Great Basin Naturalist Volume 59 Number 3 Article 14 7-19-1999 Distribution of Pinus monophylla in the northern Wasatch Range of Utah Robert Weiss Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn Recommended Citation Weiss, Robert (1999) "Distribution of Pinus monophylla in the northern Wasatch Range of Utah," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 59 : No. 3 , Article 14. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol59/iss3/14 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Great Basin Naturalist 59(3), ©1999, pp. 292--294 DISTRIBUTION OF PINUS MONOPHYLLA IN THE NORTHEB.N WASATCH B.ANGE OF UTAH Hobert Weiss1 Key ll)(Jl"(L~': singlel-ea! pinyon, Pinus monophyIJa, Wasalch, Moanta.i.ns, Utah, range extension. Pinus monophylla (singleleaf pinyon) is a The area studied i.s in the Wasatch National coniferous tree species that forms extensive Forest, Logan Hanger District. Both sites are woodlands with juniperus osteosperma (Utah in lower Logan Canyon, characterized by steep juniper) in the Great Basin region. Its distri­ slopes, cliffs, and roeky terrain (Fig. 1). One bution includes Nevada, parts of eastern Cali­ site is Card Canyon, 14.5 km east of Logan f(xnia, western Arizona, southern Idaho, and 'md Utah State University. The other is Hight western Utah (Fig. 1). Averaging 4.5-9 m tall Fork Logan Canyon, approximately 3 Ian north­ and reaching heights of over 12 m, it grows on east of Card Canyon. These sites are approxi­ pediments, slopes, and ridges, while rarely mately 8-11 Jan northeast of those described being found on valley floors. PinttS rrwnophylla by Lanner and Hutchison (1972). Pinus molW­ woodlands are relatively short in stature and phylla st'mds at Card Canyon are found at ele­ usually f,)rm a band above sagebrnsh shrnb­ vations of 1770-1920 m, those at Hight Fork lands and helow lower montane forests. Pinus Logan Canyon at 1830-1980 m. -rnonophylla grows under more xeric condi­ The stands occur on southerly a<;pects where tions than any other pine in the United States overstory vegetation is composed primarily of (Meeuwig et a1. 1990). It is replaced by P ed,dis jnniper woodland witb P. .flExilis (limber pine) (Colorado pinyon; Fig. 1) in the eastern part of and Pseudotsuga. menziesii (Douglas-fir). at its range, where summer precipitation exceeds higher elevations, Juniperus osteospenna is the about 8 em (Tbeller et al. 1979). Pinlls nwno­ dominant conifer at the Card Canyon site, and phylla is limited in the northern part of Nevada j. scop1l1orum (Hocky Mountain juniper) at and Utah and southern Idaho by temperature Hight Fork Logan Canyon. The north aspect of minima l:mel duration of low-temperature Ilight Fork Logan Canyon, at 2010 m eleva­ events (West et a1. 1975). tion, has a stand of more than 20 AlJies con­ Disjunct populations of P. m<mophylla in color (white fir), also a rare species in this part the northern Wasatch Mountains of Utah arc of the northern Wasatch of Utah. Soils are 110 km fTom the nearest station of P. mono­ stony colluvium, while parent materials are phylla, which are in the Black Pine Mountains mainly calcareous or quartzifEmms. Annual pre­ of southern Idaho (Larmer and Hutchison cipitation averages 46,5 em at USU (elevation 1972). These stands in northeastern Utah were 1457111) to 101.9 cm at the school forest (ele­ proposed by Lmmer and Hutchison (1972) to vation 2591 m). Snowf'rll averages 188 cm at be remnants of a climate with environmental USU annually. conditions more favorable for r monophyUa After initial discovery of the new stands of estahlishment and are probably persisting "be­ P 17uJnophylla in the northern