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Sierra Lodgepole Pine

The Pinus Contorta Var. Murrayana is commonly known as Lodgepole Pine, Sierra Lodgepole Pine, Sierra-cascade Lodgepole Pine, as well as Tamarack Pine

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Growing Regions

Sierra lodgepole pine occurs in the Cascade Range of southern Washington, Oregon, and California [34]; it also occurs in the Sierra Nevada and Klamath Mountains. Disjunct populations occur farther south in the Transverse and Peninsular ranges and the Sierra de Juarez of Baja California [7,12,34,41]. Sierra lodgepole pine is also found in the Virginia and Sweetwater mountains of the Great Basin [36].

     

General Information

The currently accepted scientific name of Sierra lodgepole pine is Pinus contorta var. murrayana (Grev. & Balf.) Engelm. [37]. Sierra lodgepole pine is one of four recognized varieties of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). The other three varieties are listed below [37]: shore pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta), Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) Mendocino White Plains lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. bolanderi) This write-up will focus on Sierra lodgepole pine. 

Sierra lodgepole pine is a dominant or codominant species in upper
montane and subalpine forests [8,33,43,48,57].  A poorly defined
lodgepole pine zone occurs above the red fir (Abies magnifica) zone and
below the subalpine forests of mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana),
whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), and western white pine (P. monticola)
[48].  Sierra lodgepole pine forms extensive, pure stands in the Sierran
lodgepole pine zone [2,12,48].

Sierra lodgepole pine is listed as a dominant or indicator species in
the following published classifications:

Preliminary plant associations of the southern Oregon Cascade Mountain
  Province [2]
Preliminary plant associations of the Siskiyou Mountain Province [3]
Vegetation types of the San Gabriel Mountains [23]
Riparian zone associations of Deschutes, Ochoco, Fremont, and Winema
  National Forests [33]
Vegetation types of the San Bernadino Mountains [40]
Montane forests of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges [45]
Subalpine forests of the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges [56]
Vascular plant communities of California [57]
Plant associations of the central Oregon Pumice Zone [59]

Much of the information presented here is attributed to:
Cope, Amy B. 1993. Pinus contorta var. murrayana. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available at USDA Forest Service.

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