White Mountains Transect -- Survey Lead by James L. Patton

Separated from the Sierra Nevada by the Owens Valley in eastern California, the White Mountains is known for its austere beauty. Its namesake, White Mountain Peak, is the third highest peak in California at 14, 252 feet. In the White Mountains, open stands of xeric–tolerant conifers, such as Great Basin bristlecone pine and single-leaf pinyon, are found. The world's oldest specimen of a Great Basin bristlecone pine ( Pinus longaeva ), ‘Methusalah', grows just below treeline in the White Mountains.