112 RICHARD SCHMITT 



INTRODUCTION 



European forests are composed of relatively few tree species, compared 

 with those of similar temperate regions in America or Asia. This poverty 

 of our flora, mainly due to the east-west direction of the Alps which 

 prevented most tree species from retreating to warmer regions during the 

 glacial period, is more pronounced in the fast growing conifers than in 

 broad-leaved trees. Therefore, because the deciduous forest of western 

 Europe was an economic mainstay in preindustrial times, the European 

 foresters soon tried to enrich it with foreign species. One of the first 

 introductions, perhaps the very first, was eastern white pine (Pinus 

 strobus L.) . 



HISTORY OF EUROPEAN INTRODUCTION AND ADAPTATION OF EASTERN WHITE PINE 



P. strobus was first recorded to be growing in the Royal Gardens of 

 Fontainebleau, France, in 1553 (Lanier, 1961) and at Badminton, Great 

 Britain, in 1705 (MacDonald et at., 1957). Like most exotics it was at 

 first planted out of curiosity as a specimen tree in arboreta and parks. 

 Since it also showed good growth elsewhere in Europe, soon small plots 

 and plantations were established at intervals through the late 18th and 

 19th centuries. This was especially true in Germany during the great 

 reforestation period about 150 years ago. For example, in 1790 near 

 Wolfenbtlttel (Borchers, 1951/52), and 1795 in the community forest of 

 Frankfurt/Main, mixed stands of Scotch pine [Pinus silvestris L.) and 

 eastern white pine were established by seeding; now the fourth generation 

 of these white pines is growing just south of Frankfurt (Eckstein, in 

 press) . 



In France stands of P. strobus were established on various soils in 

 une beech and oak region during the 19th century (Pourtet, 1964); like- 

 wise in Austria during the same period (Rannert, 1958; Cieslar, 1901), and 

 in Slovakia in 1809 (Holubcik, 1968a). 



The first half of the 19th century in Germany brought such widespread 

 planting and natural regeneration of eastern white pine in forests of all 

 ownerships that the management of this tree was the subject of a special 

 meeting of German foresters in 1835 at Strassburg. Foresters at this 

 meeting proclaimed, "We all agree about the good silvicultural qualities 

 of this exotic. But there are several perils: It looks as if a crisis 

 always comes after 40 years of growth" (my translation from Hesse, 1954). 



Half a century later the Union of German Forest Research Institutes 

 made an inquiry concerning adaptation and other qualities of the eastern 

 white pine. In answer, in 1883 a report was published by Weise (cited in 

 Hesse, 1954), and it showed that the tree had proved to be well adapted 

 to German ecological conditions- -from East Prussia to the most southern 

 parts of Germany. Its growth was good except in stands which had been 

 established in the cooler climates of the higher mountains. 



It is astonishing that damage and probable mortality due to the 

 white pine blister rust (pathogen Cronartium ribioola J.C. Fisch. ex 

 Rabenh., first found in the Baltic States in 1854 (Fassi, I960)) was not 

 mentioned in Weise 's report; the disease was already three decades into 

 its 30-year sweep across Europe (between 1865 and 1900, MUlder, 1954). 

 Perhaps mortality was limited' during that period. By 1926, however, 

 losses were obvious and a second request for information was sent to 2,000 



