Bristlecone Pine

Title

Bristlecone Pine

Artist

Jon Burch Photography

Medium

Photograph - Digital Capture & Enhancement

Description

The term bristlecone pine covers three species of pine tree, family Pinaceae, genus Pinus, subsection Balfourianae. All three species are long-lived and highly resilient to harsh weather and bad soils. One of the three species, Pinus longaeva, is among the longest-lived life forms on Earth. The oldest Pinus longaeva is more than 5,000 years old, making it the oldest known individual of any species.

Despite their potential age and low reproductive rate, bristlecone pines, particularly Pinus longaeva, are usually a first-succession species, tending to occupy new open ground. They generally compete poorly in less-than-harsh environments, making them hard to cultivate. In gardens, they succumb quickly to root rot. They do very well where most other plants cannot even grow, such as in rocky dolomitic soils in areas with virtually no rainfall.

Bristlecone pines grow in isolated groves just below the tree line, between 5,600 and 11,200 feet elevation on dolomitic soils. The trees grow in soils that are shallow lithosols, usually derived from dolomite and sometimes limestone, and occasionally sandstone or quartzite soils. Dolomite soils are alkaline, high in calcium and magnesium, and low in phosphorus. Those factors tend to exclude other plant species, allowing bristlecones to thrive. Because of cold temperatures, dry soils, high winds, and short growing seasons, the trees grow very slowly. Even the tree's needles, which grow in bunches of five, can remain on the tree for forty years, which gives the tree's terminal branches the unique appearance of a long bottle brush.

Bristlecone pines are known for attaining great ages. A specimen of Pinus longaeva located in the White Mountains of California is 5,068 years old—the oldest known individual tree in the world. The identity and location of the specimen is a secret. Another well-known bristlecone pine in the White Mountains is a 4,850 year old tree named Methuselah, whose specific location is also not made public.

Some digital effects were applied to the original image after the photograph was made. No electrons were harmed during the transition.

Image copyright 2019 by Jon Burch Photography.

Uploaded

April 21st, 2019

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