Pinus Coulteri Research Articles

New records of coniferous species (Gymnospermae, Pinidae) for the non-native woody flora of Tunisia and North Africa

Abstract Ten new taxa of gymnosperms are added to the non-indigenous woody flora of Tunisia, after almost two decades of botanical surveys. Four of them (Cryptomeria japonica, Pinus brutia var. pityusa, Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, Taxodium distichum var. distichum) are also new for the flora of North Africa. Pinus coulteri is here first reported for the Mediterranean Basin. Three genera (Cryptomeria, Pseudotsuga and Taxodium) are firstly recorded for the non-native vascular flora of Africa whereas two genera (Cedrus and Platycladus) are reported for the first time only for the woody flora of Tunisia. Brief descriptions together with filed photographs, global distributions and habitats at national scale are provided. Some taxonomic comments on their distinguishable features as well as updated keys are also presented.

Anatomical and morphological features of the needles of Coulter pine (<i>Pinus coulteri</i> D. Don) under the conditions of the Southern Coast of the Crimea

The article presents the results of studying the anatomical and morphological features of vegetative organs of the North American species Pinus coulteri D. Don when introduced to the Southern Coast of the Crimea (SCC). The research was carried out in the park communities of the SCC using generally accepted methods. The features of the formation of annual growth of shoots, metric indicators of needles, as well as the specifics of morpho-anatomical structures of needles are determined. It was found that the average length of shoots of model trees of P. coulteri in park communities of the SCC varies from 5.1±0.2 to 5.7±0.3 cm. The length of the annual increase under the conditions of introduction is influenced by the amount of precipitation of the previous year (r = 0.91). The length of needles on the SCC is within these values in the natural area, but the average values are slightly lower. Anatomical features of P. coulteri needles are quite stable under various cultivation conditions. P. coulteri needles are stiff due to the increased number of sclerotized hypodermic cells. In P. coulteri needles, some inclusions with essential oil are noted, the maximum amount of which is in the first layer of the mesophyll.

Factors Associated with Establishment and Growth of Pinus coulteri and Pinus sabiniana in California’s Central Coast Bioregion

Abstract Forest inventory indicated recent decline in a P. coulteri population at its northern extent but live stems in sympatric P. sabiniana increased. Patterns of cone production, localized factors associated with regeneration, relations between wildfire and tree age distributions, and correlations between climate, seedling establishment, and tree growth were analyzed as potential mechanisms underlying unequal demographics between the two species. Four findings emerged: (1) P. sabiniana had a higher frequency of open cones at the time of observation, but cone production was size-biased, and cone production rates were similar for both species; (2) P. sabiniana seedlings were associated with a higher proportion of bare ground cover and westerly aspects, whereas establishment of P. coulteri seedlings was correlated with warm growing seasons and high vapor-pressure deficits, and seedlings occurred on northernly aspects; (3) age distributions of stands inside and outside a wildfire perimeter did not differ for either species, but annual growth increments of P. coulteri were greater within the fire perimeter; and (4) P. coulteri was even-aged, establishment was episodic, and occurred approximately 10 years post-wildfire. In contrast, the age distribution of P. sabiniana was highly variable, consistent with continuous recruitment, and establishment was not correlated with a climate signal.

Susceptibility of Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri) to western dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium campylopodum) in southern California

AbstractThe susceptibility of Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri) to western dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium campylopodum) was evaluated in southern California. Eight stands infested with western dwarf mistletoe and dominated by Coulter and Jeffrey pines (Pinus jeffreyi) were sampled. Infection of Coulter pine was evaluated using circular plots established around large, severely infected Jeffrey pines and with rectangular transects. A total of 25 plots and 10 transects were sampled. In each plot and transect, live trees > 5 cm in diameter at breast height (1.4 m above the ground) were assigned a dwarf mistletoe rating (6‐class system). Nearly 600 Jeffrey pines and more than 400 Coulter pines were evaluated. Infection of Jeffrey and Coulter pines in the plots and transects averaged 96% and 97%, respectively. These data indicate that Coulter pine should be classified as a principal host of WDM and not as a secondary host as previously reported.

Correction to: Sordaria fimicola-like ascomycete isolated from Pinus coulteri. Needles in Slovakia

The original version of this article has been corrected to reflect the proper rendering of Fig. 1 after it was reported by the author that Fig. 1 was not loaded properly and did not show all of the necessary information. The original article has been corrected.

