Consumption of seeds of southwestern white pine ( Pinus strobiformis ) by Black Bear ( Ursus americanus )

David J. Mattson; Terry A. Arundel

doi:10.1894/0038-4909-58.2.243

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Consumption of seeds of southwestern white pine ( Pinus strobiformis ) by Black Bear ( Ursus americanus )

David J. Mattson·Terry A. Arundel

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Abstract

We report a discovery of black bears ( Ursus americanus ) consuming seeds of southwestern white pine ( Pinus strobiformis ) on north slopes of the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, Arizona, in high-elevation, mixed-species conifer forest. In one instance, a bear had obtained seeds from cones excavated from a larder horde made by a red squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ). Consumption of seeds of southwestern white pine by bears had not been previously documented. This discovery adds to the number of species of pine used by bears for food as well as the geographic range within which the behavior occurs.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 35.122313° to 35.240102° latitude; -111.709128° to -111.50679° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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David J. Mattson, Terry A. Arundel. 2013. Consumption of seeds of southwestern white pine ( Pinus strobiformis ) by Black Bear ( Ursus americanus ). https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-58.2.243

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