Pinus Monophylla

The tree pinus monophylla is also known as the single leaf pinyon. This tree is a native perennial. The pinus monophylla grow to be 10 to 30 feet tall and up to 50 cm in diameter and take a prymidal shape strongly tapering, greatly branched with red-brown bark. They create pine cones and have a single 1 to 2 inch needle per fascicle. The single leaf pinyon like to occupy areas of high elevations around 4,500 - 7,500 feet. They are common in area of high plains, plateaus, mesas, canyons, foothills etc. The pinus monophylla is distributed throughout the western U.S. mainly in Idaho, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Pinyons typically grow in association with juniper, with juniper dominating the lower elevations of their range and pinyons the upper.Pinyon-juniper woodlands provide shelter and food for many species of wildlife. These forests have value as habitat for several large mammals such as mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, desert bighorn sheep, elk, wild horses, mountain lions, and bears. Gray foxes, bobcats, coyotes, weasels, skunks, badgers, and ringtails search for prey here. Many species of birds and reptiles find food and shelter here. Pinyon-juniper forests are important wintering areas for Clark's nutcrackers. Pinyon mice, deer mice, woodrats, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, black bears, and desert bighorn sheep eat singleleaf pinyon seeds, as do scrub, Steller's, and pinyon jays and Clark's nutcrackers. Many of these animals cache seeds for winter use and are critical for regeneration of singleleaf pinyon.

Citations:

Pinyon Pine." Utah State University Extension - Extension.usu.edu. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. <http://extension.usu.edu/range/woody/pinyonpine.htm>.

"Pinus Monophylla." Plant Profile. United States Department of Agriculture. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. <http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PIMO>.

"USDA Forest Service Data and Information Systems." US Forest Service - Caring for the Land and Serving People. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. <http://www.fs.fed.us/database/>.

The Gymnosperm Database: Home Page. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. <http://www.conifers.org/>.