Pinyon-juniper woodlands are the predominant vegetation type over a majority (about 60%) of Capitol Reef National Park (NP). These woodlands contain two-needle pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma), both of which tend to be small, slow-growing, and relatively long-lived-they can live for hundreds of years! Both species have been used by humans and wildlife for thousands of years.
Not all pinyon-juniper woodlands are the same-they can vary greatly in age, structure, and species composition. Across the landscape, this variation leads to a diversity of habitats that are important to wildlife. For example, of seven forest habitats common in eastern Utah, pinyon-juniper communities ranked second in the percentage of obligate and semi-obligate bird species, third in the number of individual birds counted, and fourth in bird species richness (the number of species). An obligate species is one that requires a particular habitat.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
