Are Jeffrey Pines on the Move?

Description Join the Tahoe & Sierra Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society for "Nutcrackers and Nighttime Warming: Unexpected Treeline Dynamics in the High Sierra", an engaging presentation exploring surprising changes taking place in the High Sierra. During the summer of 2024, researchers discovered an extraordinary population of young Jeffrey pines growing at nearly 12,700 feet—thousands of feet above the species' traditionally recognized range. Follow-up research across Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, the Inyo National Forest, and the Lake Tahoe Basin has revealed new insights into how climate change and wildlife are influencing treeline dynamics.

Dr. Hugh Safford, research ecologist at the University of California, Davis and former Regional Ecologist for the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Region, will share his team's findings and discuss what these changes could mean for the future of Sierra Nevada forests.