Trees of Beckwourth Ranger District Plumas National Forest Beckwourth Ranger District From mountaintop panoramas to views from valleys floors, trees both near and far add color and texture to the mountains described by John Muir as the Range of Light. Trees are a significant part of the scenic beauty of the Sierra Nevada. Many paved and unpaved roads along with hiking trails in the Beckwourth Ranger District provide opportunity for exploring the forest. This is a Temperate Coniferous Forest. Temperate Coniferous Forests are divided into six biotic zones. These biotic zones can be seen as a belt-like distribution of ecological communities that reflect changes in topography, climate, moisture and soils. Only two of these biotic zones are commonly found in the Beckwourth Ranger District. They are the Mid-Montane Forest (4,000’ to 6,000’) and the Upper Montane Forest (6,000’ to 8,000’). Conifers Conifers are distinguished from other trees by their foliage and method of reproduction. With a few exceptions, reproduction is accomplished by bearing cones. Male cones bear pollen and female cones bear seeds. Foliage is usually green needle-like leaves. Typical conifers include pines, firs, and cedars.

Cones: Douglas fir Cones: 6”-8” 2”-3” with upright Pseudotsuga menziessii mouse tail Height up to 220’. Deer and bracts White Fir Needles: grouse feed on the dark between Single, soft scales Abies concolor and flat. yellow-green or blue-green (Won’t roll needles while squirrels, birds Needles: Height up to 200’. Also called between and mice prefer the seeds. are Soft, California White Fir is shade fingers) Often found with White Fir single, tolerant, allowing it to grow oriented in and Ponderosa Pine in Mid- slender and under taller trees. Fire two rows montane Forests. pointed on suppression during the last 2.7-5” all sides of century allowed the thin twig barked younger trees to .75” - 1.25” mature.

Sugar Pine Incense-cedar Pinus lambertiana Calocedrus decurrens Cones: over Cones: . 8”-23” Height up to 230’. Native .7”-1.8” Height up to 213’. The people used the sweetish winged thick, reddish bark of Needles: resin like chewing gum. It is cones older trees protects it grow in easily identified by its from some fires. groups of 5 enormous cones. It is the Needles: Aromatic wood resists Scale-like 2”-4.3” tallest pine species in the jointed decay and insects and is world. Found in Mid- needles, not prone to splintering Montane and the Upper flattened making is useful for many Montane Forests to about branch tips manufactured goods. 7,800’. Found in Mid-Montane and Upper Montane Forests. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender Forest Service United States Beckwourth Ranger District Pacific Southwest Region Department of 23 Mohawk Rd Plumas National Forest Agriculture PO Box 7, Blairsden, Ca. 96103 www.fs.fed.us/r5/plumas (530) 836-2575

Revised 1/29/2018 Ponderosa Pine Jeffrey Pine Pinus ponderosa Pinus jeffrey Height up to 230’. Height up to 175’. Often grows with and Often grows with and is mistaken for Jeffrey is mistaken for Pine. In fact, Cones: Ponderosa Jeffrey Ponderosa Pine. Bark Ponderosa and Jeffrey has a strong vanilla or Pines can hybridize 2”-6” cones, 5”-10” cones, pineapple odor. Resins making field from this and most identification difficult. prickles point prickles point outward inward pines have medicinal Grows in Mid-Montane properties. Grows in and Upper Montane Needles Mid-Montane and Forests. Bark of mature Upper Montane trees flakes off in groups of 3, Groups of 3, Forests. puzzle-piece shapes. 5” - 10” long 5” - 11” long

Lodgepole Pine California Red Fir Pinus contorta Abies magnifica Height up to 110’. Trees make long lightweight poles Height up to 185’. This is a ideal for use in the Cones: popular Christmas tree. construction of Native Young trees have light gray American tipis of the plains 4.7”-9”, colored bark. Bark of older Cones: . buffalo hunting cultures. Fire decompose in trees is light brown with .75”-2.3” is required in maintaining a the tree. dark streaks. It is often healthy forest. Thin bark of Needles: Single, called a ‘Silvertip’. It is trees makes them susceptible soft, in 2 rows closely related to Noble Fir Needles: 2 curved upward. and is oftentimes confused needles per to fire. Fire will cause cones to open and release their seeds Will roll between with White Fir. Found in bundle, fingers. 1”-3.5” allowing the species to Upper Montane Forests. maintain its place in the forest habitat. Found in Upper Montane Forests. Other Common Trees and Shrubs Black Cottonwood Quaking Aspen Populus trichocarpa Populus tremuloides Height up to 50’. The green, nearly round Height to 100’. This tree has leaves of this tree “quake” in a breeze dark green, oval leaves turning because of their flattened stalks. The white, yellow and orange in the fall. Bark is smooth and smooth bark makes it easy to spot year- gray that furrows with age. It prefers wetter soils of round. Gold and orange autumn leaves add spectacular stream banks and other riparian areas. displays of fall color Mountain Alder Greenleaf Manzanita Alnus tenuifolia Arctostaphylos patula Height up to 30’ Can be either a Up to 6’ One of the most widespread shrub with spreading branches or manzanitas, it prefers rocky slopes. A a small tree with several trunks. hard waxy coat on the seeds sometimes Found on the banks of streams or needs melting by fire to sprout in canyons in moist soils.

Red Stemmed Dogwood Cornus sericea 4’ - 12’ Less flamboyant display than other Dogwoods. Found in wetter areas often in great abundance. Very useful in stabilizing stream banks in restoration efforts.