Pinus coulteri
Specifications
Family
Pinaceae
Species
Pinus coulteri D. Don
coulter pine
Description
The sapwood is whitish-yellowish and the heartwood is yellowish, with a fine texture and not always straight grain, with a volumetric weight of around 0.46.
Plant morphology
It is a tree up to 25 m tall, with a trunk with a maximum diameter of 1 m. The bark is reddish-brown, which peels with age. The leaves are needle-like, up to 15 cm long, borne in clusters of three. It produces large, globose cones, the largest of the entire Pinus genus.
Natural occurrence
Countries of origin and distribution
Southwestern United States: California Coast Mountains, San Francisco Bay.
Habitat and ecology
The Coulter pine grows between 300 and 2,100 meters above sea level, primarily on rocky, arid substrates, where competition with other trees is minimized. Climatically, it prefers Mediterranean conditions, with rainy winters and hot, dry summers. It grows in mixed coniferous forests.
Uses
Application areas
Of poor durability when placed in contact with the ground, it is used in carpentry and packaging, in internal and external carpentry, for windows and doors, floors, rustic furniture, sleepers, and wood pulp.
Threats and Conservation
Threats
Improper fire management can lead to population declines, as if fire management were to focus on total fire prevention, vegetation would evolve toward later successional stages that would be inhospitable to this species. Conversely, excessive fire frequency would negatively impact seed germination and the survival of young individuals.
Conservation measures
Fire management that takes into account the ecology of this species is necessary.
IUCN Red List
IUCN
NT - Near threatened - Close to threat
CITES. Year of assessment
CITES
2011
1975
2050
CITES Italia • Ultimo aggiornamento
2011
Not present.
Technical data
Aesthetic characteristics
Grain
Obvious
Texture
Fine