Bristlecone Pine vs Brook-Side Alder

Pinus longaeva compared with Alnus serrulata

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bristlecone Pine	Brook-Side Alder
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Coniferophyta (Conifers)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Pinopsida (Conifers)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Pinales (Pines & Allies)	Fagales (Beeches & Oaks)
Family	Pinaceae (Pine Family)	Betulaceae
Genus	Pinus (Pines)	Alnus
Species	Pinus longaeva	Alnus serrulata

Evolutionary Relationship

Bristlecone Pine and Brook-Side Alder share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

View Kingdom: Plantae

Conservation Status

Bristlecone Pine

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Brook-Side Alder

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bristlecone Pine	Brook-Side Alder
Diet	Autotroph	—
Average Lifespan	5000 years	—
Average Length	15.0 m	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bristlecone Pine

Habitat

Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

Range

Found in United States.

Brook-Side Alder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

Bristlecone Pine

The oldest known living individual tree on Earth, the Great Basin bristlecone pine can live over 5,000 years in the harsh, windswept subalpine environments of the White Mountains of California and the Great Basin region. Their extreme longevity is linked to slow metabolism, dense resinous wood resistant to decay and insects, and harsh high-altitude conditions that limit competition. Tree ring records from bristlecone pines have provided an invaluable climate proxy record extending back thousands of years.

Brook-Side Alder

The Brook-Side Alder (Alnus serrulata) is a species in the genus Alnus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.