What's your favorite alpine species? Mountain goats or pikas might come to mind, but whitebark pines are actually a keystone species of the alpine ecosystem. Many other species depend on it, and its loss would dramatically alter the ecosystem. Grizzly bears, black bears, clark's nutcrackers (and other bird species), and many squirrels and small mammals rely on the fat-rich pine nuts for food each fall. The trees also provide critical shade, preserving the snowpack longer and keeping temperatures