Abies nordmanniana

Snow covered old trees of the Nordmann Fir ( Abies nordmanniana ).

The Nordmann Fir ( Abies nordmanniana ), standard language Nordmann fir, Nordmann fir and pine and Caucasus called, is a species of the genus fir (Abies ) in the pine family ( Pinaceae ). It was named after the Finnish biologist Alexander von Nordmann ( 1803-1866 ).

Description

Habit

The Nordmann Fir is up to 2 meters reaches a powerful, geradstämmiger, evergreen tree, the growth heights of up to 40 to 60 meters and trunk diameter. It can reach a maximum age of 500 years. The densely beastete tree crown is pyramidal in shape and extends down to at half tree height in dense stands. Mature trees can, similar to the silver fir (Abies alba ) form a so-called " stork's nest crown ". Free-standing trees are beastet to the bottom.

Buds and needles

The Nordmann fir is 3 to 4 mm long, dark brown to reddish brown colored, oblong- ovoid buds. The buds are always free of resin. They are usually solitary, but also to two or three at the shoot tips. The Nordmann fir has rigid, non- stinging, 10-30 mm long and 2-3 mm broad needles. They are glossy dark green above, pale green with two distinctive white Stomatastreifen. The needle position depends on the position of the branch in the crown off. Lower, shaded branches have apparently double-spaced needles. Branches at higher, more exposed light positions have spirally arranged needles. These cover the driving surface from complete and are arranged like roof tiles. The needles remain between six and seven years on the tree before they fall off.

In the broadcast on November 25, 2006 episode of the TV show " Ask times but the mouse " 187 333 needles were at a Nordmann fir of 1.63 m, the average size of a German Christmas tree counted.

Bark

The bark of the branches is thin and gray to brown. The bark of the upper trunk is smooth and has a grayish coloration while the cracked bark of the stem base is dark gray in color and much thicker.

Root

Seedlings form a deep reaching tap root which is complemented by strong lateral roots in old age. Even on shallow soils, the enigmatic taproot remains alive. Because of the Nordmann Fir is extremely storm-proof. There are no information on mycorrhizal partners.

Wood

The soft and very resistant to bending wood of Nordmann fir has a whitish to yellowish color. There is no difference in color between heartwood and sapwood. The annual rings are clearly visible. The wood usually has no resin canals. After injuries are caused short-lived, little resin manufacturing, traumatic resin canals.

Flowers, cones and seeds

The flowering period is in May. The 10 to 20 millimeters long, ovoid male cones have a reddish- brown to reddish- yellow color. They are in the axils of last year's needles and are mainly found in the lower crown area.

The upright female cones first have a greenish, later a yellow-green to reddish color. The resin -covered drop cylindrical red-brown pins have a length of 8 to 16 centimeters and a diameter of 3 to 5 centimeters. The seeds ripen from September to October, the winged seeds are about 1 centimeter in size. The almost square Deckschuppen look out from under the seed shed. It produces two seeds per seed scale. The seeds shed at the spigot base usually remain sterile.

The wedge-shaped brown seeds are from 6 to 10 mm long and 5-8 mm wide. They have two purple or brown colored wings. Said wings are two to three times as large as the seeds. The germination is 45 to 50%. The thousand-seed weight is about 54 grams.

It is increasingly difficult for the climbing cone pickers to find old trees, as the pines are much too strong embarked on the Russian and Georgian mountain slopes of the Caucasus. In Germany already Saattannen are grown in the Eifel.

Occurrence

The Nordmann Fir is native to the western Caucasus and the Ostpontischen Mountains in Georgia, Russia and the northeastern Turkey. Its distribution area does not form a contiguous area. The total area of ​​the distribution area in the mountains Ostpontischen comprises approximately 13,200 hectares.

It grows in cool -humid climate on deep, humus-rich loamy soils at altitudes between 900 ( individual trees even above 400) and 2,100 meters. They preferred north-facing slopes. It is kalktolerant and forms pure stands or mixed forests with the Caucasian Spruce ( Picea orientalis ) and the Orient beech ( Fagus orientalis).

Because of their deep root system, the Nordmann fir is often planted in mixed forests, to make this storm resistant.

System

The first description this kind took place in 1838 under the name Pinus nordmanniana by Christian von Steven in the Bulletin de la Societe Imperiale des Naturalistes de Moscou, 1, p 45, panel 2 Édouard Spach presented in 1841 in Histoire Naturelle of Végétaux. Phanerogames, 11, p 418 this kind under the still valid species name Abies nordmanniana in the genus Abies. Abies nordmanniana belongs to the section of the genus Abies in Abies.

From Abies nordmanniana ( Steven ) Spach, there are two subspecies:

• Abies nordmanniana ( Steven ) Spach subsp. nordmanniana ( syn. Pinus nordmanniana Steven, Picea nordmanniana ( Steven ) Loudon, Pinus abies var nordmanniana ( Steven ) Mueller, Abies leioclada ( Steven ) Gordon, AIEs pectinata var leioclada ( Steven ex Endl ) Carr. ).
• Troy - fir ( Abies nordmanniana subsp equi - Trojani ( Aschers. et Sint ex Boiss ) Coode et Cullen, Syn: .. . Abies cephalonica var Apollinis (Link) Beissner, A. nordmanniana var equi - Trojani Guinier et Maire, A. nordmanniana subsp. equi - Trojani ( Asch. et SINb. ) Coode et Cullen, A. pectinata var equi - Trojani Aschers. et Sint. ex Boiss., A. bornmuelleriana Matt field, A. cephalonica var graeca ( Fraas ) Liu )

Pests

In its natural range the Nordmann Fir is hardly threatened by diseases and insect pests. When insect pests of pine bark beetles are small ( Cryphalus piceae ), the silver fir woolly aphid ( Dreyfusia nordmannianae ) and some needle -eating beetle species called the cause hardly any major damage. None of the parasitic fungus species specializes in Nordmann fir.

Use

Due to its small distribution area, the Nordmann fir has little economic significance in their homeland. The wood is used for the production of pulp and paper. In Central Europe the Nordmann Fir is hardly grown in forestry, because she suffers from severe winters and late frosts. But it is a popular park tree and is grown on plantations as a Christmas tree.

The most important Christmas tree producer is Denmark with around 4,000 (large) producers and a stock of good 100 million Nordmann firs, of which about 5 million are exported annually. The largest European nursery for Nordmann Christmas trees is the Danish Green Team Group; one of the greats in the industry also includes HedeDanmark, a subsidiary of the Danish Heath Society. The largest European importer of Nordmann fir seed is Levinsen & Abies, also from Denmark (2011 ). The best quality Samenherkünfte ( provenances ) for this lie east of Schaori Reservoir to the Georgian villages Ambrolauri and Tlugi and to Borjomi in the region.

Yields per hectare of Nordmann fir Christmas tree plantations in the culture amounts depending on unused Origin Quality 32000-154000 euros.

Swell

• Cemil Ata: Abies nordmanniana. In: Peter Schütt, Horst Weisgerber, Hans J. Schuck, Ulla Lang, Bernd vocal, Andreas Roloff: Encyclopedia of conifers. Dissemination - description - Ecology - use; the great encyclopedia. Nikol, Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-933203-80-5, pp. 59-68.
• Christopher J. Earle: Abies nordmanniana. In: The Gymnosperm Database. Accessed on 18 December 2010 (English, Section Description and systematics).