Sordaria fimicola-like ascomycete isolated from Pinus coulteri needles in Slovakia

This is the first report of Sordaria fimicola-like ascomycete which was encountered during a diversity study of injured tissues of coulter pine in Slovakia. The fungus was identified as Sordaria fimicola by morphological analyses. Sequence analysis of internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) showed that the fungus is highly related to the ITS sequences of several S. fimicola isolates documenting wide ecological valence and geographical distribution of S. fimicola-like ascomycetes.

Chemical analysis of phenolic compounds and determination of antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of organic extracts of Pinus coulteri

New bioactive natural products, the phenolic composition and the biological activities of organic extracts from the needles of the Algerian Pinus coulteri were investigated. The analysis by HPLC-DAD of crude extract revealed the presence of 10 phenolic acids and nine flavonoids. In vitro anti-oxidant activities were performed using four different tests. The greatest antiradical activity was found in the ethyl acetate fraction (IC50 = 3.2 ± 0.3 µg/mL), whereas the diethyl ether fraction had the higher contents of total phenolics and flavonoids and exhibited a highest activity in reducing power and β-carotene–linoleic acid tests with EC50= 67.1 ± 0.4 μg/mL and 71.5 ± 0.2% of inhibition, respectively. Furthermore, a low to moderate antimicrobial activity according to all extracts was revealed against eight bacteria tested. The MIC value of chloroform fraction showed a strong degree of antibacterial activity (<0.09 mg/mL). The crude extract was found toxic with LC50 value of 15.2 μg/mL by brine shrimp toxicity assay. The needle extract of P. coulteri is rich in valuable biologically active compounds and could represent a new resource of anti-oxidant agents for the treatment of diseases.
 Video Clip of Methodology:
 Disc diffusion test: 6 min 41 sec Click to watch

Clonostachys rosea associated with ponderosa and Coulter pine needles in Slovakia

Abstractis an important biological control agent against various plant pathogenic fungi. We collected – necrotic ponderosa and Coulter pine needles and obtained

Comparison of the fungi Pestalotiopsis funerea (Desm.) Steyaert and Truncatella hartigii (Tubeuf) Steyaert isolated from some species of the genus Pinus L. in morphological characteristics of conidia and appendages

The similarity of and differences between the fungi Pestalotiopsis funerea (Desmazières) Steyaert and Truncatella hartigii (Tubeuf) Steyaert that damage the needles of the host plants Pinus ponderosa Peter & Charles Lawson, Pinus coulteri D. Don and Pinus nigra Arnold planted in Mlyňany ArborĂŠtum, were evaluated with emphasis on comparison of the morphology of their conidia and appendages. Conidia of P. funerea were fusiform to ellipsoid, straight to slightly curved, 4-septate with 3 (4-6) apical sometimes branched appendages. The basal cell was short, hyaline, obtuse and thin-walled with basal, hyaline, filiform, straight, unbranched and single appendage. Conidia of T. hartigii were fusiform, 3-septate, without basal appendages. 2-3 apical appendages arising from the apical cell were attenuated, flexuous, sometimes dichotomously branched. The highest occurrence of the fungi P. funerea and T. hartigii indicates the influence of biotic stresses on properties of these pine trees.

Thirty Year Analysis of Forest and Scrub Canopy Cover on the Big Sur Coast of California using Landsat Imagery

The potential for negative effects such as habitat loss and high severity wildfires on endemic and threatened biological resources on the United States Pacific coast from recent climate warming has received increasing attention. This study was designed to quantify, for the first time, variations in forest and coastal bluff scrub canopy density and related growth rates using 30 consecutive years of April-to-June Landsat satellite image data for the central California coast around Big Sur. A trend model was fit to multi-year Landsat NDVI time series using least squares non-linear regression on time. Analysis showed that annual growth rates for coast redwood stands in the Big Sur area, the southern-most range for Sequoia sempervirens on the Pacific coast, have been depressed by periods of drought that exceeded -1.2 standard deviations of long-term annual precipitation. There was no evidence from the Landsat record that recent large wildfires have affected region-wide coast redwood stand structure or growth rates. Nonetheless, extensive wildfires of 2008 did have a marked (albeit temporary) impact on canopy density of the region’s mixed hardwood and Coulter pine forest zones, equivalent to the extreme drought effects of 1990-1991 and 2013-2014 on these higher elevation forest zones.

