Pinus brutia
Pinus brutia Ten.
Pinaceae – Pine family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR A2a; C2a(i); D]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Evergreen coniferous tree, up to 20 m high, crown ovoid, branches spread, bark of the trunk and branches silvery grey, with the age becoming reddish brown, deeply cracked. Twigs glabrous, reddish or greyish green. Buds not resinous. Needles 80–120 × 1–1.5 mm, in pairs, thick, stiff, dark green. Cones 5–11 × 4 cm, brown, shiny, apophyse bent, stalk very short, upright (cone practically subsessile). Seeds about 8 mm, wings about 20 mm. Fl. III–IV, fr. X–XI. Wind pollination. Reproduction by seeds.
Habitats and populations. Grows in xerothermic habitats. The population in Ronkite locality near Dolno Lukovo village numbered 180 individuals of different ages. In 2002, after a forest fire, 16 trees survived, among them the founder of the population (although much damaged). Only one plant exists in the second known locality.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Rhodopi Mts (eastern – Ronkite locality north of Dolno Lukovo village and Generalski Pagon locality near Bezhantsi frontier post, Ivailovgrad region); up to 500 m alt.
General distribution. E Mediterranean (Calabria, NE Greece, Crete, Turkey, Bulgaria).
Threats. Limited distribution; forest fires in dry habitats, where the species grows; afforestation.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species by the Biodiversity Act. The localities are within a site of the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Raising awareness of local foresters about the conservation value of the species and protection of the single individuals.
Note. Christensen (1999) considers P. brutia Ten. a subspecies of P. halepensis Mill.
References. Christensen 1999; Tashev 2003; Petrova et al. 2004.
Author: Antoaneta Petrova
