Great Basin bristlecone pine mortality: Causal factors and management implications

•Great Basin bristlecone pine (GBBP) is revered for its longevity.•Hotter droughts and bark beetles contributed to recent mortality.•We show, however, that GBBP is a population sink for bark beetles.•Attacks that killed GBBP likely originated from adults emerging from co-occurring pines.•New management strategies to protect this iconic species are needed.