More on trees in the Santa Rosa Mts: what is and what could be

After writing the last post, I wondered whether anyone had done any research that would indicate whether there are conifer species in the general area that ought to be able to thrive in the Santa Rosa Mountains, yet don’t occur there. If such species exist, that would give more credence to the idea that some conifers are not in that range simply because they haven’t gotten there (or, at least, haven’t gotten there often enough to establish a population).

So I googled some conifer species names along with the phrase “niche model,” and one of the first things that came up was a page for the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia showing a map of the “modeled suitable climate niche for Douglas-fir.” The map showed in green the areas that the model said should be suitable for Douglas-fir populations (whether they actually exist in those places or not). And, sure enough, there was a small green patch for the Santa Rosa Mountains, including areas we visited. (The patch in question is just southwest of the three-way intersection of Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada.)

Digging a little more, I found a scientific article, by different researchers, that produced such maps for both Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine. These maps indicated that both of these species could live in the Santa Rosa Mountains.

Actually, Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine are already in the Santa Rosas—both species were planted there in small numbers. In his great 1996 reference book, Atlas of Nevada Conifers, David Charlet noted that, although these introduced trees had survived, they did not seem to be reproducing. However, I saw a Douglas-fir sapling in the area of Lye Creek campground, about a mile from the planted Douglas-firs. That’s another small piece of evidence that the area might be able to sustain a population of that species.

Finally, those maps of “suitable climate niches” for both Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine show that the Santa Rosa Mountains are surrounded by an “ocean” of environments where populations of those species cannot persist. As far as those trees are concerned, the Santa Rosas do seem to be a remote island that can only be reached by chance, long-distance dispersal, or by people carrying seeds or trees.