WPBR is the biggest threat to white pines. Many species depend on white pines for food and shelter. Black bears use these trees as bed sites, dens, and refuge trees. Ospreys, bald eagles, and woodpeckers also use this tree more frequently than others. Conifer stands in general are often habitat and food for many species of birds.
Inner bark is a preferred winter food of porcupine and deer browse the twigs.
Rabbits may eat the bark of young trees. The seeds are eaten by red squirrels and such birds as crossbills and pine siskins. Pocket gophers graze the roots of seedlings and young trees. Pine often coexists with other trees and ground plants, but no plants are dependent on white pine. In Wisconsin, the pines may occur in nearly pure stands of a single species, or in mixtures of two or all three.