{
  "id": 12161458,
  "title": "Tribal members saw pinyon-juniper woodlands declining, new study confirms",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/tribal-members-saw-pinyon-juniper-woodlands-declining-new-study",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-05T14:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-tribal-members-pinyon-juniper-woodlands.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pinyon pines and juniper trees are widespread across the mid-elevation slopes of the American West, covering over 100 million acres across 10 states. Over the past decade, members of the Bishop Paiute, Big Pine Paiute and Washoe tribes have noticed a troubling decline in these woodlands. According to Miranda Redmond, a UC Berkeley professor, pinyon and juniper trees thrive in hot, dry environments, and their loss would significantly reduce forested landscapes. Redmond leads the Pinyon Community Climate Action (PiCCA) Network, a collaboration between federal agencies, tribal nations, NGOs, and researchers to study how climate change affects these woodlands and how communities can manage them.\n\nThe PiCCA project, which published its first study in People and Nature, confirms tribal observations of unhealthy trees in specific areas. The study, led by UC President's Postdoctoral Fellow Diana Macias, found that most trees appeared healthy but identified three locations with a high proportion of unhealthy trees. Macias emphasizes that pinyon-juniper woodlands are vital habitats for various species, including pinyon jays, bobcats, and culturally significant pine nuts. However, their management has a contentious history, with Euro-American settlers harvesting these forests for charcoal production and later focusing on restoring sagebrush and grassland ecosystems.\n\nThinning pinyon-juniper woodlands to promote health could have unintended consequences, such as allowing invasive grasses to spread and losing habitat for wildlife. In Inyo National Forest, the number of dead pinyon pines increased from fewer than 2,000 in 2021 to over 70,000 in 2022, particularly in areas crucial for recreation and cultural significance. Bridging the gap between traditional ecological knowledge and Western science, PiCCA's findings highlight the need for more effective stewardship strategies while acknowledging the potential risks associated with management actions.",
  "summary": "Pinyon pines and juniper trees spread across the mid-elevation slopes of the American West, including California's Eastern Sierra. These hardy, short-statured trees are one of the most widespread vegetation types on federal lands, covering more than 100 million acres (405,000 square kilometers) across 10 Western states.",
  "key_points": [
    "Pinyon-juniper woodlands declining, confirmed by new study",
    "Bishop Paiute, Big Pine Paiute, and Washoe tribes notice decline",
    "Study identifies three locations with unhealthy trees"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}