Pinus coulteri D. Don

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Description:

Trees to 24m; trunk to 1m diam., straight to contorted; crown broad, thin, irregular. Bark dark gray-brown to near black, deeply furrowed, with long, scaly, irregularly anastomosing, rounded ridges. Branches often ascending; twigs stout to moderately slender, violet-brown, often glaucous, aging gray-brown, rough. Buds ovoid, deep red-brown, 1.5(--3)cm, resinous; scale margins white-fringed, apex cuspidate. Leaves 3 per fascicle, slightly spreading, not drooping, mostly ascending in a brush, persisting 3--4 years, 15--30cm ´ ca. 2mm, slightly curved or straight, twisted, dusty gray-green, all surfaces with pale, fine stomatal lines, margins serrulate, apex abruptly subulate; sheath 2--4cm, base persistent. Pollen cones ovoid to cylindric, to 25mm, light purple-brown, aging orange-brown. Seed cones maturing in 2 years, gradually shedding seeds thereafter and moderately persistent, massive, heavy, drooping, asymmetric at base, narrowly ovoid before opening, ovoid-cylindric when open, 20--35cm, pale yellow-brown, resinous, stalks to 3cm; apophyses transverse-rhombic, strongly and sharply cross-keeled, elongate, curved, continuous with umbos to form long, upcurved claws 2.5--3cm. Seeds obovoid; body 15--22mm, dark brown; wing to 25mm. 2 n =24.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthoreFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden
Sourcehttp://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500931

Regional Distribution in the Western United States:

More info on this topic.

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

3 Southern Pacific Border

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/
Rights holder/AuthorUS Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service
Sourcehttp://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pincou/all.html

Immediate Effect of Fire:

More info for the term: surface fire

Large Coulter pine are resistant to all but severe surface fires.
Younger trees are apparently killed by moderate-severity surface or
crown fires [23,54]. No data are available concerning the effect of
crown fire on large-diameter Coulter pine.

A "hot" surface fire on Mt. Diablo killed nearly all Coulter pine,
including large trees. In an area of the mountain where fire was less
severe, however, 9 of 52 Coulter pine survived. Of these trees, all of
those greater than 16 inches (40 cm) in d.b.h. survived, and only one
tree less than 16 inches in d.b.h. survived. Surviving trees had needle
scorch only on lower branches [54].

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/
Rights holder/AuthorUS Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service
Sourcehttp://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pincou/all.html

Population:

Population

Subpopulations are severely fragmented and there is a general decline in the population trend.

Population Trend

Decreasing
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/42352

Occurrence in North America:

CA HI

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/
Rights holder/AuthorUS Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service
Sourcehttp://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pincou/all.html

Post-fire Regeneration:

More info for the terms: crown residual colonizer, root crown

Tree without adventitious-bud root crown
Crown residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/
Rights holder/AuthorUS Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service
Sourcehttp://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pincou/all.html

Threats:

Major Threats

This fire-adapted and fire-dependent (to some extent) species could be at risk from forest succession leading to dominance of less fire-adapted trees in those (usually urbanized) areas where fires are being prevented or put down. Conversely, too frequent fires could destroy seedlings and saplings before they reach a reproductive age. Thus fire control, if not conducted with the ecology of this species in mind, could work against the long-term survival chances of Pinus coulteri. It is unknown whether this situation has already led to decline of the population
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/42352

Distribución:

Actual

Regiones Terrestres Prioritarias: Sierra de Juárez

Laguna de Hanson Sierra Juárez.

Regiones Terrestres Prioritarias: Sierra de San Pedro Mártir

En Baja California, la especie esta dispersa y rara en Sierra Blanca, Sierra Juárez (1200-1800 msnm) y San Pedro Mártir (1900-2150 msnm); Más abundante y ampliamente distribuida en las cordilleras de la costa de la Alta California.

Histórica

MEXICO / BAJA CALIFORNIA

Pinus coulteri es restringido a las montañas de la costa y a la parte central y sur de California y norte de Baja California. En zonas de traslape esta relacionada con Pinus jeffreyi y Pinus sabiniana, y es conocida la hibridación en la naturaleza con Pinus jeffreyi (Zobel 1951; en Critchfield &Little 1966).

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/
Rights holder/AuthorCONABIO
Sourcehttp://www.conabio.gob.mx/conocimiento/ise/fichasnom/Pinuscoulteri00.pdf

Fire Ecology:

Coulter pine displays ecotypical variation in degree of cone serotiny.
Serotiny is prevalent in Coutler pine/chaparral, Coulter pine-canyon
live oak, and Coulter pine/Sargent cypress communities. Cones of
Coulter pine in these communities typically do not open until heated by
fire. Consequently, the bulk of Coulter pine regeneration in these
communities occurs after fire. Coulter pine ecotypes associated with
coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), however, typically bear cones that
open at maturity or shortly thereafter [7].

Coulter pine seedling development is best in mineral soil in open areas
[38]. Such conditions are created by fire.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/
Rights holder/AuthorUS Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service
Sourcehttp://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pincou/all.html

Amenazas:

Factores de riesgo

Tala y Fuego.

Situación actual del hábitat con respecto a las necesidades de la especie

Por lo accidentado del terreno donde hábita esta especie, el hábitat esta sin un grado de alteración.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/
Rights holder/AuthorCONABIO
Sourcehttp://www.conabio.gob.mx/conocimiento/ise/fichasnom/Pinuscoulteri00.pdf
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith