These data are several climate sensitive piñon pine (Pinus edulis) pollen records from the Southern Rockies, USA, that aim to produce a detailed continuous record of effective precipitation and ENSO variability for the last 11,000 years. Present-day population dynamics of P. edulis woodlands in the western USA is controlled by winter minimum precipitation. A combination of La Niña-related drought and high temperatures - 'global-change-type drought' - is lethal for trees such as P. edulis. Insolation and solar output changes are suggested as the main triggers for ENSO climate and vegetation changes.

This dataset has been carefully reviewed and curated in accordance with PANGAEA's exceptionally high quality standards. However, due to discontinued communication from the authors' side, it did not receive the usual formal approval by the authors and therefore lacks final scientific validation.