Cone and seed yields in young western white pines /

Eighteen years of cone and seed yields from 179 30-to 50-year-old western white pines (Pinus monticola Dougl.)representative of 13 geographic localities were compared.Each tree averaged 28 cones per tree, and each cone con- tained about 104 filled seeds.However, not only was annual cone production highly variable, but geographic localities and individual trees varied greatly in productivity within a given year.Recognition of these components of variation in cone production for western white pine can lead to maximal efficiency in cone collection.Figure I. --Map of northern Idaho illustrating the 13 geographic localities from which cones were collected and the number, average elevation, and average age of trees represented within each locality.