Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is one of the few endangered trees in BC and resides in various places in BC including the Southern Interior Mountain ranges in the Thompson Watershed. With thin, smooth stems, whitebark pine saplings form thick stands with narrow, scaly plate-like bark as they grow older. Only growing up to 15m tall, this short tree has critical importance to the ecosystems in the Thompson Watershed. The root systems are important for combatting erosion because they stabilize snow, moisture, and soil. The cones of the whitebark pine help feed birds and small mammals.

Habitat

As an essential part of high elevation and alpine ecosystems, whitebark pine is extremely resilient and can withstand harsh weather conditions. The species prefers to grow in dry to moderately moist subalpine areas at higher elevations and considered the foundation of diversity in these ecosystems.

Whitebark pine is the first tree to regenerate after a disturbance, and they provide shade and windbreak for other tree saplings to grow. The tree also has an intricate root system that is crucial for combatting erosion because it stabilizes snow, moisture, and soil. Whitebark pinecones help feed birds and small mammals, including a special relationship with the Clark’s nutcracker. While the Clark’s nutcracker relies on the whitebark pine for its seeds, the whitebark pine relies on the bird to disperse their seeds. This mutually important relationship not only benefits the two species, but also benefits over 100 other species of plants and animals.

Traditional Uses

The seeds of whitebark pine have been used as a food source, crushed and mixed with Saskatoon berries for food or ground finely to be used as flour. The Secwépemc People are also known to use the roots and bark to make canoes and containers for water.

Threats

The biggest threat to the whitebark pine is the non-native, human-introduced fungal infection white pine blister rust. The orange-coloured fungus spreads from the needles of the whitebark pine to its branches and tree stand, wraps around the surface, and restricts nutrients from circulating to the outer parts of the tree. This restriction cuts off nutrients to cone producing branches preventing reproduction. While most whitebark pine trees die from the pine blister rust, the ones that survive may have a natural resistance to the infection.

Other threats to the whitebark pine include pine beetle infestations and forest fires. Due to climate change, both of these threats are becoming more frequent and causing higher concern for the whitebark pine. Because of this, the species is considered a blue-listed species in BC.

Conservation Efforts

Due to the major diversity whitebark pine trees bring to subalpine ecosystems, the rapid decrease of the trees will affect 100’s of species in BC, especially the Clark’s nutcracker. Studies show that a major reproduction factor for the Clark’s nutcracker is whether or not the whitebark pine produces cone crops.

To help conserve the whitebark pine, BC Parks, the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD), and Parks Canada are working together to produce recovery actions important to protecting whitebark pine populations.

Recovery actions include:

• monitoring whitebark pine health
• seed collection
• testing seeds for white pine blister rust resistance
• managing pine beetle infestations
• working with industries to target infected whitebark pine stands
• re-plant seedlings that may be resistant to the disease

The conservation of whitebark pine is very important in this region, and research and protection will continue in the coming years.

Additional Resources

• Province of British Columbia Tree Book: Whitebark Pine
• All About Birds: Soul Mates: Nutcrackers, Whitebark Pine, and a Bond That Holds an Ecosystem Together
• Province of British Columbia Whitebark Pine Restoration