The Spanish and Mexican Baseline of California Tree and Shrubland Distributions Since the Late 18th Century

Historical distributions of 31 tree species, chaparral, and coastal sage scrub described by Spanish land explorers in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries (1769–1806) and in land grant diseños (1784–1846) are reconstructed at 634 localities across central and southern California. This baseline predates most formal botanical surveys by nearly a century, allowing for assessment of vegetation change over the broadest time frame for comparison with pre-historical evidences and future distributions. Spanish accounts are compared with historical sources in the Mexican era (1821–1848), American settlement (1848–1929), and modern range maps of the 1929–1934 Vegetation Type Map (VTM) survey. Among tree species that were recorded in Spanish explorations, the site-specific localities are consistent with VTM maps at the spatial resolution of the land expeditions. In contrast with massive deforestation across eastern North America since European colonization, hardwood and conifer forests in California sustained inconsequential cutting during Hispanic settlement. Spanish accounts and Mexican diseños occasionally provide remarkable detail of fine-scale distributions which have not changed over the past two centuries, including Pinus radiata forest at Cambria and Monterey, the eastern limit of Quercus lobata and Q. agrifolia woodlands with Aesculus californica in the Salinas Valley, as well as isolated stands of Cupressus macrocarpa and C. sargentii. Disjunct occurrences of trees in southern California were recorded at the same places they occur today, including an isolated grove of Q. engelmannii at the Baldwin Park Arboretum, and the Pinus coulteri stand in the mountains above Santa Barbara. The southern margin of mixed conifer forest in the San Bernardino Mountains has remained on the crest of the range since Garcés’ account in 1776. Long-term tree distributions are evaluated with respect to land use, grazing and climate change. We advocate the use of historical records as proxy data for climate change studies.

Effect of tree planting design and tree species on human thermal comfort in the tropics

Trees behave in different ways on microclimate due to mainly distinct features of each species and planting strategies especially in the tropics. This paper quantifies the daily and seasonal microclimate behavior of various tree species with different planting design either individual or in clusters. This specific knowledge is an important step in the development of urban design guidelines based on the shading of trees and climate adaptation in urban areas in the tropics. It focuses on human thermal comfort based on the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) for different species. Twelve species were analyzed: Handroanthus chrysotrichus (Mart. ex A.DC.) Mattos, Jacaranda mimosaefolia D. Don., Syzygium cumini L., Mangifera indica L., Pinus palustris L., Pinus coulteri L.; Lafoensia glyptocarpa L., Caesalpinia pluviosa F., Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv., Tipuana tipu F., Delonix indica F. and Senna siamea L. The results show that shading of trees can influence significantly human thermal comfort expressed by (PET). The species C. pluviosa F. presents the best possibility in terms of PET because it can reduce between 12 and 16°C for individual trees cluster can reduce between 12.5 and 14.5°C. Appropriate vegetation used for shading public and private areas is essential to mitigate heat stress and can create better human thermal comfort especially in cities. The results can be seen as a possibility of improvement of outdoor thermal comfort conditions and as an important step in order to achieve sustainability in cities.

Topographic, latitudinal and climatic distribution of Pinus coulteri: geographic range limits are not at the edge of the climate envelope

With changing climate, many species are projected to move poleward or to higher elevations to track suitable climates. The prediction that species will move poleward assumes that geographically marginal populations are at the edge of the species' climatic range. We studied Pinus coulteri from the center to the northern (poleward) edge of its range, and examined three scenarios regarding the relationship between the geographic and climatic margins of a species' range. We used herbarium and iNaturalist.org records to identify P. coulteri sites, generated a species distribution model based on temperature, precipitation, climatic water deficit, and actual evapotranspiration, and projected suitability under future climate scenarios. In fourteen populations from the central to northern portions of the range, we conducted field studies and recorded elevation, slope and aspect (to estimate solar insolation) to examine relationships between local and regional distributions. We found that northern populations of P. coulteri do not occupy the cold or wet edge of the species' climatic range; mid‐latitude, high elevation populations occupy the cold margin. Aspect and insolation of P. coulteri populations changed significantly across latitudes and elevations. Unexpectedly, northern, low‐elevation stands occupy north‐facing aspects and receive low insolation, while central, high‐elevation stands grow on more south‐facing aspects that receive higher insolation. Modeled future climate suitability is projected to be highest in the central, high elevation portion of the species range, and in low‐lying coastal regions under some scenarios, with declining suitability in northern areas under most future scenarios. For P. coulteri, the lack of high elevation habitat combined with a major dispersal barrier may limit northward movement in response to a warming climate. Our analyses demonstrate the importance of distinguishing geographically vs. climatically marginal populations, and the importance of quantitative analysis of the realized climate space to understand species range limits.

