Prehistoric occurrence

Pinus monophylla has been studied with regard to prehistoric occurrence based upon
fossil needles found in packrat middens and fossil pollen records.[5] All three of these
sub-types of single-needled pinyon have maintained distinctive ranges over the last
40,000 years, although the northerly species (Pinus monophylla) expanded greatly
throughout Utah and Nevada since the end of the Pleistocene, 11,700 years ago. The
southern California variety has been found to occur within Joshua Tree National Park
throughout the last 47,000 years.[6]

Uses and symbolism

The edible seeds, pine nuts, are collected throughout its range; Native American of the
Great Basin region commonly ate them. Various birds and mammals eat the seeds as
well.[7] The Shoshoni name for the plant is Ai'-go-û-pi.

Individuals may harvest the seed for personal use on BLM and Forest Service land.[8]

Single-leaf pinyon is also cultivated as an ornamental tree for native plant, drought
tolerant, and wildlife gardens, and for natural landscaping. It is used regionally as a
Christmas tree. It is rarely seen in nurseries, because it is difficult to germinate.

In 1959, it was designated Nevada's state tree, later to be joined by the Great Basin
Bristlecone Pine.[9] Its discovery is attributed to American politician and explorer John
C. Frémont.

Pinus monophylla pollen cones on Spruce Mountain, Nevada

Deforestation

During the mid-nineteenth century, many pinyon groves were cut down to make
charcoal for ore-processing, threatening the traditional lifestyle of the Native Americans
who depended on them for food. When the railroads penetrated these areas, imported
coal supplanted locally produced charcoal.

Following the resulting re-establishment of pinyon woodlands after the charcoal era,
many cattle ranchers became concerned that these woodlands provided decreased
livestock forage in grazing rangeland. Efforts to clear these woodlands, often using a
surplus battleship chain dragged between two bulldozers, peaked in the 1950s, but were
subsequently abandoned when no long term forage increase resulted. The habitat
destruction of large areas of Pinyon woodlands in the interests of mining and cattle
ranching is seen by some as an act of ecological and cultural vandalism.[3]

See also
 Pinyon pines
 Pinyon-juniper woodland

References
1.

 Farjon, A. (2013). "Pinus monophylla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

2013: e.T42381A2976514. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42381A2976514.en.
  Gerry Moore et al. 2008
  Ronald M. Lanner 1981
  Tausch, R.J.; West, N.E. (1986). Everett, R.L. (ed.). Proceedings of the Pinyon-
Juniper Conference, January 13–16, 1986, Reno, NV, General Technical Report INT-
215. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Ogden, UT. pp. 86–91.
  Cole, Ken; Fisher, Jessica; Ironside, Kirsten; Mead, Jim; Koehler, Peter
(2013). "The biogeographic histories of Pinus edulis and Pinus monophylla over the
last 50,000 years". Quaternary International. 310: 96–110.
Bibcode:2013QuInt.310...96C. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2012.04.037.
  Holmgren, Camille; Betancourt, Julio; Rylander, Kate (2010). "A long-term
vegetation history of the Mojave– Colorado Desert ecotone at Joshua Tree National
Park". Journal of Quaternary Science. 25 (2): 222–226. Bibcode:2010JQS....25..222H.
doi:10.1002/jqs.1313.
  Whitney, Stephen (1985). Western Forests (The Audubon Society Nature
Guides). New York: Knopf. p. 415. ISBN 0-394-73127-1.
  Liston Pine Nuts “What is the Nevada soft shell pine nut” (retrieved 27
November 2014)

1.  "Nevada Facts and State Emblems". State of Nevada. Archived from

the original on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2016-02-04.

Sources

 C. Michael Hogan (2009). Elephant Tree: Bursera microphylla,

GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
 Gerry Moore; Bruce Kershner; Craig Tufts; Daniel Mathews; Gil Nelson;
Richard Spellenberg; John W. Thieret; Terry Purinton & Andrew Block (2008).
National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America. New York:
Sterling. p. 93. ISBN 978-1-4027-3875-3. Cite uses deprecated parameter |
last-author-amp= (help)
 Ronald M. Lanner (1981). The Piñon Pine: A Natural and Cultural History.
University of Nevada Press. ISBN 0-87417-066-4.
Further reading
 Chase, J. Smeaton (1911). Cone-bearing Trees of the California Mountains.
Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co. p. 99. LCCN 11004975. OCLC 3477527.
LCC QK495.C75 C4, with illustrations by Carl Eytel
 Kurut, Gary F. (2009). "Carl Eytel: Southern California Desert Artist",
California State Library Foundation, Bulletin No. 95, pp. 17–20 retrieved Nov.
13, 2011