Its southern extremity is an isolated population high on a plateau in the Sierra San Pedro Martir in Baja California, Mexico. In southern California, sugar pine is characteristically found in vegetation types of the woodland and timberland chaparral zones. High-grade sugar pine lumber is sought after for its dimensional stability and workability. The wood is light and resists deformity. Birds and mammals use sugar pine as a source of food and shelter.
Sugar pine is considered low in palatability to livestock and wildlife.
Sugar pine is used for cover by wildlife. Early in sugar pine development, large mammals use dense stands as hiding and thermal cover. Mature trees are used by arboreal species such as birds, squirrels, and other small mammals. Sugar pine is planted on a vast scale in Oregon and California, and also has been tried in several countries around the world. Sugar pine is highly susceptible to white pine blister rust caused by the fungus Cronartium ribicola.