WHITE PINES OF EUROPE 



101 



Figure 1. Map of central and southern Europe with the natural 

 distribution of Pinus oerribra and P. pence, after Rubner and 

 Reinhold (1960) , Mirov (1967) , Nevole (1914) , Fekete and 

 Blattny (1913), and Adamovir (1909). 



The stands in the Alps very often were reduced during the last cen- 

 turies by lumbering and other uses made of this tree. Thus there are 

 many places where P. oerribra is now missing, or at which the timberline is 

 lowered because this species is not present. {Picea dbies (L.) Karst. is 

 not able to grow higher up) . We find no association of P. oerribra with 

 soil or rock type, but growth of this species is poorer in calcareous 

 mountains and so it is easier to displace. Other species in these stands 

 are Larix deoidua Mill., up to the timberline, and especially Picea 

 dbies in the more continuous forests. 



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Similar conditions are found for P. veuoe in the mountains of the 

 Balkan Peninsula (Fig. 1) (Adamovic, 1909~; MUller, 1928; Nedjalkov, 1963; 

 Hengst, 1967); like P. oerribva this species is distributed near the upper 

 timberline and extends to about the same altitude. Beginning with single 

 trees in the forests at 1200 m we find the maximal distribution (60 to 70% 

 of all trees) in the zone of 1700 m to 2200 m, very often in pure stands. 

 Above this area we also find single trees in the "Kampfzone" between 

 timberline and treeline. similar to P. oerribra. The highest trees are at 

 2600 m in Montenegro (Mtiller, 1928; Schenck, 1939) . The forests of P. 

 peuce also are mixed with Picea dbies ; but P. peuoe is restricted to the 

 soils of basic reaction (it is replaced by Pinus heldreichii Christ, on 

 the calcareous soils (Hengst, 1967)). Greatest value of P. peuoe is 

 probably for watershed and avalanche protection. 



