Index of Species Information
SPECIES: Pinus nigra
Introductory
SPECIES: Pinus nigra
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Sullivan, Janet. 1993. Pinus nigra. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station,
Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/pinnig/all.html [].
ABBREVIATION :
PINNIG
SYNONYMS :
NO-ENTRY
SCS PLANT CODE :
NO-ENTRY
COMMON NAMES :
Austrian pine
Australian pine
Corsican pine
Crimean pine
Pyrenees pine
European black pine
TAXONOMY :
The scientific name of Austrian pine is Pinus nigra Arnold [13,21].
The species is genetically diverse. Numerous subspecies, varieties,
and forms have been named; there is much controversy as to the
correct interpretation of these infrataxa [21]. In general, there are
three main groups of Austrian pine races recognized:
(1) the western group from around Austria, France, and Spain
(Austrian and Pyrenees pines),
(2) the central group (Corsican pine) from Corsica, Italy, and Sicily, and
(3) the eastern group (Crimean pine) from the Balkans and the Crimea [11,23].
Some natural hybrids with other European pines have been reported.
Artificial hybrids have also been created [23].
LIFE FORM :
Tree
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Pinus nigra
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Austrian pine is native to Europe and Asia. Its range there
extends from Spain and Morocco east to eastern Turkey, south to Cypress,
and north to northeastern Austria and the Crimea, Russia. In the United
States Austrian pine widely planted in northern states in New
England, around the Great Lakes, and in the Northwest. It has
naturalized in New England and the Great Lakes States [21].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES10 White - red - jack pine
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES18 Maple - beech - birch
STATES :
CT IL ME MD MA MI MS MO NJ NY OH PA WV
AB BC ON PE QC
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
NO-ENTRY
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
NO-ENTRY
SAF COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
In Europe trees usually associated with Austrian pine include
Scotch 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,
Austrian pine may be developing natural associations [21].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Pinus nigra
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
The wood of Austrian pine is similar to that of Scotch pine and
red pine (Pinus resinosa), which is moderately hard and
straight-grained. Austrian pine wood, however, is rougher, softer,
and not as strong [21].
In the Mediterranean region Austrian pine wood is used for general
construction, fuel, and in other purposes [21].
In the United States Austrian pine is of little importance as a
timber species. It is planted mainly for shelterbelts [21].
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
In Wyoming mule deer that were forced onto a conifer tree nursery by
bad weather browsed Austrian 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 [9].
PALATABILITY :
White-tailed deer showed intermediate preference for Austrian pine
as compared to other ornamental species (including yews [Taxus spp.],
other conifers, and various hardwoods) [2].
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
COVER VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
Austrian pine is recommended for planting on strip-mined lands in
Pennsylvania [10]. It has probably not been widely used for
surface-mine plantings. Austrian pine 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 [22]. In
Idaho it was reported as having good potential for revegetating sites
denuded by heavy metal pollution from smelter emissions [1].
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
In the United States Austrian pine is mainly planted for
shelterbelts, as a street tree, and as an ornamental [21,22]. It is
recommended for windbreaks in the Northern Great Plains on medium to
deep moist or upland soils [16]. 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 [21]. It
is resistant to snow and ice damage. In Missouri Austrian pines
were undamaged by a sleet storm that caused widespread and extensive
damage to many other street trees [4].
One- to three-year-old Austrian pine 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) [5].
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Most of the Austrian pine planted in the United States is from
Austrian sources [21].
Austrian pine seedlings up to about 2 months of age are subject to
predation by voles and rabbits; older seedlings apparently become
unpalatable [21].
Insects and diseases: Austrian 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 Austrian pine. Other diseases include Lophodermium needle
cast, which is damaging to Austrian pine in the Great Lakes States
[21]. Austrian pine is also moderately to highly susceptible to
infection by brown spot needle disease [18]. The dagger nematode
damages seedlings. Insect damage to Austrian pine is generally of
less importance than damage by fungal pathogens [21].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Pinus nigra
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Austrian pine is an introduced, medium-sized, two-needle pine [7].
Mature height (approximately 80 years of age [21]) ranges from 66 to 165
feet (20-50 m) [11]. 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 [14]. The bark becomes
increasingly creviced with age [17]. Austrian pine is
fast growing and usually has a pyramidal form. It has deep lateral
roots. Austrian pine is long lived; harvest rotation times of up
to 360 years have been used in Europe [21].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Phanerophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Austrian 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 [21]. The winged seeds are wind dispersed [11]. Fresh seed
does not require stratification for good germination, but stored seeds
can be cold stratified for up to 60 days to hasten germination [11].
Austrian pine can be propagated by grafting [21].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Austrian pine is mainly suited to northern temperate climate zones
in the United States; it does not grow well in the southern states [21].
