Whitebark Pine is a subalpine and treeline conifer of western mountains that has suffered catastrophic declines from white pine blister rust and mountain pine beetle. It has a mutualistic relationship with Clark's nutcracker: the bird caches seeds as winter food, and the trees regenerate from overlooked caches. Grizzly bears depend heavily on the high-fat seeds in fall.
Habitat
Subalpine and treeline zones of the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada
Diet
Seeds cached by Clark's nutcracker for winter; critical fall food for grizzly bears
How common
Uncommon
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