Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine forest

Ponderosa pine occurs as a mid-seral species and Douglas-fir is the climax forest in the Rocky Mountains.

These species, in particular, exemplify aggressive survivors after disturbance (e.g., fire, mechanical site preparation) and are strong competitors for light and nutrients which compete with ponderosa pine seedlings.

[6][5]: 6 The pure stands of Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine forest receive about 15–20 inches (380–510 mm) of annual precipitation.

Also, ponderosa pine provides habitat for the cougar (Puma concolor) and the bobcat (Lynx rufus) as well as birds as western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana), wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides), and white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis).

In the northern Rocky Mountains of Idaho and western Montana, dry settings of ponderosa pine forests historically burned by low severity surface fires that did not kill overstory trees at 15 to 23 year mean return intervals.