WHITE PT V FS r WESTERN NORTH AMERICA 



219 



Figure 4. Better formed Pinus albicaulis trees in Yellows tone 

 National Park, Wyoming (U.S. Forest Service photo). 



part of the state and in several mountain ranges in the southwestern part 

 There are a few scattered trees in northeastern Oregon and west -central 

 Idaho. It is also found in isolated spots in western North and South 

 Dakota and southwestern Nebraska (Critcbfield and Little, 1966; Map 8) . 

 In areas where the elevational range is sufficient the species often has 

 a split distribution, growing with Jimiperous spp . o~ drougnty sites in 

 the transition zone between grassland and forest as well as with P. 

 albicauliSj Picea engelmannii Parry, and Ab-ies lasiooavpa (Hook.) Nutt . 

 at upper timberline. 



Limber pine is seldom harvested on a commercial basis but some trees 

 have been used for rough lumber and mine timbers in areas wnere other 

 trees are scarce. The species has esthetic importance in places such as 

 Craters of the Moon National Monument in southern Idaho where it is the 

 only tree occurring over much of the area. Limber pine also provides ■ 

 valuable watershed protection in many areas. 



Naturally occurring limber pines usually have widely rounded crowns 

 that often contain several stems or upturned branches (Fig. 5) . The mature 

 trees usually range from 30 to 50 feet in height with diameters of 1.5 to 

 3 feet. Maximum reported height is 85 feet (Harlow and Harrar, 1950) and 

 maximum diameter 7.5 feet (Littlecott, 1969). 



