Flora Report: Lodgepole Pine

Veronica Patterson
Ms. Overly
Science Pd 4
June 4, 2008


The lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta, has needles in groups of two, long yellow green egg shaped cones, and reddish brown scaly bark. They thrive ecologically by growing rapidly early in their life. Another advantage lodgepoles have over other pines is their ability to survive in almost any kind of soil; lodgepole pines also can survive with a large variety of water and carbon dioxide conditions. This allows the Lodgepole to grow in areas that other trees would normally not inhabit. Because of these adaptations, many animals that rely on trees in their environment can inhabit new areas, as the lodgepole pine spreads, which greatly increases the biodiversity of these areas. There is also no competition for lodgepole pines in these areas, because they are the only trees with the adaptations that allow them to grow in these harsh conditions. This is a great advantage for them, because they cannot grow in the shade of other trees.

Lodgepole pines spread by using both seeds and pollen. The seeds are spread when the resin on that seals the pinecones shut is opened by fire. It is extremely advantageous for the lodgepole pine to spread its seeds after a fire, because they are intolerable of shade. This makes it nearly impossible for lodgepole pines to grow where large trees already in place. It also explains why they grow best after taller trees have burned down. This makes the lodgepole pine a very important component to succession, because they grow back quickly, helping the area return to its climax community after a natural disaster.

One of the disadvantages of spreading so quickly is the occurrence of overpopulation. In these areas, the lodgepoles will grow so densely that they will not only crowd out other species of trees, but will stunt the growth of their own population. In these cases the trees must wait for another fire to clear out some of the smaller trees, or it will remain in a stagnant state.

Works Cited
Lodgepole Pines. (2005, May). Retrieved June 30, 2008, from Saskatoon Farm: http://www.saskatoonfarm.com/images/lodgepole.jpg

Wikipedia. (2006, May 12). Lodgepole Pine. Retrieved July 1, 2008, from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lodgepole_Pine