VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Pinus strobiformis | Southwestern White Pine 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Southwestern white pine wood is soft, not resinous, and white with a
slightly darker heartwood.  It is used locally for cabinetry, doors, and
window frames [53].  Crooked stems and coarse branches make it
undesirable for lumber [41].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Seeds of southwestern white pine are eaten by small mammals and birds.
It is not generally browsed by game animals or livestock [41].
Southwestern white pine was seldom used by birds in either logged or
unlogged forest areas [27].

Southwestern white pine is often found in mixed-conifer forests that are
valuable summer habitat for big and small game animals, rodents, and
game and nongame birds [19,25].  Since natural regeneration of clearcut
mixed-conifer forests on south-facing slopes requires 50 to 100 years,
these clearcut areas can be a valuable long-term forage resource for
deer and elk [71].


PALATABILITY : 
Southwestern white pine seeds are palatable to small mammals and birds
[11,34].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Southwestern white pine is grown as an ornamental [73,78].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Silviculture:  Various silviculture systems have been used in the
mixed-conifer forests where southwestern white pine occurs.  Under
selection harvesting, 1 percent of southwestern white pine trees had a
basal area of 3 square feet (0.3 sq m); under diameter limit harvesting,
5 percent of the trees had 10 square feet (0.9 sq m) basal area [31].

The average annual growth of southwestern white pine was less than 0.1
inch (0.25 cm) per year in a virgin mixed-conifer stand in Arizona.  The
initial volume of southwestern white pine was 1,097 board feet per acre,
and after 5 years, the volume was 1,163 board feet per acre [30].

Small patch clearcutting has been used for regeneration of southwestern
white pine and associated conifers in old-growth mixed-conifer stands
[24,32].  Regeneration density of southwestern white pine per acre was
low after 10 years [24].

Gray [33] classified southwestern white pine as a suitable seed tree.
Southwestern white pine regeneration by seed trees was not successful,
however, in communities at 9,500 to 10,000 feet (2,896-3,048 m);
revegetation was very slow [49].

Spot seeding yielded a low number of surviving southwestern white pine
seedlings in east-central Arizona [39,43].  Rodents were controlled, but
frost heaving and unsuitable tree ecotypes could have factored into the
seedling mortality [39].  Heavy broadcast seeding of southwestern white
pine should be used instead of spot seeding [43].

Planting southwestern white pine seedlings at different elevations and
densities are discussed in detail [41].

Wildlife:  Patch clearcuts were evaluated for forage production and
utilization by ungulates.  Understory production significantly (p<0.05)
increased on clearcut areas; however, utilization by ungulates did not
differ significantly (p>0.05) [23].  Equations are available for
predicting forage production in mixed-conifer forests [22,48].  Patch
clearcuts removed about 30 percent of the total basal area in an uneven-
aged virgin Arizona mixed-conifer forest, which did not adversely affect
the nesting or feeding of birds [62].  This method reduced southwestern
white pine basal area by 47 percent on northern aspects and by 13
percent on southern aspects.

Some of the mixed-conifer forests that southwestern white pine is in
provide habitat for sensitive and threatened species such as Mexican
spotted owl, northern goshawk, and Sacramento Mountain salamander
[28,56,61].

Damaging agents:  Southwestern white pine is the principal host of
Apache dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium apachecum).  Infected trees have
reduced growth, increased susceptiblity to other infections, insects,
and mortality [35,75].  Southwestern white pine is infected by red ring
rot and by root and butt rots [75].  Southwestern white pine seedlings
received an average overall ranking of 8.8 in trials for resistance to
white pine blister rust; a score of 11 was the lowest resistance [38].

Other factors:  Various methods of weed suppression made no significant
(p=0.10) difference in growth of southwestern white pine produced in
containers [7].

Southwestern white pine has good potential for Christmas tree production
in the eastern United States [36,78].

Southwestern white pine is planted along streets in urban areas.  Its
foliage has an intermediate susceptibility to salt spray; medium foliar
injury with moderate growth reduction occurred [73].

Related categories for Species: Pinus strobiformis | Southwestern White Pine