INTRINSIC QUALITIES AND GROWTH- POTENT IAL OF 

 PINUS CEMBRA AND PINUS PEUCE IN EUROPE 



Kurt Holzer 

 InstitUt fIXv ForstpflanzenzUchtung und Genetik 3 

 Fovstliehe Bundesversuchsanstalt, Vienna, Austria 



.ABSTRACT 



Some details concerning growth and qualities of native European 

 white pines are reported. There are only the two native 

 species --Pinus oenbra in the Alps and the Carpathian mountains 

 and P. veuae in the mountains of the Balkan peninsula. ?. 

 sibivica (i.e., P. eembra var. sibirioa grows in northern 

 Siberia and covers a great part of this country. All of these 

 species are from high altitudes or latitudes, and so we find 

 they exhibit very slow juvenile growth. Growth rate of P. peuce 

 may increase with time, but P. sibiriaa is mostly slow growing 

 throughout its rotation and P. cerrbva from the Alps in Europe 

 and probably the mountainous forms of P. sibivica are even 

 slower growing. 



The trees of these species reach great age, especially ?. 

 cembra (and P. sibirioa) where an age of 300 years and more 

 is common. Height growth and wood production is satisfactory 

 if site conditions of the stands are considered. In their 

 natural mixed stands individuals of these species exhibit the 

 best growth. 



Wood quality is good and the wood is in high demand, so the 

 price is fairly high. 



Both species are used for mountainous forestry and are very 

 important for reforestation of the subalpine zone; in this 

 zone they are also important on watersheds, stabilizing 

 avalanche areas and reducing effects of flash floods. 



Introduced white pines (Pinus strobus and Pinus waVlichiana excepted) 

 are not planted in forest stands in Europe, and are not reported 

 upon here. 



INTRODUCTION 



In Europe the pine flora is quite impoverished, and in common with 

 this only two species of white pines are native. These two species are 

 Pinus ae^bra L., the Swiss stone pine (Zirbe, Arve , etc.), with its 

 distribution in central Europe in the highest forest zone of the Alps and 

 the Carpathian Mountains, and Pinus peuee Griseb., the Balkan pine 



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