UC Davis professor Hugh Safford’s eagle-eyed hike through the High Sierra led him to notice a species not typically associated with living at these high elevations. The peculiarly located trees were Jeffrey pines, and the discovery set a new record for their elevation.
In a university news release, the forest ecologist explained, “I walk over, and it’s a Jeffrey pine! It made no sense. What is a Jeffrey pine doing above 11,500 feet?”
A Scientific Breakthrough That Didn’t Go Unnoticed
Safford’s groundbreaking discovery made it into the Madroño, a scientific journal. Though the Jeffrey pine is commonly found in the Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes areas, Safford’s finding marked the highest recorded tree elevation in California (on top of breaking the Jeffrey pine record.
While Safford’s discovery is a significant scientific breakthrough, it seems part of a developing trend. The professor’s extensive research has recorded that it’s not the only species rising higher than current database findings. This suggests that the more scientists look for these species up high, the likelier these records will continue to grow, just like the trees.
It’s Not Just the Jeffrey Pines Making History
Safford trekked through the Sequoia National Park in September, where he discovered even more Jeffrey pines growing between nearly 2,000 and over 12,500 feet higher than previous records.
Even saplings are joining in on the phenomenon, as a seedling clocked to be approximately six years old and under a foot long was just one example of 14 trees somehow surviving in these intense conditions like never before. Even more surprising is that some of these trees were 20 years old, suggesting that this trend has accelerated for at least two decades.
Why Is This Elevation Increase Happening?
Of course, Safford was limited in the number of trees he could reach, but he noted several more in the area and plans to return with a team of his lab researchers this summer. Why? To unearth the conditions causing the movement of trees that he noted didn’t belong in these extreme elevations.
So, what exactly is causing this phenomenon? Currently, Safford can’t be too sure, but he theorized that Clark’s nutcracker birds are germinating trees as they carry them up the mountain. The birds can store over 10,000 pinecone seeds, so it’s as plausible as his climate change theory.
The professor explained in a news release, “As snow melts earlier and air temperatures rise, Jeffrey pine seeds are germinating on land they previously found frozen and inhospitable.”
What Does It Mean for Climate Change?
Safford believes his observations bode well for the environment as climate change rises, particularly in high elevations. Given the likelihood of the tech missing minor details, satellite imagery, AI, and remote sensing technology still limit the ability to make these discoveries.
The professor explained, “If we want our finger on the pulse of how the climate is warming and what the impacts are, that’s where it will be happening first.”
Safford noted that getting research teams out to these areas is a vital step to continue this research and uncover what it means for the environment and climate change.
