Pinus ponderosa

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), pin

Called The Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), also gold pine or ponderosa pine, is a species in the genus of the pines of the family (Pinaceae ). In their homeland in western North America, these hardy pine is an important supplier of timber. She is also the official state tree of the U.S. state of Montana.

Dissemination

The ponderosa pine is native to western North America in the Rocky Mountains. Their range extends in a north-south direction from British Columbia to Mexico; east reaches the area to Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado and Texas.

In Europe, the ponderosa pine planted forest in the trial cultivation. Although it is winter hardy in Central Europe, it is rather rare to be found in parks.

Description

The Ponderosa Pine is a handsome evergreen tree native to the best natural layers ( Siskiyou Mountains ) stature heights up to 70 meters, but usually reaches about 30 to 40 meters. He forms a conical shape; even in old trees the crown retains its slender, pointed shape. The bark is thick and furrowed has smooth yellowish to reddish- brown and pink tinted plates. The buds are reddish brown. The dark green needles are in threes in short shoots; they are about 18 to 22 inches long.

The male cones are dark red-brown; by dusting in June they are about 4 inches long. The female cones are terminally most up to fifth in groups. The cones are initially dark purple and then dark brown; they are usually 7 to 10 inches long, but are quite variable in shape and size.

Ponderosa pines and forest fires

The ponderosa pine is particularly well adapted to light fires. Investigations of natural forests have shown that this type experienced on average once every ten years a forest fire. For the ability to withstand a slight forest fire, also contributes to the over five inches thick bark.

Typical of stocks with ponderosa pines is an understory of Douglas firs, which are much more sensitive fire. At the regular, natural forest fires, the Douglas fir are usually destroyed by fire. Since the trees are still relatively low, a burning in the understory fire in a ponderosa pine stock can not spread to the crowns of these trees. Natural yellow - pine stands, therefore, are often reminiscent of a park, as the trees stand apart widely and spreads a fire under them.

Since the early 20th century of forest management in western North America have taken numerous measures to prevent forest fires reasons. This has led to a growing inventory of Douglas firs, which often also grow too dense. An elimination of the undergrowth is usually not economically viable. Since the regular fires are suppressed, accumulates over the decades to the amount of undergrowth. If this large amount then once catches fire on biomass, the fire has so much food that unlike normally also the crowns of ponderosa pine to catch fire. From the damage to the Ponderosa pines can not recover frequently. Forest fires, which are not controlled early enough, so take today often to devastating levels. The dense Douglas fir stocks burn very intensely and due to the size they have reached, go to the fires on the tops of the ponderosa pines on. Which regularly generates firestorms where the flames are over 100 feet high in the air and reach such a high temperature that the stocks will be destroyed on conifer seeds in the ground. Such strong fires often follow mudslides and soil erosion. Since the artificial sealing stand of pines additionally reduces the probability of survival of the stock, trying to rebuild the forests in such a way that the plant densities can be achieved which prevailed prior to the settlement of North America by the old world nowadays.

Etymology

The species name is ponderosa on the English word " ponderous " ( German: difficult) due, as the wood of Ponderosa Pine has a high specific gravity.

System

There are four subspecies (some authors are one of them their own types. ):

• P. ponderosa subsp. ponderosa
• P. ponderosa subsp. benthiama
• P. ponderosa subsp. brachyptera
• P. ponderosa subsp. scopulorum

Synonyms of Pinus ponderosa are: Pinus beardsleyi A.Murray, Pinus benthamiana Hartw, Pinus craigiana A.Murray, Pinus jeffreyi ambigua var Lemmon, Pinus nigricans var jeffreyi Lemmon, Pinus nootkatensis Manetti ex Gordon, Gordon parryana Pinus, Pinus ponderosa var. . benthamiana ( Hartw. ) Vasey, Pinus ponderosa f crispata heavy. , Pinus ponderosa var nana Beissn. , Pinus ponderosa var nigricans ( Lemmon ) Lemmon, Pinus ponderosa var parryana ( Gordon) Rob. , Pinus ponderosa var pendula HWSarg. , Pinus ponderosa subsp. washoensis ( H.Mason & Stockw. ) AEMurray, Pinus sinclairiana Carrière and Pinus washoensis H.Mason & Stockw.

Gallery

P. ponderosa subsp. ponderosa, Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge

P. ponderosa subsp. ponderosa, cultured, Newcastle, UK

P. ponderosa

P. ponderosa, is considered as the supreme example of this kind in Oregon

Swell

• Information on the type (English) at The Gymnosperm Database