Bristlecones Rising in Colorado

A new study that reported bristlecone pines found at high elevations in California and Nevada grew faster in the last 50 years than anytime before in the last 3,700 years has drawn widespread attention, including a nearly 4-minute story yesterday on NPR’s All Things Considered.

Last year, a different study of bristlecone pines on Mt. Goliath, near Mt. Evans, reached similar (and possibly related) conclusions about the trees in Colorado. The University of Denver researchers found that bristlecones are growing above the historical treeline on Mt. Goliath at least as fast as the trees below treeline—meaning the average treeline may be moving uphill. They found bristlecones established  just 10 meters below the summit of 3,723-meter (12,215′) Goliath.

As Colorado continues to warm, how high will treeline go?

Highest Tree in the Rockies?

Vestal Peak

In late August, Dave Goldstein climbed 13,803-foot Vestal Peak in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, and about 100 feet below the summit he found a small fir tree. This wasn’t a shrub or wind-stunted krummholz—the tree (probably a subalpine fir) stands thigh-high. It’s growing on an east-facing ledge, with a six-foot rock wall behind it, at around 13,700 feet (4,175 meters).

The usual tree line in Colorado is no higher than about 11,700 feet (3,566m). Is this climate change? Or did this seed just find an unusually sheltered spot to take root? Either way, this could be the highest tree in the Rocky Mountains. Have you seen one that’s higher?