Credit: José Luis Sánchez Mesa/Wikimedia
Credit: José Luis Sánchez Mesa/Wikimedia
To learn more about the map elements, please download the "Pan-European strategy for genetic conservation of forest trees"
This distribution map has been developed by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (partly based on the EUFORGEN map) and released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0)
Caudullo, Giovanni; Welk, Erik; San-Miguel-Ayanz, Jesús (2017). Chorological maps and data for the main European woody species. figshare. Collection. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.2918528
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Fazia Krouchi (Algeria), Hasmik Ghalachyan (Armenia), Thomas Geburek (Austria), Berthold Heinze (Austria), Rudi Litschauer (Austria), Rudolf Litschauer (Austria), Michael Mengl (Austria), Ferdinand Müller (Austria), Franz Starlinger (Austria), Valida Ali-zade (Azerbaijan), Vahid Djalal Hajiyev (Azerbaijan), Karen Cox (Belgium), Bart De Cuyper (Belgium), Olivier Desteucq (Belgium), Patrick Mertens (Belgium), Jos Van Slycken (Belgium), An Vanden Broeck (Belgium), Kristine Vander Mijnsbrugge (Belgium), Dalibor Ballian (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Alexander H. 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Genetic diversity in fir species decreases from the east to the west of the Mediterranean, probably because of genetic bottlenecks and long-term forest degradation (Alba-Sánchez et al., 2019; Litkowiec et al., 2021). Moroccan fir has relatively high genetic diversity than other western Circum-Mediterranean taxa (Terrab et al., 2007). The species’ distribution is limited to the Tazaot and Talassemtane fir forests in the western Rif Mountains, and most genetic variability is found within populations (Méndez-Cea et al., 2023). Talassemtane and Tazaot populations are genetically distinct and differentiated from each other, and the Talassemtane population shows a greater level of within-population diversity than the Tazaot population (Méndez-Cea et al., 2023). The high level of differentiation between the Talassemtane and Tazaot populations, despite their proximity, suggests a biological constraint to gene flow between them (Terrab et al., 2007; Dering et al., 2014).
Mediterranean firs typically show strong differentiation as the result of restricted pollen dispersal and gene flow (Terrab et al., 2007; Sánchez-Robles et al., 2014). This is observed with Moroccan fir, where the isolation of habitat patches has reduced the exchange of genetic material between these populations and the remaining Mediterranean firs.
Low differentiation within populations, low levels of genetic mixing between populations, genetic drift, and high diversity between populations of fir species in Morocco indicate that they may have been isolated for a long time (Terrab et al., 2007; Dering et al., 2014; Litkowiec et al., 2021). The distribution of Moroccan fir declined by 70 per cent from 1938 to 1994 because of fires, overgrazing, and forest clearing (Dering et al., 2014). Isolation and fragmentation caused by human activity and climate change during the last glacial maximum, coupled with the small size of the populations, has created genetic bottlenecks in Moroccan fir, revealed through genetic analyses (Dering et al., 2014; Litkowiec et al., 2021).
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2024.
Western Mediterranean fir species evolved from a common ancestor originating in southern Spain and northern Morrocco (Terrab et al., 2007; Dering et al., 2014; Sánchez-Robles et al., 2014). Many fir species in Europe are closely related as hybridization is common. As a result, classification of fir species in the Mediterranean is difficult (Dering et al., 2014; Ben-Said, 2022). The definition of Moroccan fir was problematic in relation to the Spanish fir (Abies pinsapo Boiss.) (Ben-Said, 2022). Several studies have considered that the Andalusian fir is found in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, with three subspecies previously recognized in the literature: Andalusian fir (Abies pinsapo var. pinsapo), found in southern Spain, and Tazaout fir (Abies pinsapo var. tazaotana) and Talassemtane fir (Abies pinsapo var. marocana), both found in North Africa (Dering et al., 2014; Ben-Said, 2022).
Moroccan fir was first described as a separate species by Trabut in 1906, but the Talassemtane and Tazaout populations in the western Rif Mountains were separated into two species by Cózar in 1946 based on morphological differences (Ben-Said, 2022). The Tazaout population was designated A. tazaotana (Cózar ex Huguet del Villar), while the Talassemtane population was designated as A. marocana, a variety (A. pinsapo var. marocana) or a subspecies (A. pinsapo subsp. marocana) of the Spanish fir (Ben-Said, 2022). However, recent literature and research recognize the two North African populations as the same species (Balao et al. 2020; ; Litkowiec et al., 2021; Méndez-Cea et al., 2023). Recent molecular and genetic analyses confirm that the Talassemtane and Tazaout fir populations should be considered as one species as they have insufficient levels of genetic differentiation to be considered as separate species (Dering et al., 2014; Balao et al. 2020; Litkowiec et al., 2021).
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2024.
No available information.
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2024.
Abies spp - Technical guidelines for genetic conservation and use for Mediterranean firs
Publication Year: 2011Due to the threats, endemism and geographically scattered distribution, the conservation of Mediterranean firs and their genetic resources is a major challenge.
The genetic resources of the firs are currently conserved in various protected areas that have rarely been established for this purpose. Due to their evolutionary history and specific adaptation, the fir forests harbour unique genetic resources that are important beyond the Mediterranean. Thus, the establishment of conservation units for the firs that meet pan-European minimum requirements for dynamic gene conservation is of crucial importance.