Wasatch east of tween survival and extinction." This note de­ Logan, I conducted several surveys to locate scribes newly f(mnd populations of P. mono­ marc trees. Most individual pinyons arc located phyll.a, discovered in 1995-96, representing a on very steep, rocky terrain, which makes northern extension ofthis species in the Wasatch travel arduous. On several dates between 1995 Bange in Utah (Fig. 1). Vouchers are at the and 1997 1 conducted a walk-through to locate herbarium at Utah State University (USU). more pinyons. With this method, the entire ID"p"rlllle'll of" I'llr(·.~t Hesouroe.\, lll"h Sla!(' University, L()~ml LIT 84322-;)215. I'rosent add"Gs~: HJ32h Bothell-E"""l'etl Hwy # Hl, IJothel! WA 98012. 292 1999J NOTES 293 ',1":,"': . ; -',":''''.::".:. " , , , - - , i ,1 Kilometers "} : • '.,~-"" Legend .. Abies concolor • Pinus monophylla NRoads /\/Rivers o 7.5 " Quadrangles Fig. L Upper map is of Pinu.s mmwphylla and Abies concolor .~tand locations in the northern \iVasatch Range, 15 km east of Logan, Utah. Distribution maps arc of Pinus fnonophyl1fl Oower left) and Pinus edulis (lower right), Distribution maps taken from Flam ofNorth America Editorial Committee (1993). area surrounding the P, numophylla was VlSU~ stands are regenerating. Every visit and ally inspectcd. inspection of the stands revealed pinyon trees Scvcn P. monophylla wcrc rccordcd at the with only I-needled fascicles (P. etZulis has fas­ Card Canyon site and 5 at the Right Fmk cicles of 2 needles), suggesting no hybridiza­ Canyon site. Pinyons at Card Canyon arc 8 km tion with P. etZulis. northeast of those d.escribed by Lanner and Aspects range hom southeast to west, with Hutchison (1972) in Lower Logan Canyon, no individuals on northerly aspects. The individ­ Several individuals <2 m tall indicate these uals vary in size from seedlings to specimens 294 GREAT BASIN NATURALIST [Volume 59 over 12 m tall. Several of the trees are located LANNER, RM., AND E.R. HUTCHISON. 1972. Relict stands on rock outcrops, indicating very little soil and of pinyon hybrids in northern Utah, Great Basin Naturalist 32:171-175. minimal competition from other plant species. MEEUWIG, R.O., J.D. BUDY, AND RL. EVERET'L 1990. Fuel loads are light in these locations, possibly Pinyon rrwnophylla Torr, & Frem. Singleleaf pinyon. giving them added protection from wildfires. Pages 380-384 in RM. Burns and B.H. Honkala, Four ofthe individuals are producing cones. coordinators, Silvies of North America. Volume 1. Additional research could analyze Conifers. USDA Forest Service Agriculture Hand­ P. mono­ book 654. phyUa for hybrids at the Card Canyon and TUELLER, P.T., c.n BEESON, R.J. TAUSCH, N.E. WEST, Right Fork sites in the future. Lanner and AND K.H. REA. 1979. PinyonMjuniper woodlands of Hutchison (1972) found some P. monophyUa the Great Basin: dishibution, flora, vegetal cover. and P. edulL<; hybrids in some of their pinyon USDA Forest Service, Intermountain For€st and Range Experiment Station Research Paper INT-229. locations in the northern Wasatch, but their Ogden, U'[ pinyon site in lower Logan Canyon is pure P. WEST, N.K, K.H. REA, A!"JD R.J. TAUSCH. 1975. Basic monophylla. synecological relattonships in juniperMpinyon wood­ lands. Pages 41--52 in The pinyouMjuuiper ecosys­ tem: a symposium, Utah State University, College of LITERATURE CITED Natural Resources, and Utah Agricultural Experi­ ment Station, Logan. FWllA OF NOHTH AMElUGA EDlTORIAL COMMIITEE. 1993, Flora of North America north of Mexico. Volume 2. Received 3 March 1998 Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms. Oxford University Accepted 30 November 1998 Press..