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Where do Great Basin bristlecone pines grow?
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Pine
A stand of stone pines (Pinus pinea) in Doñana National Park near Seville, Spain.
The Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) is native to the southwestern United States, where it typically grows at high elevations, usually above 1,700 metres (5,500 feet).1
These trees are found in various mountain ranges across the region, including notable populations in:
- Wheeler Peak in eastern Nevada, which is home to stands of trees over 3,000 years old.1
- The White Mountains of California, where some of the oldest known non-clonal organisms on Earth have been discovered.1
These pine trees are adapted to survive in arid climates and extreme environmental conditions, though they remain vulnerable to stressors such as drought and bark beetle infestations.1