Willamette Valley ponderosa pine
| Willamette Valley ponderosa pine | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Pinus |
| Species: | P. ponderosa |
| Subspecies: | P. p. var. willamettensis |
| Population: | Willamette Valley ponderosa pine |
The Willamette Valley ponderosa pine is a population of the ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) native to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. It is adapted for Western Oregon's wet winter and dry summer.[citation needed]
History[edit]
The Willamette Valley ponderosa variant only grows on the valley floor, unlike the Douglas-fir, which grows on hillsides, and the wood is softer and easier to mill than the native hardwoods.[1] Because of this, when early settlers used wood from the trees to build homes and cleared land for agriculture, the population was "decimated".[1] Prior to restoration efforts, the pine survived only in scattered stands between Hillsboro and Cottage Grove.[1] The Lewis's woodpecker and the slender-billed nuthatch (a subspecies of the white-breasted nuthatch) nest in the tree and rely on it for food–their populations were reduced along with that of the pine.[1]
Taxonomy[edit]
Populations of Willamette Valley ponderosa pines are often referred to as the separate variety willamettensis. Though not formally described, there have been efforts to publish this name and formal description.[2][3] It is also referred to as a unique population of the Pacific ponderosa pine, P. p. subsp. benthamiana.[4][5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Ryan, Catherine (March 28, 2012). "Loggers Give Unique Oregon Ponderosa Pine a Lifeline". High Country News. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
- ^ Meyers, Stephen. "Pinus ponderosa var: willamettensis". Western Forestry and Conservation Association. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021.
- ^ Ryan, Catherine (28 March 2012). "Loggers give unique Oregon ponderosa pine a lifeline". High Country News. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Pinus ponderosa subsp. benthamiana (Pacific ponderosa pine) description - The Gymnosperm Database". The Gymnosperm Database. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pine |". East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
External links[edit]
- The Nature of Cedar Mill: Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pine
- "Ponderosa Returns to the Willamette Valley". OSU Extension Service. Archived from the original on 2 Apr 2015.
- Bark Beetles and Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pine: Populations, Geographical Distribution and Management Recommendations
- Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pine Conservation Association
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