Articles on this page are available in 2 other languages: Arabic (1), Spanish (1) (learn more)
Overview
Brief Summary
Caucasian fir typically grows to 60 m tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 2 m. In the Western Caucasus Reserve, nominated as a World Heritage site, specimens with heights up to 85 meters (276 feet) have been reported—the tallest trees recorded in Europe. Caucasian fir has a narrow, dense, pyramidal crown, with branches all the way to the ground. It occurs in pure stands or mixed with deciduous species (primarily beech, Fagus sylvatica) or other conifers (spruce and pine species, including Picea orientalis, Pinus nigra, and P. sylvestris).
Some taxonomists include populations of A. bormuelleriana and A. equi-trojani from some regions of Turkey as subspecies, A. nordmanniana ssp. nordmanniana and A. nordmanniana ssp. equitrojani, respectively.
Caucasian fir wood is valued for timber, but timber harvests do not appear to have led to significant population declines. However, in some parts of its range of A. nordmanniana ssp. equitrojani is experiencing noticeable declines due to the effects of acid rain.
Caucasian fir has been planted as an ornamental in the United Kingdom since the 1800s, as an attractive but pollution-intolerant parkland tree, and finds use as a cemetery tree in France and northern Europe. Caucasian fir plantations have been used to anchor sand dune shorelines in Denmark. It is also valued and grown commercially as a Christmas tree for its fragrant, non-dropping needles. Various cultivars are planted in the U.S., including a dwarf variety with golden needles, A. nordmanniana ‘Golden Spreader,’ that grows to only 1 meter tall, but may spread to 3 meters across.
(Gymnosperm Database 2011, IUCN 1999, Kees and Gardner 2011, Landscape Architecture Blog 2011, PNW Plants Database 2011, Wikipedia 2011)
- Gymnosperm Database. 2011. Abies nordmanniana (Steven) Spach 1841. http://www.conifers.org/pi/Abies_nordmanniana.php.
- IUCN. 1999. World Heritage Nomination—IUCN Technical Evaluation, Western Caucaus (Russian Federation). International Union. Retrieved 6 December 2011 from http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/900.pdf.
- Kees, S. & Gardner, M. 2011. Abies nordmanniana. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. Retrieved 12 December 2011 from www.iucnredlist.org.
- Landscape Architecture Blog. 2011. Plant of the Week: Abies nordmanniana subsp. nordmanniana. Davis Landscape Architecture. http://davisla.wordpress.com/?s=abies+nordmanniana&submit=Search.
- PNW Plants Database. 2011. Golden Spreader Nordmann Fir. Washington State University, Clark County Extension, PNW Plants. Retrieved 11 December 2011 from http://pnwplants.wsu.edu/PlantDisplay.aspx?PlantID=344.
- Wikipedia. 2011. "Abies nordmanniana." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 6 Jul 2011, 03:53 UTC. Retrieved 6 Dec 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abies_nordmanniana&oldid=463673123.
© Jacqueline Courteau
Supplier: Jacqueline Courteau
Trusted
Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
Systems
- Terrestrial
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Associations
Associations
Adelges nordmannianae sucks sap of live bud of Abies nordmanniana
Foodplant / parasite
stromatic, clustered pseudothecium of Curreya pityophila parasitises twig of poorly developed tree of Abies nordmanniana
Foodplant / gall
hypophyllous, either side of midrib aecium of Melampsorella caryophyllacearum causes gall of short, thick, spirally arranged needle of Abies nordmanniana
Remarks: season: 6-8
Foodplant / parasite
hypophyllous, two irregular rows aecium of Milesina kriegeriana parasitises locally yellowed needle of Abies nordmanniana
Remarks: season: 6-9
Foodplant / parasite
aecidium of Pucciniastrum goeppertianum parasitises live Abies nordmanniana
© BioImages
Trusted
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Abies nordmanniana
Public Records: 1
Species: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
Trusted
Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Contributor/s
Justification
History
- 1998Lower Risk/least concern(Oldfield et al. 1998)
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Trends
Population
Population Trend
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Threats
Threats
Even though the wood is highly prized, logging has not had a significant detrimental impact on the population. However, the habitat of A. nordmanniana ssp. equi-trojani is in decline due to a number of negative effects including acid rain, fire, local timber extraction and habitat degradation associated with large visitor numbers in Kazdagi National Park (Satil 2009).
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Management
Conservation Actions
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Wikipedia
Abies nordmanniana
Abies nordmanniana, the Nordmann Fir, is a fir native to the mountains south and east of the Black Sea, in Turkey, Georgia, Russian Caucasus and northern parts of Armenia. It occurs at altitudes of 900-2,200 m on mountains with a rainfall of over 1,000 mm.
It is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 60 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 2 m. In the Western Caucasus Reserve, some specimens have been reported to be 78 m and even 85 m tall,[2] the tallest trees in Europe.
The leaves are needle-like, flattened, 1.8-3.5 cm long and 2 mm wide by 0.5 mm thick, glossy dark green above, and with two blue-white bands of stomata below. The tip of the leaf is usually blunt, often slightly notched at the tip, but can be pointed, particularly on strong-growing shoots on young trees. The cones are 10-20 cm long and 4-5 cm broad, with about 150-200 scales, each scale with an exserted bract and two winged seeds; they disintegrate when mature to release the seeds.
There are two subspecies (treated as distinct species by some botanists), intergrading where they meet in northern Turkey at about 36°E longitude:
- Caucasian Fir Abies nordmanniana subsp. nordmanniana. Native to the Caucasus mountains and northeastern Turkey west to about 36°E. Shoots often pubescent (hairy).
- Turkish Fir Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani (syn. A. bornmuelleriana, A. equi-trojani). Native to northwestern Turkey from Mount Ida eastwards to about 36°E. Shoots usually glabrous (hairless).
The species is named after Finnish zoologist Alexander von Nordmann (1803-1866), Professor of Botany at Odessa.
Uses
Nordmann Fir is one of the most important species grown for Christmas trees, being favoured for its attractive foliage, with needles that are not sharp, and do not drop readily when the tree dries out.
It is also a popular ornamental tree in parks and large gardens.
The wood is soft and white, and is used for general construction, paper, etc.
References
- ^ Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Abies nordmanniana. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
- ^ "Western Caucasus WHA, IUCN Technical Evaluation". http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/900.pdf.
Source:
Wikipedia
Trusted
