Some trees have survived but destruction of habitat for tourist resorts has reduced the possibility of reafforestation efforts. This tree, which dominated the forests of Bermuda, was a great loss and many exotic species were introduced to replace it. Approximately 90% of the trees died between 19 because of infestation by two accidentally introduced scale insects, the juniper scale ( Carulaspis visci) and the oyster-shell scale ( Lepidosaphes newsteadi). The Bermuda cedar ( Juniperus bermudiana) is the last conifer discussed here. Fortunately the entire wild population is protected within the Point Lobos Reserve and the Del Monte Forest and so it is unlikely to become extinct. This is endangered in the wild because of the destruction of its native habitat, but is unlikely to become extinct because of its wide use in gardens around the world. It is not of importance as lumber, but is now often cultivated as an ornamental and in windbreaks and hedges. This picturesque tree has a small often contorted cone-shaped crown. The Monterey cypress ( Cupressus macrocarpa) is a small to medium-sized tree now confined to two small groves on the Pacific coast of central California. Many of the conifers that are endangered are so because of overuse of the timber and poor management of the resource. Clandestine shipments of alerce wood are still occasionally apprehended by UK Customs. The pressure on this species is from overuse rather than rarity. As a result of its valuable timber this species has become so rare that it is listed both in Red Data Books and in the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The timber of alerce has been much used in house construction and for roof shingles and even for boat building. Trees of 70 m×4 m have even been recorded.
Metasequoia glyptostroboides growth rate full#
The huge trees are slow-growing and take many hundred years to reach their full height of 50 meters and up to 2 meters diameter. Alerce: The Patagonian CypressĪlerce ( Fitzroya cupressoides) is a magnificent tree of the forests of southern Chile and Argentina. Since over 2000 trees of this species existed, seeds have been widely distributed to gardens around the world to ensure its survival as a species. This living fossil was discovered in the early 1940s. Once it was discovered, the Wollemi pine soon became listed as rare and endangered and considerable efforts are being made by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney to protect and propagate this species, of which fewer than 40 individuals exist in the wild.Ī similar situation occurred for the dawn redwood ( Metasequoia glyptostroboides) from China. It is a member of the plant family Araucariaceae which include the much cultivated species the monkey-puzzle tree from Chile ( Araucaria araucana) and the Norfolk Island pine ( Araucaria heterophylla). Its population declined for natural reasons and one small population has survived in the Wollemi National Park. Studies of fossil pollen showed that this genus was once widespread and abundant in Australia. It belongs to an evolutionary line thought to have been extinct for many millions of years. The Wollemi pine is an Australian conifer that was only discovered in 1994 in a gorge only 150 km from Sydney. Conifers include many magnificent trees such as the giant redwoods of California and are still one of the major sources of timber and so it is unfortunate that so many species are under threat of extinction. 133 species or 53% of the pine family (Pinaceae) are listed in the Red Data Book. The data from the World Conservation Union estimate that 327 of the 586 species of Pinopsida (pines and their close relatives) are threatened. The cone-bearing trees are some of our most ancient species that have survived through the ages and many changes in world climate. Prance, in Encyclopedia of Forest Sciences, 2004 The Conifers or Softwood Species
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