High-Altitude Jeffrey Pine Discovery Challenges Climate Change Models

UC Davis Professor Hugh Safford stumbled upon a Jeffrey pine at a record-breaking 12,657 feet elevation in California's High Sierra, 1,860 feet higher than the previous record. Published in Madroño, this serendipitous discovery suggests that climate change is driving Jeffrey pines to higher altitudes, challenging existing models predicting the pace of species migration. Researchers suspect Clark's nutcrackers may be aiding this migration by carrying seeds. The finding highlights the importance of fieldwork in climate change research and calls for more on-the-ground surveys to accurately assess climate change's impact on high-elevation ecosystems.