Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Biogeochemistry of bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata) at treeline

Conference · · Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States)
OSTI ID:7162972
Treeline along the front range in Colorado has shifted numerous times during the Holocene and the stems of bristlecone pine persevere in fossil stands above the present limit of tree survival. Bristlecone pine are also interesting because live foliage persist for up to 25 years. We measured foliage nutrient composition of different aged leaves, and also soil nitrogen and phosphorous fractions along an elevation transect in present day stands, and soil N and P fractions that are within fossil (800 yr BP) stands. Foliage N and P vary systematically according to elevation with nitrogen abundance increasing up-slope. Individual trees also show a marked island effect with both N and P soil content highest adjacent to stems. For stems in fossil stands, the island effect has persisted but only for some P fractions but not for nitrogen. Recent trends in foliar N and P contents are discussed in terms of anthropogenic nitrogen saturation at high elevation along the front range in Colorado.
OSTI ID:
7162972
Report Number(s):
CONF-940894--
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States) Journal Volume: 75:2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English