Others sell them for extra income.
She researches ways pinyon pines survive drought—at a time when a hotter, drier climate is predicted to drive the trees out of Arizona entirely.
So you’re out here today collecting cones and this orange bucket I guess is your cone collecting kit.
Today was just reconnaissance to see if it’s worth coming out to do any more collecting, and it doesn’t turn out to be a very good year this year, so all I had with me today was just gloves, because it’s a sticky work and you don’t want that resin on your hands if you can help it, and paper bags to collect a few cones in.
So what have you found so far about what makes a pinyon pine more likely to survive a drought?
It’s probably not the insect itself.
What we think is happening is the insect is picking the most vigorous trees.
What’s been interesting is the moth populations have dropped a little bit with the drought, and now it seems like the trees that were susceptible to the moth now are doing much, much better over the last 10 years than the ones that are resistant to the moth.
So that’s what we’re looking for is these ones that managed to survive when the others have died, and what is it about them that allows them to survive and will they ensure the future of pinyon pine.
Catherine thanks much for the field trip today, appreciate it.