Index of Species Information
SPECIES: Pinus radiata
Introductory
SPECIES: Pinus radiata
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Cope, Amy B. 1993. Pinus radiata. 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/pinrad/all.html [].
ABBREVIATION :
PINRAD
SYNONYMS :
Pinus insignis Dougl. ex Loud.
Pinus muricata D. Don var. cedrosensis Howell
SCS PLANT CODE :
PIRA2
COMMON NAMES :
Monterey pine
insignis pine
radiata pine
Cambria pine
Guadalupe Island pine
Cedros Island pine
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name of Monterey pine is Pinus radiata
D. Don [12,31,32,33,43]. There are three recognized varieties [10,38]:
Pinus radiata var. radiata
Pinus radiata var. binata Lemmon
Pinus radiata var. cedrosensis (Howell) Axelrod.
Monterey pine hybridizes with knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata) and bishop
pine (Pinus muricata) [12,32,25].
LIFE FORM :
Tree
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
None
OTHER STATUS :
Information on state- and province-level protection status of plants in the
United States and Canada is available at NatureServe.
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Pinus radiata
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
The typical variety of Monterey pine occurs along the coast of
California in three disjunct populations in San Mateo and Santa Cruz
counties, Monterey County, and San Luis Obispo County. Pinus radiata
var. binata occurs on Guadalupe Island, Mexico [12,32,33,35,42]. Pinus
radiata var. cedrosensis is found on Cedros Island, Mexico [10,12,38].
Monterey pine is cultivated for timber in Maui, Hawaii [33]. It is also
widely planted for timber in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa,
Chile, Spain, and the British Isles [33,35,41,46,51].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
STATES :
CA HI MEXICO
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
3 Southern Pacific Border
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K009 Pine - cypress forest
K030 California oakwoods
SAF COVER TYPES :
255 California coast live oak
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Monterey pine is part of the coastal closed-cone coniferous woodland
[23]. It is named as a dominant canopy member in the following
publications:
Terrestrial natural communities of California [23]
A vegetation classification system applied to southern California [44]
Vascular plant communities of California [50]
The closed cone pines and cypress [52]
Associated trees not mentioned in distribution and occurrence are Gowen
cypress (Cupressus goveniana var. goveniana), Monterey cypress (C.
macrocarpa), Santa Cruz cypress (C. goveniana var. abramsiana), Tecate
cypress (C. guadalupensis var. forbesii), bishop pine (Pinus muricata),
and Pacific madrone (Arbutus mensiesii) [23,36,50,52]. Understory
associates include woolyleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos tomentosa),
California huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), poison-oak (Toxicodendron
diversiloba), El Dorado bedstraw (Galium californicum), thingrass
(Agrostis diegoensis), and blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus) [23,52].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Pinus radiata
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
Monterey pine wood is light, soft, and coarse grained [35,43]. It is of
little commercial value in the United States except as fuelwood [35].
In other parts of the world it is used for general construction,
flooring, furniture, joinery, plywood, reconstituted panel products, and
paper. When treated with preservatives it cab be used for siding,
decking, external trim, poles, piles, fencing, and railroad ties [4].
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Goats, black-tailed deer, and porcupine browse Monterey pine. Porcupine
also eat the bark [27,30,35]. Birds and small mammals consume the seeds
[35].
PALATABILITY :
NO-ENTRY
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
COVER VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
Monterey pine is planted for erosion control [35]. Ease of
establishment and a widespreading root system make it a good species for
stabilizing soils on steep slopes [28].
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
Monterey pine is valued for shade and as an ornamental [33,35]. It
provides a barrier to wind and noise [35,53]. It is also used for
Christmas trees [35].
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Cone processing and nursery practices are discussed in the literature
[11,25].
Monterey pine is affected by many pests such as western dwarf mistletoe,
western gall rust, various needle blights, and moths [2,35,44].
Monterey pine is moderately windfirm on deep soils [35].
Goats have nearly eradicated all natural regeneration of Montery pine on
Gudalupe Island [27,35].
