Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) trees. Grow between 9,800 and 11,000 feet (3000-3400 m) above sea level in xeric alpine conditions in southwest US; Utah, Nevada and California. Grows to 16-49 ft (5 to 15 m) tall w/ trunk diameter of 8 ft 2 in to 11 ft 10 in (2.5 to 3.6 m). Species on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. Protected within the Inyo National Forest. Among White Mountain specimens, oldest trees found on north-facing slopes, with an average of 2,000 years, as compared to the 1,000 year average on the southern slopes. The climate and the durability of their wood can preserve them long after death, with dead trees as old as 7,000 years persisting next to live ones. Leaves show the longest persistence of any plant, with some remaining green for 45 years. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Inyo County, Inyo National Forest, White Mountains, CA.
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