Bioclimatic velocity: the pace of species exposure to climate change

AbstractAimTo investigate the velocity of species‐specific exposure to climate change for mid‐ and late 21st century and develop metrics that quantify exposure to climate change over space and time.LocationCalifornia Floristic Province, south‐western USA.MethodsOccurrences from presence/absence inventories of eight Californian endemic tree species (Pinus balfouriana [Grev.&Balf.], Pinus coulteri [D.Don], Pinus muricata [D.Don.], Pinus sabiniana [D.Don], Quercus douglasii [Hook.&Arn.], Quercus engelmannii [Greene], Quercus lobata [Nee] and Quercus wislizeni [A.DC.]) were used to develop eight species distribution models (SDMs) for each species with the BIOMOD platform, and this ensemble was used to construct current suitability maps and future projections based on two global circulation models in two time periods [mid‐century: 2041–2070 and late century (LC): 2071–2100]. From the resulting current and future suitability maps, we calculated a bioclimatic velocity as the ratio of temporal gradient to spatial gradient. We developed and compared eight metrics of temporal exposure to climate change for mid‐ and LC for each species.ResultsThe velocity of species exposure to climate change varies across species and time periods, even for similarly distributed species. We find weak support among the species analysed for higher velocities in exposure to climate change towards the end of the 21st century, coinciding with harsher conditions. The variation in the pace of exposure was greater among species than for climate projections considered.Main conclusionsThe pace of climate change exposure varies depending on period of analysis, species and the spatial extent of conservation decisions (potential ranges versus current distributions). Translating physical climatic space into a biotic climatic space helps informing conservation decisions in a given time frame. However, the influence of spatial and temporal resolution on modelled species distributions needs further consideration in order to better characterize the dynamics of exposure and species‐specific velocities.

Mineral Analysis of Pine Nuts (Pinus spp.) Grown in New Zealand.

Mineral analysis of seven Pinus species grown in different regions of New Zealand; Armand pine (Pinus armandii Franch), Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra L.), Mexican pinyon (Pinus cembroides Zucc. var. bicolor Little), Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri D. Don), Johann’s pine (Pinus johannis M.F. Robert), Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) and Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana Parry ex Carrière), was carried out using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer (ICP-OES) analysis. Fourteen different minerals (Al, B, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, S and Zn) were identified in all seven varieties, except that no Al or Na was found in Pinus coulteri D. Don. New Zealand grown pine nuts are a good source of Cu, Mg, Mn, P and Zn, meeting or exceeding the recommended RDI for these minerals (based on an intake of 50 g nuts/day) while they supplied between 39%–89% of the New Zealand RDI for Fe. Compared to other commonly eaten tree-nuts New Zealand grown pine nuts are an excellent source of essential minerals.

Differential stress tolerance of four pines (Pinaceae) across the elevation gradient of the San Bernardino Mountains, Southern California, USA1

Ecophysiological studies that investigate species sorting across environmental gradients provide insights into the mechanisms underscoring tree distribution patterns. We examined pine functional traits by measuring a suite of physiological parameters including needle water content, spectral reflectance, transpiration decline, and leaf morphology to explore pine stratification patterns across the elevation gradient of the San Bernardino Mountains in southern California. The high and low elevation species demonstrated moisture and solar radiation tolerance. The lowest elevation species, Pinus attenuata Lem., maintained low transpiration rates under drought stress and had high concentrations of photosynthetic pigments indicating high photosynthetic capacity. Pinus coulteri Don was the most stress intolerant pine as demonstrated by high transpiration rates. Although Pinus lambertiana Doug. dominated cooler north-facing slopes, its lower transpiration rates suggested that it was well adapted to moisture stress. Pinus contorta Doug. was a typical high elevation stress tolerant tree growing under high incident solar radiation, heavy snow pack, and severe winds. Our results suggest that water availability and solar radiation intensity are the major factors influencing southern California pine distributions.

Patterns of pine regeneration following a large, severe wildfire in the mountains of southern California

We examined establishment patterns of pines following a large, severe wildfire in the Peninsular Ranges of southern California, USA. The October 2003 Cedar Fire caused 98% pine mortality. In this study, we asked (i) where did seedlings establish and survive in formerly forested areas of the Cuyamaca Mountains 5 years following the high severity fire and (ii) what factors were associated with the spatial pattern of seedling establishment? Factors analyzed were pre-fire vegetation type, fire severity, post-fire vegetation characteristics, topography (slope, aspect, and elevation), and mapped soil type. We used a unique belt-transect survey method following the existing trail network that resulted in a representative sample of post-fire environments. Almost 1300 100 m × 20 m quadrats were searched in 2008–2009, one third of which supported juvenile pines. Regeneration primarily consisted of Coulter pine ( Pinus coulteri D. Don), a weakly serotinous pine that was establishing at densities of 5–2320/ha on half of the quadrats where it had occurred pre-fire. Pinus coulteri regenerated in areas burned at high severity where pre-fire pine cover was high and its abundance was positively associated with higher elevation and cover of bare soil. In contrast, minimal regeneration of nonserotinous pines occurred patchily in areas that were not severely burned.

Reticulate evolution and incomplete lineage sorting among the ponderosa pines

Interspecific gene flow via hybridization may play a major role in evolution by creating reticulate rather than hierarchical lineages in plant species. Occasional diploid pine hybrids indicate the potential for introgression, but reticulation is hard to detect because ancestral polymorphism is still shared across many groups of pine species. Nucleotide sequences for 53 accessions from 17 species in subsection Ponderosae ( Pinus) provide evidence for reticulate evolution. Two discordant patterns among independent low-copy nuclear gene trees and a chloroplast haplotype are better explained by introgression than incomplete lineage sorting or other causes of incongruence. Conflicting resolution of three monophyletic Pinus coulteri accessions is best explained by ancient introgression followed by a genetic bottleneck. More recent hybridization transferred a chloroplast from P. jeffreyi to a sympatric P. washoensis individual. We conclude that incomplete lineage sorting could account for other examples of non-monophyly, and caution against any analysis based on single-accession or single-locus sampling in Pinus.

Species‐Level Impacts on Chaparral Root Zone Hydrology

A set of four unconfined (earthen‐walled) lysimeters in the San Dimas Experimental Forest near Los Angeles, CA, provides a unique opportunity to examine the effect of species‐level vegetation on root zone hydrology under highly controlled experimental conditions. The 28.1‐m2 by 2.1‐m deep lysimeters were specifically designed to minimize variation of all environmental conditions except vegetation. Monocultures of buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum Benth. var. foliolosum Nutt.), chamise (Adenstomata fasciculatum Hooke & Arn.), scrub oak (Quercus dumosa Nutt.), and Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri D. Don.) were planted in 1946. In 1997 two sets of soil cores were sampled from each lysimeter to evaluate species level effects resulting from 50 yr of growth. The cores were analyzed for water content, soil water potential, and pore water chloride. The chloride mass balance approach was used to estimate long‐term average fluxes and residence times of water in the lysimeters. One core from each lysimeter was also analyzed for pore water stable isotope (δ2H) composition. Only small differences were observed between the four species in terms of the shapes of the depth profiles and the absolute values of the hydrologic characteristics and fluxes. However, some differences were statistically significant. For example, differences in some characteristics were found between the chamise and the other species. We also observed differences between the lowest aboveground biomass group (buckwheat and chamise) versus the highest aboveground biomass group (oak and pine). These results suggest that although species‐ and biomass‐level differences in root zone hydrologic behavior appear to be minor, there are detectible differences in how these vegetation types affect the water budget in chaparral ecosystems.

Intraspecific Phylogeography and Adaptive Divergence in the White-Headed Woodpecker

AbstractThis study uses mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to examine the phylogeography of the White-headed Woodpecker (Picoides albolarvatus), one of the least-studied woodpeckers in North America. A mismatch distribution and calculation of Tajima's D indicate that the overall phylogeographic history of the species is characterized by a recent range expansion that probably occurred after the start of the Pleistocene. In addition, a nested clade phylogeographic analysis indicates that additional processes such as allopatric fragmentation and restricted gene flow have influenced the evolutionary history of this species. Traditionally, the White-headed Woodpecker has been split into two subspecies whose distributions meet in the northern part of the Transverse Ranges in California. The two subspecies differ morphologically, with the southern subspecies having a larger bill in proportion to its body size than the northern subspecies. Geographical variation in mtDNA is concordant with a division at the Transverse Ranges that corresponds to the morphological variation seen between the two subspecies. An analysis of molecular variance indicates that 27% of the genetic variation results from differences between the northern and southern subspecies. Furthermore, birds in the northern part of the range differ from those in the southern part of the range by at least one base substitution. These results agree with the hypothesis that the larger bill of the southern subspecies is the result of recent local adaptation to feeding on the large cones of Coulter pines (Pinus coulteri).