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44-410: Vegetation in the meandering canyon bottoms includes grasses, pinyon , juniper , cottonwood , willow and box elder . The upland mesas contain dense stands of pinyon and juniper with some sagebrush parks. Cryptobiotic soils are well developed in the upland areas. Wildlife viewing may include deer , mountain lion , desert bighorn sheep , along with golden and bald eagles . The wilderness area

88-452: A day's work. Production per worker of 22 pounds of unshelled pinyon seeds—more than one-half that in shelled seeds—amounts to nearly 30,000 calories of nutrition. That is a high yield for the effort expended by hunter-gatherers. Moreover, the pinyon seeds are high in fat, often in short supply for hunter-gatherers. The pinyon jay ( Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus ) takes its name from the tree, and pinyon nuts form an important part of its diet. It

132-578: A major source of food. The pinyon has likely been a source of food since the arrival of Homo sapiens in the Great Basin and American Southwest ( Oasisamerica ). In the Great Basin, archaeological evidence indicates that the range of the pinyon pine expanded northward after the Ice Age , reaching its northernmost (and present) limit in southern Idaho about 4000 BCE. Early Native Americans undoubtedly collected

176-702: A mosaic with sagebrush ecosystems extending across the region. Understories generally include galleta ( Hilaria rigida ), blue grama ( Bouteloua gracilis ), black grama ( Bouteloua eriopoda ), and western wheatgrass ( Pascopyrum ). However, differences exist based on soil composition and elevation. Alkaline regions at lower elevations include alkali sacaton ( Sporobolus airoides ), Indian ricegrass ( Oryzopsis hymenoides ), needled grasses ( Stipa spp. ), four-wing saltbush ( Atriplex canescens ), and winterfat ( Krascheninnikovia lanata ). Regions with more saline soil include greasewood ( Adenostoma fasciculatum ) and shadescale ( Atriplex confertifolia ). In

220-423: A rough, remote land that provides outstanding opportunities for solitude. The Rattlesnake Canyon area is home to the world's second-largest concentration of natural arches (after Arches National Park ). Mee Canyon contains a 300-foot (91 m) deep alcove that is accessible only by way of a difficult hiking trail which requires and scrambling over many exposed ledges. Knowles and Jones Canyons offer visitors

264-604: A staple food of Native Americans , and widely eaten as a snack and as an ingredient in New Mexican cuisine . The name comes from the Spanish pino piñonero , a name used for both the American varieties and the stone pine common in Spain, which also produces edible nuts typical of Mediterranean cuisine . Harvesting techniques of the prehistoric American Indians are still used today to collect

308-585: A true wilderness experience, with outstanding opportunities for solitude and a primitive and unconfined type of recreation. The Colorado River bisects the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area and forms the northern boundary of the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness as it winds its way through Horsethief and Ruby canyons. The river itself is not a part of the wilderness, however floaters are able to hike up many of

352-589: A vital source of fuel and food (particularly piñon nuts ) for indigenous peoples of the American Southwest. The nuts continue to be a traditional indigenous food, and because nut-collecting was also adopted by the Spanish in the 1500s, the nuts are also traditionally harvested by some Hispanic communities. As of the early 2020s, pinyon-juniper ecosystems have been under pressure from heavy natural gas extraction in southern Colorado and New Mexico. They have also been historically destroyed by land managers in

396-557: Is 75,439 acres (305.29 km) of which 70,319 acres (284.57 km) are in Colorado and 5,120 acres (20.72 km) are in Utah . It was designated by the U.S. Congress in 2000 and is administered by the Bureau of Land Management . The Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness forms the core of the 123,430 acres (500 km) McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area . There are three main access points for

440-471: Is also distributed in an elevation gradient. The pinyon is predominantly Mexican pinyon pine ( Pinus cembroides ). Trees and shrubs associated with the ecosystem include Mexican blue oak ( Quercus oblongifolia ), New Mexico locust ( Robinia neomexicana ), buckbrush ( Ceanothus cuneatus ), and manzanita ( Arctostaphylos spp. ). Present in the understory are a diverse range of grass and forb species, including grama , needle-grasses and jojoba . In

484-617: Is attributed to a number of factors, but especially the direct and indirect effects of climate, overgrazing and altered fire regimes. Specifically, the wet period between the 1800s and 1900s boosted tree establishment, and livestock grazing both eliminated perennial grass cover that would hinder tree establishment, and removed fine fuels that could start large fires. Due to its temperature tolerance, pinyon generally does not naturally grow north of northern Utah, as well as some portions of southern Wyoming and Idaho. Pinyon-juniper woodlands prefer areas with cold winters and hot, dry summers. Usually,

