Ponderosa Pines : Photo Albums : SummitPost

Page Type:	Album
Image Type(s):	Hiking, Flora, Scenery, Panorama

Page Type:

Album

Image Type(s):

Hiking, Flora, Scenery, Panorama

Please post your Ponderosa Pines photos here

Ponderosa Pines (Pinus ponderosa) are evergreen trees native to North America. They are common in mountain and plateau areas at elevations between 5,700 and 8,900 feet.

They were named after their ponderous size and can range from 60 to 130 feet in height and 2 to 4 feet in diameter at maturity.

Mature trees have a distinctive reddish-brown bark, broken into large, flat scaly plates. Their root system is deep, which enables them to access water and keep the tree from blowing over.

Ponderosa Pines can live as long as 400 to 500 years. Quail, squirrels and many other kinds of wildlife consume their seeds. Nutcrackers and chipmunks cache them, thereby helping to bring forth new pines.

Comments

mrh - Feb 20, 2007 10:07 pm - Voted 10/10

Additional Info

The info you provide for Ponderosa pine is probably local for somewhere in the southwest. Here in north Idaho they grow below 1,500 ft. and they are uncommon much above 5,000 or 6,000. Also they can get as large as 6 ft. in diameter (I've heard of 8 footers in southern Idaho) and exceed 160 ft. tall. Nice album.

Anya Jingle - Feb 20, 2007 11:10 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Additional Info

Thank you for your comments and adding some more information.

lcarreau - Nov 12, 2007 12:07 am - Voted 10/10

FYI on Ponderosa pines:

The tassel-eared Abert's squirrel is a distinctive inhabitant of ponderosa pine forests on the central and southern Colorado Plateau. Few mammal species are so CLOSELY tied to a particular
tree as this squirrel is to ponderosa pine. The bushy-tailed squirrel uses the tree for nesting, shelter, and food, feeding on the ponderosa's seeds and the trees cambium layer. Abert squirrels can be quite acrobatic, sometimes jumping 40 feet or more to the ground unharmed.

Anya Jingle - Nov 12, 2007 12:41 am - Hasn't voted

Re: FYI on Ponderosa pines:

This is great! Thanks for adding the info.
Now, how about a picture of a tassel-eared Abert's squirrel ;)

lcarreau - Nov 12, 2007 11:16 am - Voted 10/10

y e s .... ...

I don't know if you know what the word 'hyper-active' means,
but that fits the Abert squirrel to a "T." They're the ones
that make all the 'chatter' when you go in the woods. Their
behavior can be 'border-line psychotic' - even more so than the Douglas squirrel
of the Pacific Northwest. If at all possible, I can consult a
professional photographer who might give me the OKAY to post a
photo of THEIRS on SP. Thank you for your interest.

The Abert squirrel's cousin is the Kiabab squirrel, which is
unique to the Kiabab Plateau on the north side of the Grand
Canyon. If some BRAVE SOMEBODY could get a picture of one of
those, that would be an outstanding TREAT. Take care!

LINK to our tassel-eared friend.

to post!

Ponderosa Pines