
       following large northern Rocky Mountain wildfires. In: Proceedings, Tall
       Timbers fire ecology conference and Intermountain Fire Research Council
       fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, MT. No.
       14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 355-373.  [1496]

.  Mastroguiseppe, R. J.; Mastroguiseppe, J. D. 1980. A study of Pinus
       balfouriana Grev. & Balf. (Pinaceae). Systematic Botany. 5(1): 86-104. 
       [1546]

.  Mastroguiseppe, Ronald J. 1972. Geographic variation in foxtail pine,
       Pinus balifouriana Grev. & Balf. Humbolt, CA: California State
       University, Humboldt. 98 p. M.S. thesis.  [1548]

.  Mirov, N. T. 1967. The genus Pinus. New York: Ronald Press. 602 p. 
       [1663]

.  Parsons, David J. 1981. The role of fire management in maintaining
       natural ecosystems. In: Mooney, H. A.; Bonnicksen, T. M.; Christensen,
       N. L.; [and others], technical coordinators. Proceedings of the
       conference: Fire regimes and ecosystem properties; 1978 December 11-15;
       Honolulu, HI. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-26. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service: 469-488.  [5083]

.  Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
       geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p.  [2843]

.  Zavarin, Eugene; Snajberk, Karel; Bailey, Dana. 1976. Variability in the
       essentil oils of wood and foliage of Pinus aristata and Pinus longaeva.
       Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 4: 81-92.  [2690]

.  Kartesz, John T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of
       the United States, Canada, and Greenland. Volume II--thesaurus. 2nd ed.
       Portland, OR: Timber Press. 816 p.  [23878]

.  Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern
       Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire
       Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p.  [20090]

.  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1994. Plants
       of the U.S.--alphabetical listing. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 954 p.  [23104]

.  U.S. Department of the Interior, National Biological Survey. [n.d.]. NP
       Flora [Data base]. Davis, CA: U.S. Department of the Interior, National
       Biological Survey.  [23119]

Related categories for Species: Pinus balfouriana | Foxtail Pine