Bristlecone Pine vs Brown Cobblestone Lichen

Pinus longaeva compared with Acarospora fuscata

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bristlecone Pine	Brown Cobblestone Lichen
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Coniferophyta (Conifers)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Pinopsida (Conifers)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Pinales (Pines & Allies)	Acarosporales (Acarosporales)
Family	Pinaceae (Pine Family)	Acarosporaceae
Genus	Pinus (Pines)	Acarospora
Species	Pinus longaeva	Acarospora fuscata

Conservation Status

Bristlecone Pine

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Brown Cobblestone Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bristlecone Pine	Brown Cobblestone Lichen
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.

Brown Cobblestone Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, 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.

Brown Cobblestone Lichen

The Brown Cobblestone Lichen (Acarospora fuscata) is a species in the genus Acarospora. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.