Conifer and maquis species adaption toward dry regions and habitats

By Nir HerrKKL Nortern Region and Forest Department

July 2010

Detailed phytogeographic Regions: in each region there are component of vegetation from other regions

Dry habitat exist also inside the Mediteranean region

Nahal Limonim

Open forest

Herbacheos on red Terra Rossa

Sparse savana forestGarigue (shrubs)Bata (semi shrubs)

Graduation of Humidity regions

Phytogeographic regions

Semi humid

Semi arid

steppe arid

desert arid

Med

itera

nean

Iran

o-T

uran

ian

Sha

ro-A

rabi

anS

udan

ian

Dry regions in Israel

Southern slopHot and dry

Yatir Forest – 30,000 Dunam on in 270 mm rain regionAfter few dry years partly drying in 2009/10

Dry sites above geologic map and forest stands

Limestone B’ina formation

Chalk Menuha formation

F_AREA

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

15 20 25 30 35 40 45גיל (שנים)

ף?רו

שח

טש

F_AREA

Most of the drying area are in forest stands above the age of 35 years

Yatir Forest trees drying

Dry

ing

area

Age (years)

Each point is area in one Forest Helka

Photographs: ira Haitin

In the previous years in Yatir forest (from Schiller & Atzmon (2009):

WUE: 4טבלה

Measures in 1990, 1997, 2000, 2007 on experiment site in SE Yatir forest, of P. halepensis provenance that had planted in 1985/6

The origin provenanceTrunk diameter, height and survival

The origin influence

Water Use Efficiency (WUE)In Yatir and in the control

P.

bru

tia

P.

pin

ea

P.

hal

epen

sis

p.

can

arie

nsi

s

C.

sem

per

viri

ens

C.

aris

on

ioca

Pis

. A

tlan

tica

Pis

. P

ales

tin

a

Q.

ith

abu

ren

sis

Cer

ato

nia

sil

iqu

a

2005

2006

2007

20080

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

% survical

species

years

2005

2006

2007

2008

P.

brut

ia

P.

hale

pens

is

P.

pine

a

Cup

ress

us

cera

toni

a

Pis

. A

tlant

.

Pis

. P

ales

t.North Reg.

Center Reg.

South Reg.0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

% Survival

Species

Region

North Reg.

Center Reg.

South Reg.

In all over Israel: Survival and development surveys after planting in the KKL regions

In Northern region:Survival percent of the first year in commonconifers and maquis species In 4 separate years.

Maybe a species that survive and grow more can be good to dry region or habitat (origin: tables of Ronen Talmon, forest dep. On the base of regions data)

In the 3 main region in 2007:Survival percent of the first year in commonconifers and maquis species.

The survival In central region looks less good and more differences between species. Maybe it because less irrigation or more variability in the region.

South Reg.Center Reg.North Reg.

8280P. brutia

938983P. halepensis

877484P. pinea944385Cupressus948990ceratonia969288Pis. Atlant.

8194Pis. Palest.

Pinus halepensis looks high survive and stable in the conifers. Ceratonia and Pistacia atlantica are better in the maquis species.

2008200720062005

81809492P. brutia

72849594P. pinea97839092P. halepensis

666789p. canariensis

84858895C. semperviriens

80806793C. arisonioca

96889484Pis. Atlantica

949377Pis. Palestina897685Q. ithaburensis

86909384Ceratonia siliqua

Data of Pinus, Cupressus, Pistacia, Quercus and Ceratonia species. Each year have different average survive and different relations between the species. In the conifers, Pinus halepensis looks more influences by the years.

In the acclimitization plots: Survival and development in the Mediterranean region )from Weinstein, 2002:(

)In the dryer sites there was examined other species(

Few parameters was examined and overall ranking was made. the sites had divided between Terra Rossa sites (usually dryer habitat) and Renzina (More calcarous habitats)

Lab growing experiment. Weight and height of 6 seed source

By growing in stress of high

osmotic solution (Madmony et al, 2003)

Summary

We want to adjust the best species and variants to the site, especially in the dry regions and habitats .This knowledge accepted by few ways :

Survive and development surveys – there there are much data, but summary of the whole region data gives just general information.

Experiences of the foresters about the succeeding of planting in their forests in their condutions. Acclimatization plots and experiments that examine and compare the grow conditions the each species and provenance and try to find the best for each habitat. In addition, lab experiments.

Researches on problematic conditions and events like severe death of trees after long dry period. Not all the information gives the same result. We have to learn the existing information, and use it

according our condition .

Generally, according the data that showed here we can estimate the following:

• P. Brutia and P. pinea usually have an high and stable survivel.• P. halepensis can be survive better than the other species in certain years in part of the sites • Cupressus sempervirens have quite good survive in the north and can be less in other regions.• C. atlantica get the higher rank on rendzina. It was not examined enough in the forest, so we don’t have enough information about it. The provenance origin are partly in use in nursaries and in the forest planting