VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Pinus aristata | Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
The wood of Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine is moderately soft and is of
low value in construction.  It has been used for fuel and mine props
[21,28].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
The seeds of Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine are edible to some species
of wildlife.  Trees often occur in clumps, probably from the caches of
seed eaters, such as Clark's nutcrackers.  Small mammals and birds may
benefit from these seed caches.  Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine
provides some cover for birds and small mammals.


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine has little to no value for
rehabilitation due to the extremely slow rate of growth of seedlings and
mature trees.  Its growth on gentle to steep slopes is rated as good.
Its potential for erosion control in Colorado is medium [8].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
With ages ranging to 1,500 years, Rocky Mountain bristlecone pines are
among the oldest living trees.  The dense, resinous wood of Rocky
Mountain bristlecone pines contributes to the ability of dead trees to
stand for hundreds of years and fallen wood to persist for thousands.
This wood provides cross-reference for radiocarbon dating [2,6,15].

Living trees, standing snags, and fallen trees provide overlapping
tree-ring chronologies.  These ring-width chronologies are used as
paleoclimatic indicators to determine past limits of tree growth.
Variation in ring-widths of trees at upper treeline is an important
indicator of past climatic variations, especially for temperature
fluctuations.  Data from these chronologies show that there has been a
net retreat of upper bristlecone pine treeline in the United States over
the last several thousand years [17,19].

The dates of major volcanic eruptions correlate with frost rings of
bristlecones [18].  Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine is of value for its
natural aesthetics and for watershed protection, as well as aiding in
soil-building and stabilization in a harsh environment [12].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Species: Pinus aristata | Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine