Pinyon Pine is the source of commercially sold pine nuts, which have been a staple food for southwestern indigenous peoples for thousands of years. It forms characteristic pinyon-juniper woodlands across the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin. Clark's nutcracker and Steller's jay are important seed dispersers, caching far more seeds than they eat.
Habitat
Pinyon-juniper woodlands of the Colorado Plateau, 4,000–7,000 ft
Diet
Nutritious seeds cached by Clark's nutcracker, jays, and small mammals
How common
Common
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