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 [11,21]. Austrian pine grows well on high pH
soils in New England. Some provenances exhibit better winter hardiness
than others [21].
In Europe, Austrian pine is found at elevations ranging from 820
to 5,910 feet (250-1,800 m) [21].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Austrian pine is intolerant of shade and needs to be planted in
full sun [21,22]. In England direct sowing of Austrian pine seeds
is successful on north-facing slopes on young sand dunes [21]. European
black pine (Corsican pine) plantations in England develop a more closed
canopy than similar-aged plantations of Scotch pine [17].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
In Ontario Austrian 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 [21].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Pinus nigra
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
In Europe, Austrian pine is associated with Scotch pine, a species
which is maintained by periodic fire. No information on the fire
adaptations of Austrian pine is available in the English language
literature.
FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find Fire Regimes".
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Tree without adventitious-bud root crown
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Pinus nigra
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
No specific information on the effect of fire on Austrian pine is
available in the English language literature.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
NO-ENTRY
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
NO-ENTRY
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Pinus nigra
REFERENCES :
1. Carter, Daniel B.; Loewenstein, Howard. 1978. Factors affecting the
revegetation of smelter-contaminated soils. Reclamation Review. 1(3/4):
113-119. [22577]
2. Conover, M. R.; Kania, G. S. 1988. Browsing preference of white-tailed
deer for different ornamental species. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 16:
175-179. [8933]
3. Critchfield, William B.; Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1966. Geographic
distribution of the pines of the world. Misc. Publ. 991. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 97 p. [20314]
4. Croxton, W. C. 1939. A study of the tolerance of trees to breakage by
ice accumulation. Ecology. 20: 71-73. [5993]
5. Davis, D. D.; Umbach, D. M.; Coppolino, J. B. 1981. Susceptibility of
tree and shrub species and response of black cherry foliage to ozone.
Plant Disease. 65(11): 904-907. [12517]
6. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
7. Fernald, Merritt Lyndon. 1950. Gray's manual of botany. [Corrections
supplied by R. C. Rollins]. Portland, OR: Dioscorides Press. 1632 p.
(Dudley, Theodore R., gen. ed.; Biosystematics, Floristic & Phylogeny
Series; vol. 2). [14935]
8. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
9. Hammer, Dennie A. 1989. Deer damage to an Austrian pine tree nursery in
Wheatland, Wyoming. In: Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Uresk, Daniel W.; Hamre, R.
H., technical coordinators. Proceedings, 9th Great Plains wildlife
damage control workshop; 1989 April 17-20; Fort Collins, CO. Gen. Tech.
Rep. RM-171. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 105-108.
[9815]
10. Hughes, H. Glenn. 1990. Ecological restoration: fact or fantasy on
strip-mined lands in western Pennsylvania?. In: Hughes, H. Glenn;
Bonnicksen, Thomas M., eds. Restoration '89: the new management
challenge: Proceedings, 1st annual meeting of the Society for Ecological
Restoration; 1989 January 16-20; Oakland, CA. Madison, WI: The
University of Wisconsin Arboretum, Society for Ecological Restoration:
237-243. [14699]
11. Krugman, Stanley L.; Jenkinson, James L. 1974. Pinaceae--pine family.
In: Schopmeyer, C. S., technical coordinator. Seeds of woody plants in
the United States. Agric. Handb. 450. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service: 598-637. [1380]
12. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
13. Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native
and naturalized). Agric. Handb. 541. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service. 375 p. [2952]
14. Mitchell, Alan F. 1972. Conifers in the British Isles: A descriptive
handbook. Forestry Commission Booklet No. 33. London: Her Majesty's
Stationery Office. 322 p. [20571]
15. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
16. Read, Ralph A. 1964. Tree windbreaks for the Central Great Plains.
Agric. Handb. 250. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service. 68 p. [2897]
17. Rose, C. I. 1979. Observations on the ecology and conservation value of
native and introduced tree species. Quarterly Journal of Forestry.
73(4): 219-229. [22219]
18. Skilling, Darroll D.; Nicholls, Thomas H. 1974. Brown spot needle
disease-biology and control in Scotch pine plantations. Research Paper
NC-109. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,
North Central Forest Experiment Station. 19 p. [10512]
19. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern
Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire
Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p. [20090]
20. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982.
National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names.
SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p. [11573]
21. Van Haverbeke, David F. 1990. Pinus nigra Arnold European black pine.
In: Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H., technical coordinators.
Silvics of North America. Volume 1. Conifers. Agric. Handb. 654.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 395-404.
[13178]
22. Vogel, Willis G. 1981. A guide for revegetating coal minespoils in the
eastern United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-68. Broomall, PA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest
Experiment Station. 190 p. [15577]
23. Anon. 1979. Pinus nigra nigra. American Nurseryman. 149(12): 34, 36.
[22216]
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