The distribution of cluster pine (Pinuspinaster) in Spain as derived from palaeoecological data: relationships with phytosociological classification

Abstract

New pollen-analytical data from the Navarrés peatbog (Valencia, eastern Spain) show a synchronous Late-Quaternary fluctuation of P. pinaster- (cluster pine) and Quercus- (oak) dominated assemblages. During glacial times, P. pinaster survived in refugia together with other trees such as Corylus, Fraxinuv Quercus, and a number of Mediterranean shrubs such as Arbutus, Erica arboreal Olea, Phyllirea, Pistacia terebinthus, Myrtus communis and Viburnum finus. These nuclei of vegetation expanded around c. 30 000-27 000 BP invading areas formerly occupied by pine forests. P. pinaster retreated considerably during the last glacial maximum and the Younger Dryas event, but not as much as Quercus. During c. 10 00-6000 BP, a local pine forest resisted possible oak and P. pinaster invasion. Around 6000 BP, P. pinaster was involved in a post-fire change towards oak-dominated vegetation. This work supports the contention that P. pinaster is native to the Iberian Peninsula and that well-developed P. pinaster forests, particularly if mixed with oaks, are a natural feature of the landscape. The data presented here disagree with the floristic-phytosociological assumption that considers that the forest patches of P. pinaster and other Mediterranean species of pines are incidental and mainly derived from afforestation.

Revealing the last 13,500 years of environmental history from the multiproxy record of a mountain lake (Lago Enol, northern Iberian Peninsula)

“…To distinguish the morphology of Plantago we followed Ubera et al (1988) while Renault-Miskovsky et al (1976) was used for the Oleaceae family. Differenciation of the morphotype Pinus pinaster was based on Arobba (1979) and Carrión et al (2000b). Most of the NPPs observed were identified, and their nomenclature conforms to that established by van Geel (2001).…”

Influence of tree density on climate-growth relationships in a Pinus pinaster Ait. forest in the northern mountains of Sardinia (Italy)

“…is widely spread over the western Mediterranean region, the High Atlas and Tunisia in north Africa (Carrión et al 2000). Its main populations are located in the Iberian Peninsula, where the species has adapted to extremely cold winters of central Spain and to the milder temperate climate of the Atlantic coast (Blanco et al 1997).…”

“…This species is ecologically versatile and grows on a variety of substrates and under several Mediterranean climate regimes, ranging from semi-arid to humid (Carrión et al 2000). However, the prevailing climatic conditions in its current range are characterized by summer droughts (Correia et al 2008).…”

Genetic diversity estimates of Pinus pinaster in the Iberian Peninsula: a comparison of allozymes and quantitative traits

“…important forest species extensively used for plantations in many parts of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The area of study is reportedly one of native origin, in which the species has been present since the last glaciations (Carrión et al, 2000). The importance of the area analyzed is emphazised by the strong genetic variation found here using different types of molecular markers (González Martínez et al, 2004 and references therein).…”