The European Black Pine reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

European Black Pine

European Black Pine
Scientific classification
Kingdom Plantae Division Pinophyta Class Pinopsida Order Pinales Family Pinaceae Genus Pinus Subgenus Pinus Species nigra
Binomial name
Pinus nigra

The European Black Pine Pinus nigra (generally called Black Pine in Europe), is a variable species of pine, occurring across southern Europe from Spain to the Crimea, and also in Asia Minor, Cyprus, and locally in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa.

In Europe trees usually associated with this species include Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris),Swiss mountain pine (P. mugo), Aleppo pine (P. halepinsis), Italian stone pine (P. pinea), and Heldreich pine(P. heldreichii). In the United States where it has become naturalized,European black pine may be developing natural associations.

The wood of the Black pine is similar to that of Scots pine and red pine (Pinus resinosa), which is moderately hard and straight-grained. European black pine wood, however, is rougher, softer, and not as strong.

In the Mediterranean region its wood is used for general construction, fuel, and in other purposes.

In the United States, the black pine is of little importance as a timber species. It is planted mainly for shelterbelts.

In Wyoming mule deer that were forced onto a conifer tree nursery by bad weather browsed European black pine in preference to ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), blue spruce (Picea pungens), bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata), and Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum). Damage was concentrated on the lateral branch buds and needles.

White-tailed deer showed intermediate preference for European black pine as compared to other ornamental species (including yews [Taxus spp.], other conifers, and various hardwoods). The black pine is recommended for planting on strip-mined lands in Pennsylvania. It has probably not been widely used for surface-mine plantings. It is similar to red pine in climatic adaptation and growth performance on acid minesoils. It is recommended for use in Ohio on fine-clay, poorly drained minesoils with a pH of 5 to 7, although suitable native pines are preferred. In Idaho it was reported as having good potential for revegetating sites denuded by heavy metal pollution from smelter emissions.

In the United States European black pine is mainly planted for shelterbelts, as a street tree, and as an ornamental. It is recommended for windbreaks in the Northern Great Plains on medium to deep moist or upland soils. Its value as a street tree is largely due to its resistance to salt spray (used in road de-icing) and various industrial pollutants, and its intermediate drought tolerance. It is resistant to snow and ice damage. In Missouri European black pines were undamaged by a sleet storm that caused widespread and extensive damage to many other street trees.

One- to three-year-old seedlings were found to have no symptoms of ozone damage after exposure to 0.020 ppm of ozone for 5-hour periods (treatment repeated over one growing season).

Most of the European black pine planted in the United States is from Austrian sources. Seedlings up to about 2 months of age are subject to predation by voles and rabbits; older seedlings apparently become unpalatable .

The black pine seedlings are damaged by damping off fungi and seedling root rots. Mature trees are easily infected by Dithostroma needle blight, the most damaging foliage disease of European black pine. Other diseases include Lophodermium needle cast, which is damaging to European black pine in the Great Lakes States. The black pine is also moderately to highly susceptible to infection by brown spot needle disease. The dagger nematode damages seedlings. Insect damage to European black pine is generally of less importance than damage by fungal pathogens.

Mature height (approximately 80 years of age) ranges from 66 to 165 feet (20-50 m). Some characters vary depending on the subspecific taxon; the type variety has dark brown to black bark that is widely split by flaking fissures into scaly plates. The bark becomes increasingly creviced with age. European black pine is fast growing and usually has a pyramidal form. It has deep lateral roots. European black pine is long lived; harvest rotation times of up to 360 years have been used in Europe. It is a two needle leaf tree.

The black pine attains sexual maturity at ages ranging from 15 to 40 years. Trees from Corsican sources in England produce their first heavy seed crops at 25 to 30 years of age, with maximum production at 60 to 90 years of age. Large seed crops are produced at 2- to 5-year intervals. The winged seeds are wind dispersed. Fresh seed does not require stratification for good germination, but stored seeds can be cold stratified for up to 60 days to hasten germination.

It can be propagated by grafting.

The tree is mainly suited to northern temperate climate zones in the United States; it does not grow well in the southern states. Different provenances (seed sources by geographic area) or varieties are adapted to different soil types: Austrian and Pyrenees pines grow well on a wide range of soil types, Corsican pine grows poorly on limestone-derived soils, and Crimean pine grows well on poorer, limestone-derived soils. Most provenances will also show good growth on podzolic soils. Whatever the soil type, however, the soils need to be deep for good growth. It grows well on high pH soils in New England. Some provenances exhibit better winter hardiness than others.

In Europe, the black pine is found at elevations ranging from 820 to 5,910 feet (250-1,800 m).

It is intolerant of shade and needs to be planted in full sun. In England direct sowing of black pine seeds is successful on north-facing slopes on young sand dunes. Corsican pine (a variety of this tree) plantations in England develop a more closed canopy than similar-aged plantations of Scots pine.

In Ontario black pine pollen is released from May to June. Individual ovulate cones are only receptive to pollen for approximately 3 days, but collectively are receptive from May to June. Fertilization takes place 13 months after pollination. Cones mature from September to November and seeds are dispersed from October to November.

It is divided into two subspecies, each further subdivided into three varieties:

• Pinus nigra subsp. nigra in the east of the range, from Austria and north-east of Italy, east to the Crimea and Turkey
  
  • Pinus nigra subsp. nigra var. nigra Austrian Pine
    
  • Pinus nigra subsp. nigra var. caramanica Turkish Black Pine
    
  • Pinus nigra subsp. nigra var. pallasiana Crimean Pine
    

• Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii in the west of the range, from peninsular Italy to Spain and north Africa
  
  • Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii var. salzmannii Cevennes Black Pine
    
  • Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii var. corsicana (a.k.a. subsp. laricio) Corsican Pine
    
  • Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii var. mauretanica Atlas Mts Black Pine
    

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