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Pinus ponderosa Laws. (ponderosa pine) is one of the most widely distributed timber species in the United States. Its natural range includes every state west of the Great Plains and extends north into western Canada and south into Mexico. When young, the bark is dark gray in color; however, as the tree ages, it forms a characteristic thick, flaky, red-yellow, fire-resistant bark. Unable to tolerate shade, ponderosa pine usually grows in open stands (Fig. 1). A long tap root contributes to the tree’s drought tolerance, and it may live as long as 300 years (Gruell et al. 1982). Ponderosa pine is an economically important pine in western North America and produces more timber than any other American pine (Lee and Pfister 1978). In 1987 the western United States produced 3816 million board feet of ponderosa pine, representing one-third of all softwood lumber produced by these states (Warren 1989). |
