Editing Pine nut (section)

===Elevation and pinecone production===
Some growers claim that the elevation of the pinyon pine is an important determinant of the quantity of pine cone production and, therefore, will largely determine the number of pine nuts the tree will yield.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elevation and Pinecone Production|url=http://www.wholesalepinenuts.com/index.html#elevation_pinecone_production
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718042443/http://www.wholesalepinenuts.com/index.html
| archive-date= 18 July 2011
|access-date=2023-01-16|website=www.wholesalepinenuts.com}}</ref> The US Department of Agriculture notes that variation in cone production between trees growing on identical sites is often observed.<ref>{{ cite web
| url = https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_1/pinus/monophylla.htm
| publisher= USDA
| quote = Difference in ... cone production among trees growing on identical sites {{sic|1=are}} commonly observed.
| title= Singleleaf Pinyon
|first1=R. O. |last1=Meeuwig|first2=J. D. |last2=Budy|first3=R. L. |last3=Everett
| access-date= 4 June 2023
}}</ref>

American pinyon pine cone production is most commonly found at an elevation between {{convert|6000|and|8500|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}, and ideally at {{convert|7000|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}. This is due to higher temperatures at elevations lower than {{convert|6000|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}} during the spring, which dry up humidity and moisture content (particularly snow packs) that provide for the tree throughout the spring and summer, causing little nourishment for pine cone maturity.

Although several other environmental factors determine the conditions of the ecosystem (such as clouds and rain), the trees tend to abort cones without sufficient water. High humidity encourages cone development.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pine Cones Open and Close in Response to Weather — Biological Strategy — AskNature |url=https://asknature.org/strategy/pine-cones-open-and-close-in-response-to-weather/ |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=asknature.org |language=en-US}}</ref> There are certain topographical areas found in lower elevations, such as shaded canyons, where the humidity remains constant throughout the spring and summer, allowing pine cones to fully mature and produce seed.

At elevations above {{convert|8500|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}, the temperature substantially drops, drastically affecting the state of the dormant cone.  During the winter, frequent dramatic changes in temperature, drying, and gusty winds make the cones susceptible to [[freeze-drying]] that permanently damages them; in this case, growth is stunted, and the seeds deteriorate.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Wholesale Pine Nuts|url=https://www.wholesalepinenuts.com/index.html#pollination_seed_development |title=Pinecone production in regards to elevation|work=Pinecone Characteristics and Ecology|access-date= 20 April 2010}}</ref>