Pinyon–juniper woodland

Pinyon–juniper woodland, also spelled piñon–juniper woodland, is a biome found mid-elevations in arid regions of the Western United States, characterized by being an open forest dominated by low, bushy, evergreen junipers, pinyon pines, and their associates. At lower elevations, junipers often predominate and trees are spaced widely, bordering on and mingling with grassland or shrubland, but as elevation increases, pinyon pines become common and trees grow closer, forming denser canopies. Historically, pinyon-juniper woodland provided a vital source of fuel and food (particularly piñon nuts) for indigenous peoples of the American Southwest. The nuts continue to be a traditional indigenous food, and because nut-collecting was also adopted by the Spanish in the 1500s, the nuts are also traditionally harvested by some Hispanic communities.

As of the early 2020s, pinyon-juniper ecosystems have been under pressure from heavy natural gas extraction in southern Colorado and New Mexico. They have also been historically destroyed by land managers in the United States in favor of livestock pasture, due to a lack of perceived economic value. Pinyon-juniper woodlands also face threats from severe droughts caused or exacerbated by climate change, both through direct damage from heat and lack of moisture and through exacerbated insect attacks and wildfires. In some areas of New Mexico; more than 90% of piñon pines in a woodland have died due to long-term drought and insect attacks. However, in other areas the ecosystem is expanding, and while animals face threats from the woodlands becoming less diverse and productive, it is debated whether pinyon-juniper woodlands are gaining or losing territory overall.