At present, several of the species and their genetic resources are protected either in situ (national parks, nature reserves and gene conservation units) or ex situ (conservation seed orchards and stands). The critically endangered A. nebrodensis is conserved in situ in the Madonie Regional Park in Sicily, but the reinforcement of the species has been problematic mainly due to soil degradation in its natural habitat. A. nebrodensis is also conserved ex situ in a seed orchard (with grafts of the 29 remaining individuals of the species) in Arezzo, in botanical gardens (40 000 plants in the Botanical Garden of Palermo), arboreta and in private properties in the Madonie Mountains close to the natural habitat. A. borisiiregis and A. cephalonica are protected in situ in various protected areas in Greece. Genetic material, representing almost the whole natural distribution of the fir species, is included in provenance trials established in Greece and France. A. cilicica is protected in national parks, nature reserves and seed stands in ten areas in Turkey and in Lebanon while in Syria it is considered as an endangered species. A. equi-trojani is conserved in situ in the Kazdagi Goknari nature reserve in Turkey. A. nordmanniana is also covered by protected areas in Turkey and several provenances are growing ex situ in test sites, plantations and arboreta in Denmark and France. The A. pinsapo forests are included in three protected areas in Spain. A. numidica is protected in the Djebel Barbor nature reserve located in the Petite Kabylia Mountain range of Algeria and the same provenance is reportedly also conserved in ex situ stands. At present A. marocana is conserved in a nature reserve in Morocco and seven ex situ stands have also been established for the species.
Climate change will have an impact on the current in situ conservation efforts but it is difficult to predict its effect on seed production, natural regeneration and recruitment of the firs as well as on the risks from insects and pathogens. The dynamic gene conservation units should be monitored in order to ensure that the populations are not seriously affected and that they retain their evolutionary potential and regenerate naturally. Management of the units should aim mainly at assisting natural regeneration and when this is not possible, the area should be artificially regenerated with local genetic material. Management of natural forests should also safeguard genetic resources by allowing natural selection to occur on regeneration in a variety of situations. Ex situ conservation efforts should focus on small populations that have an endangered status, insufficient seed production or unsuccessful pollination in their natural environment. This approach is useful especially in case of rare species or species with limited or scattered distribution as ex situ stands with a sufficient number of genotypes form new interbreeding populations that will produce seeds with a potentially high genetic diversity.
Mediterranean firs offers an opportunity to tackle the predicted forest decline in southern Europe as a result of climate change. A. nordmanniana has already been used for reforestation in Europe. Other Mediterranean firs (particularly A. cephalonica, A. bornmuelleriana and A. cilicica) are far less water demanding and could represent an alternative for silver fir (A. alba) in Europe. Fir provenance tests in the Mediterranean include material that has demonstrated good growth, adaptation to drought and late bud burst in spring. Such provenances of Mediterranean firs could be of interest for the European forestry.
Due to the threats, endemism and geographically scattered distribution, the conservation of Mediterranean firs and their genetic resources is a major challenge.
The genetic resources of the firs are currently conserved in various protected areas that have rarely been established for this purpose. Due to their evolutionary history and specific adaptation, the fir forests harbour...
Contacts of experts
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Further reading
Jaramillo-Correa, J.P., Grivet, D., Terrab, A., Kurt, Y., de Lucas, A.I., Wahid, N., Vendramin, G.G. and González-Martínez, S.C. 2010. The Strait of Gibraltar as a major biogeographic barrier in Mediterranean conifers: A comparative phylogeographic survey. Molecular Ecology, 19: 5452–5468.
Terrab, A., Talavera, S., Arista, M., Paun, O., Stuessy, T.F. and Tremetsberger, K. 2007. Genetic diversity and geographic structure at chloroplast microsatellites (cpSSRs) in endangered west Mediterranean firs (Abies spp., Pinaceae). Taxon, 56: 409–416.
References
Alba-Sánchez, F., López-Sáez, J.A., Abel-Schaad, D., Ruiz, S.S., Pérez-Díaz, S., González-Hernández, A. and Linares, J.C. 2019. The impact of climate and land use changes on the most southerly fir forests (Abies pinsapo) in Europe. The Holocene, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683619838043
Balao, F., Lorenzo, M. T., Sánchez-Robles, J. M., Paun, O., García-Castaño, J. L., Terrab, A., 2020. Early diversification and permeable species boundaries in the Mediterranean firs. Annals of Botany, 125: 495–507. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcz186
Ben-Said, M. 2022. The taxonomy of Moroccan fir Abies marocana Trab. (Pinaceae): Conceptual clarifications from phylogenetic studies. Mediterranean Botany, 43: e71201. https://doi.org/mbot.71201
Ben-Said, M., El Aich, N., Berrad, F., and Ghallab, A., 2024, Etat des connaissances de la sapinière endémique du Maroc (Abies marocana Trab.): acquis, lacunes et nouveaux axes de recherche. Bulletin de l’Institut Scientifique, Section Sciences de la Vie, 46 : 01–16.
Dering, M., Sękiewicz, K., Boratyńska, K., Litkowiec, M., Iszkuło, G., Romo, A. and Boratyński, A. 2014. Genetic diversity and inter-specific relations of western Mediterranean relic Abies taxa as compared to the Iberian A. alba. Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants, 209: 367–374.
Litkowiec, M., Sękiewicz, K., Romo, A., Ok, T., Bou Dagher-Kharrate, M., Jasińska, A. K., Sobierajska, K., Boratyńska, K. and Boratyński, A. 2021. Biogeography and relationships of the Abies taxa from the Mediterranean and central Europe regions as revealed by nuclear DNA markers and needle structural characters. Forest Ecology and Management, 479: 118606.
Méndez-Cea, B., García-García, I., Sánchez-Salguero, R., Lechuga, V., Gallego, F.J., Linares, J.C. 2023. Tree-level growth patterns and genetic associations depict drought legacies in the relict forests of Abies marocana. Plants, 12: 873–873.
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