Elevational Effect on Aleppo Pine Seed Production and Seed Germination in east north Libya
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Aleppo Pine, Autecology, Germination , Pinus halepensis, Seed Production , Seedling Performance
Abstract
Al Jabal Al Akhdar mountain south of the Mediterranean in Northern Libya is the only native habitat for Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) in eastern North Africa. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert, climate change and human activities are threatening its existence. We studied three woodlands of P. halepensis at different elevations in this unusual and rare ecosystem. We found that P. halepensis is producing more cones per tree and more seeds per cone than trees in more northern populations, with a net result at higher altitude of more than 7 times the number of seeds per tree compared to the northern Mediterranean. Moreover, seeds from woodland at the highest altitude showed better germination, longer root length, higher root and shoot dry mass and better growth than the other two populations, so are most likely to grow better during intermittent precipitation and be big enough to survive subsequent dry periods. We conclude that P. halepensis is capable of self-maintenance in this southern outpost in the short-term, but is likely to rapidly deteriorate in the face of climate change and a lack of protection. Conservation action to protect and facilitate spread of natural stands is urgently needed.
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