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528-407: Is expanding or contracting, often bordering other vegetation types. In absence of fire, they shift from grass and forb-dominated, to shrub-dominated, to tree-dominated communities over time. Common shrub species are big sagebrush , other species in that genus, antelope bitterbrush , rabbitbrush , mountain mahogany , and snakeweed . Today, pinyon–juniper woodland range spans from New Mexico , to

572-601: Is located below the alpine zone . There is often an understory dominated by sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ) and its associates. Co-dominants include Jeffrey Pine ( Pinus jeffreyi ) and an understory of sagebrush scrub ( Artemisia spp. ) or rabbitbrush scrub ( Ericameria spp. ). The pinyon–juniper plant community covers a large portion of Utah and the Canyonlands region. Singleleaf ash ( Fraxinus anomala ), and Utah serviceberry ( Amelanchier utahensis ) are codominants of pinyon pine and Utah juniper. In this region,

616-540: Is mainly found in pockets on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada , and also somewhat in the Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges , as well as several isolated patches on desert mountaintops. In the eastern Sierra Nevada, the habitat forms in the transition zone between the wetter conifer forests to the west and the drier deserts to the east, in the gradient that forms due to the mountains' rain shadow . In

660-504: Is reduced because of the unreliability of the harvest. Abundant crops of cones and seeds occur only every two to seven years, averaging a good crop every four years. Years of high production of seed tend to be the same over wide areas of the pinyon range. In 1878, naturalist John Muir described the Indian method of harvesting pinyon seeds in Nevada. In September and October, the harvesters knocked

704-470: Is very important for regeneration of pinyon woods, as it stores large numbers of the seeds in the ground for later use, and excess seeds not used are in an ideal position to grow into new trees. The Mexican jay is also important for the dispersal of some pinyon species, as, less often, is the Clark's nutcracker . Many other species of animal also eat pinyon nuts, without dispersing them. Ips confusus , known as

748-554: The pinyon jay stay in the ecosystem year-round. However, it serves as important habitat for a number of endangered species, including Woodhouse's scrub jay and the gray vireo . Pinyon–juniper woodland has three major subtypes based on vegetation: pinyon-juniper savannah, pinyon-juniper wooded shrubland, and pinyon-juniper persistent woodland. Pinyon-juniper savannahs are dominated by grasses and forbs , with dense undergrowth and savannah-like sparser trees. Monsoon summer rains are common in pinyon-juniper savannahs, since they favor

792-462: The "wilderness-urban interface," is a popular destination for local residents and their dogs looking for daily exercise. The Bureau of Land Management maintains three trailheads in this area - Devils Canyon, Fruita Paleontological Area and Pollock Bench. The high country of the BRCW is accessible from the community of Glade Park, Colorado . Visitors to this area are treated to a true wilderness experience in

836-591: The Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness: the front country (Fruita urban-interface), the high country (Black Ridge via Glade Park) and via the Colorado River . Visitors have easy access the front country area year round while the high country and Colorado River access remain accessible only to the most dedicated visitors. The front country area of the BRCW is located a few minutes from the town of Fruita, Colorado via State Highway 340 . This area, known as

880-484: The Colorado plateau, and Pinus edulis on the Colorado plateau. In Arizona the great basin woodland includes many species of oaks: Quercus turbinella, Quercus gambelii at higher elevations, Quercus grisea, Quercus arizonica, and Quercus emoryi. In Southern Arizona, Pinus discolor, Juniperus deppeana, and Pinus leiophylla make up the conifer woodland with many oak species. In California, pinyon-juniper woodland

924-513: The D-36 (Southwestern Plateaus, Mesas, and Foothills) region, pinyon-juniper woodland appears in a mosaic gradient with other ecosystems based on elevation. Gambel Oak ( Quercus gambelii ), mountain muhly ( Muhlenbergia montana ), and snowberry ( Symphoricarpos spp. ) are interspersed throughout the lower-elevation pinyon-juniper woodlands. In the D-38 (Mogollon Transition) region, pinyon-juniper woodland

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968-515: The D-39 (Arizona and New Mexico Mountains) region, pinyon-juniper woodland is distributed in an elevation gradient where pinyon-juniper woodlands are present at mid-elevations, over (in areas with deep soils) areas of grassland. The woodlands dominate north-facing slopes, but on north-facing slopes are intermixed with oak species and an understory of fescues , blue-grasses , and brome species. Higher elevations are dominated by firs and spruces . In

1012-597: The E-49 (Southern Rocky Mountain Foothills) region, pinyon-juniper woodlands are found exclusively in lower elevations in the south. They are mixed with sagebrush , mountain mahogany ( Cercocarpus spp. ), grama and needled grasses , and western wheatgrass . In the E-51 (High Intermountain Valleys) region, pinyon-juniper woodlands occur in a mosaic with shrub-grasslands extending across

1056-685: The Mojave, pinyon–juniper woodlands are generally above the Joshua Tree woodlands vegetation type, and requires more annual precipitation. Part, though not all, of the range of pinyon-juniper woodlands occurs interspersed with sagebrush throughout the D-region Major Land Resource Areas , including in D-35, D-36, D-38, and D-39, as well as in the two E-region areas E-49 and E-51. In the D-35 (Colorado Plateau) region, pinyon-juniper appears in

1100-522: The United States in favor of livestock pasture , due to a lack of perceived economic value. Pinyon-juniper woodlands also face threats from severe droughts caused or exacerbated by climate change , both through direct damage from heat and lack of moisture and through exacerbated insect attacks and wildfires. In some areas of New Mexico; more than 90% of piñon pines in a woodland have died due to long-term drought and insect attacks. However, in other areas

1144-442: The brushwood fire. Both the above accounts described a method of extracting the seeds from the green cones. Another method is to leave the cones on the trees until they are dry and brown, then beat the cones with a stick, knocking the cones loose or the seeds loose from the cones which then fall to the ground where they can be collected. The nomadic hunter-gathering people of the Great Basin usually consumed their pinyon seeds during

1188-605: The community occurs on rocky soils or jointed bedrock. In the steppes adjoining the Mojave Desert , this vegetation type can be found in areas receiving 12 to 20 in (300 to 510 mm) inches of annual precipitation, and between 4,500 to 8,000 ft (1,400 to 2,400 m). Associates include bitterbrush ( Purshia glandulosa ), Apache plume ( Fallugia paradoxa ), desert sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ), green ephedra ( Ephedra viridis ), mountain mahoganies ( Cercocarpus spp. ), and buckwheats ( Eriogonum spp. ). In

1232-450: The cones off the pinyon trees with poles, stacked the cones into a pile, put brushwood on top, lit it, and lightly scorched the pinyon cones with fire. The scorching burned off the sticky resin coating the cones and loosened the seeds. The cones were then dried in the sun until the seeds could be easily extracted. Muir said the Indians closely watched the pinyon trees year-round and could predict

1276-684: The eastern Sierra Nevada , the Colorado Plateau , the Great Basin , and higher elevations of Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert . The woodland's range includes the Mogollon Rim in the south, to its northern extent in the Snake River Plain . It typically occurs at between 4,500 to 7,500 ft (1,400 to 2,300 m). Historically, however, the range and elevations of pinyon-juniper woodland have shifted based on differences in climate. On

1320-441: The eastern Sierra Nevada, the elevation range is 4,000 to 5,500 ft (1,200 to 1,700 m) in the north, and 5,000 to 8,000 ft (2,000 to 2,000 m) feet in the southern reaches of the range. Pinyon–juniper woodland requires 12 to 20 in (300 to 510 mm) of annual precipitation, so is generally located above the sagebrush scrub vegetation type, which can survive on an average of 7 in (180 mm) per year. It

1364-411: The ecosystem is expanding, and while animals face threats from the woodlands becoming less diverse and productive, it is debated whether pinyon-juniper woodlands are gaining or losing territory overall. Both pinyon pine and juniper species reproduce exclusively through seed production, and produce most of their seeds during mast years , which occur about every three to five years. The seeds produced by

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1408-399: The edible seeds, but, at least in some areas, evidence of large quantities of pinyon nut harvesting does not appear until about 600 CE. Increased use of pinyon nuts was possibly related to a population increase of humans and a decline in the number of game animals, thereby forcing the Great Basin inhabitants to seek additional sources of food. The suitability of pinyon seeds as a staple food

1452-550: The growth of warm-season grasses. Common grass species are blue grama , other species of grama grass, new mexico muhly , curlyleaf muhly, and needle and thread grass . Pinyon-juniper persistent woodlands are dominated by trees, with a variety of tree ages, often in areas with winter or bi-modal precipitation. Persistent woodland sites are usually unproductive, with thin soils and sparse ground or shrub cover, often occurring on rocky or rugged terrain. Pinyon-juniper wooded shrublands are transition zones where pinyon-juniper woodland

