Abstract
Since their introduction at the beginning of the 19th century, Casuarina species have become important components of the Algerian landscape, yet the numbers of species present in Algeria and their identity, distribution, and symbiotic status are still not well understood. A survey conducted on 2,304 trees in 96 Casuarina stands across Algeria indicates that they are represented exclusively by five species: Casuarina cristata Miq., C. cunninghamiana Miq., C. equisetifolia L., C. glauca Sieber ex Spreng. and C. junghuhniana Miq. Two species, C. cunninghamiana and C. glauca, were the most common – the former occurring more often in the relatively humid and temperate areas of the country while the latter is most frequent in the drier and warmer areas. Production of seedlings of C. cunninghamiana and C. glauca in 12 nurseries resulted in low rates of spontaneous mycorrhizal infection frequency and nodulation, suggesting that inoculation of seedlings with selected mycorrhizal fungi and/or Frankia strains in the nursery would be necessary to improve their establishment in the field. This study is the first survey of the geographical distribution of Casuarina species in Algeria and should lead to more efficient utilization of this widely used tree genus in Algeria.
Highlights
Casuarina trees are native to Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands (Wheeler et al, 2011)
In all the prospected locations, the examined stands consisted exclusively of representatives of the genus Casuarina which are widespread across all Algerian rangelands and bioclimatic areas
We examined whether seedlings of C. cunninghamiana and C. glauca produced in nurseries in Algeria are naturally mycorrhized and nodulated before their dissemination on the local market
Summary
Casuarina trees are native to Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands (Wheeler et al, 2011) Due to their economic and ecological importance, they have been introduced to over 100 countries around the world with three species (C. cunninghamiana, C. equisetifolia and C. glauca) becoming invasive in many parts of their introduced range (Potgieter et al, 2014). The Casuarina genus comprises around 14 species (19 taxa) (Potgieter et al, 2014) They are evergreen, monoecious, or dioecious shrubs or tall trees that resemble conifers by their growth habit and shape, needle-like leaves, and cone-shaped woody fruits. Despite this resemblance which made them considered in the past as gymnosperms, they are a group of dicotyledonous angiosperms (Eudicots) classed in the order Fagales and the Rosids group as defined by APG IV (APG, 2016)
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