Pines of Silvicultural Importance

The genus Pinus is of great ecological and commercial importance and it is notable for its vast geographic range and the sheer area that its various species occupy. Its natural range is almost exclusively in the northern hemisphere, where it often forms the dominant vegetation cover. However, it is also of silvicultural significance in many countries in the southern hemisphere. Pines play an important role in the ecosystems of which they form part, and provide a valuable source of fibre, timber and other secondary products for human use. Worldwide, pines form a large part of the annual wood harvest and the immature plantation forests of the future. This reflects their amenability to cultivation, their broad site tolerances, and the ease of processing their wood for a multitude of end-uses. This book is compiled from 65 datasheets on pine from the Forestry Compendium Global Module (published by CABI on CD-ROM). For each species, there is information on common names, taxonomy, botanical features, natural distribution, latitude range, climate, soil properties, silvicultural characteristics, pests, wood and non-wood products.