Much of the Monterey pine planted as ornamentals comes from New Zealand
stock. This stock originated from native California populations several
generations ago. In Cambria and Monterey, California, this imported
stock is crossbreeding with native individuals. The genetic effects of
this crossbreeding on native trees is unknown, and preserving genotypes
of native individuals is a point of management concern [39]. Monterey
pine is the subject of a genetic conservation program [27].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Pinus radiata
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Monterey pine is a native, evergreen conifer. It attains a height of
49.5 to 115.5 feet (15-35 m) and a d.b.h. of 24 to 36 inches (60-90 cm)
[43]. The outer bark is narrowly ridged and the inner bark is resinous
[33,43]. The needles occur in clusters of three and are 4 to 6 inches
(10-15 cm) long. They persist for approximately 3 years [11,33,43].
Cones are 3 to 5.5 inches (7.5-14 cm) long and occur in one or more
clusters of three to five around the branch [16,33,43,54]. Monterey
pine lives a maximum of 80 to 90 years [49].
Monterey pine has a low frost tolerance [35].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Phanerophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
The minimum seed-bearing age for Monterey pine is between 5 and 10
years. Maximum seed production beings at 15 or 20 years of age if trees
are open-grown, and later if stands are dense [11,25,35]. Cones are
produced annually, with good cone crops produced every other year [25].
Mature cones remain attached to the branch. They may remain closed for
several years, depending upon temperature and humidity. Cones open and
release seed during warm, dry periods and close rapidly when temperature
drops and relative humidity increases. This results in a constant but
meager seed rain [52]. The cones of native populations open
infrequently because their habitat is typically cool and moist.
Seedfall is heaviest in warm, dry years [35]. Unreleased seed remains
viable for decades. Seeds from cones up to 24 years of age have
germinated; however, germinative capacity appears to fall off with
progressing years [52]. Seeds can be exposed to a temperature of 203
degrees Fahrenheit (95 deg C) before germination is significantly
reduced [29]. Seedling recruitment is best on mineral soil [52].
Details of growth are discussed in the literature [11].
Monterey pine does not reproduce by sprouting [14,35].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
The climate where Monterey pine occurs is humid with mild year-round
temperatures. Winters are wet. Rain does not usually fall in July and
August, but tree crowns collect moisture from summer fog moving inland
[35]. On Guadalupe and Cedros islands the climate is mediterranean
[23,35].
Soils in which Monterey pine grows are often deep, sandy loams with a
clay layer 20 to 33 inches (50-80 cm) below the surface. Good sites
have a top layer of organic soil. Soils are generally acidic [35].
Slopes are typically gentle and often north facing [35].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Facultative Seral Species
Monterey pine normally invades dry sites with poor, shallow soils. It
also invades oldfields after land clearance, grazing, fire, or logging
[48]. Trees establish in even-aged stands [52].
Monterey pine has intermediate shade tolerance [6,35]. As it matures it
becomes even less tolerant of shade, and shows optimal growth in full
sunlight [5].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Pollination occurs from January to February but may be extended due to
high temperatures [15,25,35]. Cones open and seeds are dispersed in the
first warm, moist days of late winter and early spring. Cones may open
and close several times as moisture and temperature conditions fluctuate
[35].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Pinus radiata
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Monterey pine cones are serotinous; seeds are released when cones are
exposed to heat such as fire or high air temperature [19,31,37,53].
Fire is particularly effective for opening cones and releasing seeds.
It also creates a favorable seedbed. Reproduction rates are greatest
after surface fire in which the parent trees survive [52].
The foliage of Monterey pine is low in volatile terpenes [10].
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
Crown residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Pinus radiata
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Monterey pine is killed by severe surface or crown fire. Trees survive
crown scorch unless it is extensive. In South Africa Monterey pine
survived a surface wildfire except where crown scorch was greater than
90 percent [13,14]. Trees are damaged by direct heat. Exposure to a
temperature of 424 degrees Fahrenheit (200 deg C) for more than half a
minute resulted in cambium death wherever heat was applied [13,52].
Such localized burning or scorching of bark of mature trees causes
scarring but may not result in tree death [52].
Young, thin-barked Monterey pine are often killed by fire, particularly
when stands are dense and crown fire occurs [52].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Monterey pine cones open and release seed after fire [19]. In
California, White [in 52] reported a seedling density of 196 per acre
(490/ha) the January following a spring wildfire. Seedlings were 12 to
22.4 inches (30-56 cm) tall.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Thinning and pruning in Monterey pine plantations result in accumulation
of flammable fuels [8]. Crown scorch and cambium damage are reduced
when slash is mechanically reduced before burning [8].
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Pinus radiata
REFERENCES :
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FEIS Home Page
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