1496-555: The habitat experiences freezing temperatures 150 or more days a year, with 6 to 20 in (150 to 510 mm) of annual precipitation, mostly falling as snow. The pinyon–juniper woodland is one of the most prevalent types of coniferous woodland in northern Arizona and New Mexico . In Arizona the great basin woodland species are Juniperus arizonica, Juniperus californica in western Arizona, Juniperus deppeana, Juniperus monosperma, Juniperus osteosperma, Juniperus scopulorum at higher elevations, Pinus monophylla var. fallax below

1540-533: The high mountains of the southwestern United States, and the lacebark pines of Asia are closely related to the pinyon pines. The seeds of the pinyon pine, known as " pine nuts " or "piñóns", are an important food for American Indians living in the mountains of the North American Southwest . All species of pine produce edible seeds, but in North America only pinyon produces seeds large enough to be

1584-815: The main canyons of the area including Rattlesnake Canyon, Moore Canyon, Mee Canyon, and Knowles Canyon. The most popular put in to float this section of the river is the Loma boat launch in Loma, Colorado . Most river users take out in Westwater, Utah, although some continue on through the Class III and IV rapids of Westwater Canyon (permit required). Pinyon pine See text. The pinyon or piñon pine group grows in southwestern North America, especially in New Mexico , Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. The trees yield edible nuts , which are

1628-541: The order of 10,000 years ago during the Wisconsin glaciation , pinyon-juniper woodlands occurred in areas that today are the Chihuahuan , Mojave , and Sonoran desert lowlands, and since then pinyon-juniper altitude ranges have continued to change based on changing moisture and temperature ranges over time. In the last 200 years specifically, the area occupied by pinyon-juniper woodlands has increased by two to six times. This

1672-876: The pinyon ips, is a bark beetle that kills weak or damaged pinyon pine trees. The beetles feed on the xylem and phloem of the trees. As a defense, the trees flood the holes produced by the beetles with sap. Pinyon%E2%80%93juniper woodland Pinyon–juniper woodland , also spelled piñon–juniper woodland , is a biome found mid-elevations in arid regions of the Western United States , characterized by being an open forest dominated by low, bushy, evergreen junipers , pinyon pines , and their associates. At lower elevations, junipers often predominate and trees are spaced widely, bordering on and mingling with grassland or shrubland , but as elevation increases, pinyon pines become common and trees grow closer, forming denser canopies. Historically, pinyon-juniper woodland provided

1716-425: The pinyon pines in mast cycles are the primary influence on population growth in the habitat; in lean years some animals move away in a nomadic fashion. Birds and small mammals in the ecosystem are the main distribution method for these seeds. An important example is the pinyon jays , a keystone species that is the primary distribution mechanism for pinyon pine seeds, having formed a mutualistic relationship with

1760-476: The pinyon seeds for personal use or for commercialization. The pinyon nut or seed is high in fats and calories. In the western United States, pinyon pines are often found in pinyon–juniper woodlands . Pinyon wood, especially when burned, has a distinctive fragrance, making it a common wood to burn in chimeneas . Pinyon pine trees are also known to influence the soil in which they grow by increasing concentrations of both macronutrients and micronutrients. Some of

1804-515: The scarcity or abundance of the crop months before harvest time. In 1891, B. H. Dutcher observed the harvesting of pinyon seeds by the Panamint Indians ( Timbisha people) in the Panamint Range overlooking Death Valley , California. The harvesting method was similar to that observed by Muir in Nevada, except that the pinyon seeds were extracted immediately after the cones had been scorched in

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1848-695: The species are known to hybridize, the most notable ones being P. quadrifolia with P. monophylla , and P. edulis with P. monophylla . The two-needle piñon ( Pinus edulis ) is the official state tree of New Mexico . The evolutionary origins of the piñons appear to coincide with the Laramide Orogeny . Genetic differentiation in the pinyon pine has been observed associated to insect herbivory and environmental stress. There are eight species of true pinyon ( Pinus subsection Cembroides ): These additional Mexican species are also related, and mostly called pinyons: The three bristlecone pine species of

1892-456: The trees. These birds are the only species capable of re-establishing pinyon pines after major disruptions like fires and beetle infestations, and according to Audobon are critical to the ecosystem's survival. Pinyon-juniper woodlands support a number of native species including the pinyon mouse and the pinyon jay . The woodlands also serve as refuges for desert and mountain animals attempting to escape heat or cold; few animals other than

1936-464: The winter following harvest; the agricultural Pueblo people of the Rio Grande valley of New Mexico could store them for two or three years in pits. Each pinyon cone produces 10 to 30 seeds and a productive stand of pinyon trees in a good year can produce 250 pounds (110 kg) on 1 acre (0.40 ha) of land. An average worker can collect about 22 pounds (10.0 kg) of unshelled pinyon seed in

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