Acer lobelii
Lobel’s maple

Credit:

Lobel's maple (Acer lobelii) is a medium-sized deciduous tree with an upright, columnar crown, reaching up to 20–25 metres. Endemic to the Apennine Mountains in southern Italy and parts of the western Balkans, it is sometimes considered a natural hybrid between Norway maple (Acer platanoides) and Cappadocian maple (Acer cappadocicum), although it is often treated as a distinct species (Grim and Denk, 2014). 

It grows in montane deciduous forests at elevations of 800–1 800 metres, typically on moist, limestone soils. The species prefers cool, well-drained conditions and shows moderate shade and urban tolerance. Lobel’s maple contributes to forest diversity and supports various insects and birds. It is occasionally planted ornamentally for its narrow form and attractive foliage, but its rarity and limited seed availability restrict broader use. 

in situ genetic conservation unit+
ex situ genetic conservation unit+
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Acknowledgements

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

 

The following experts have contributed to the development of the EUFORGEN distribution maps:

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. Alexandrov (Bulgaria), Alexander Delkov (Bulgaria), Ivanova Denitsa Pandeva (Bulgaria), Peter Zhelev Stoyanov (Bulgaria), Joso Gracan (Croatia), Marilena Idzojtic (Croatia), Mladen Ivankovic (Croatia), Željka Ivanović (Croatia), Davorin Kajba (Croatia), Hrvoje Marjanovic (Croatia), Sanja Peric (Croatia), Andreas Christou (Cyprus), Xenophon Hadjikyriacou (Cyprus), Václav Buriánek (Czech Republic), Jan Chládek (Czech Republic), Josef Frýdl (Czech Republic), Petr Novotný (Czech Republic), Martin Slovacek (Czech Republic), Zdenek Špišek (Czech Republic), Karel Vancura (Czech Republic), Ulrik Bräuner (Denmark), Bjerne Ditlevsen (Denmark), Jon Kehlet Hansen (Denmark), Jan Svejgaard Jensen (Denmark), Kalev Jðgiste (Estonia), Tiit Maaten (Estonia), Raul Pihu (Estonia), Ülo Tamm (Estonia), Arvo Tullus (Estonia), Aivo Vares (Estonia), Teijo Nikkanen (Finland), Sanna Paanukoski (Finland), Mari Rusanen (Finland), Pekka Vakkari (Finland), Leena Yrjänä (Finland), Daniel Cambon (France), Eric Collin (France), Alexis Ducousso (France), Bruno Fady (France), François Lefèvre (France), Brigitte Musch (France), Sylvie Oddou-Muratorio (France), Luc E. Pâques (France), Julien Saudubray (France), Marc Villar (France), Vlatko Andonovski (FYR Macedonia), Dragi Pop-Stojanov (FYR Macedonia), Merab Machavariani (Georgia), Irina Tvauri (Georgia), Alexander Urushadze (Georgia), Bernd Degen (Germany), Jochen Kleinschmit (Germany), Armin König (Germany), Armin König (Germany), Volker Schneck (Germany), Richard Stephan (Germany), H. H. Kausch-Blecken Von Schmeling (Germany), Georg von Wühlisch (Germany), Iris Wagner (Germany), Heino Wolf (Germany), Paraskevi Alizoti (Greece), Filippos Aravanopoulos (Greece), Andreas Drouzas (Greece), Despina Paitaridou (Greece), Aristotelis C. Papageorgiou (Greece), Kostas Thanos (Greece), Sándor Bordács (Hungary), Csaba Mátyás (Hungary), László Nagy (Hungary), Thröstur Eysteinsson (Iceland), Adalsteinn Sigurgeirsson (Iceland), Halldór Sverrisson (Iceland), John Fennessy (Ireland), Ellen O'Connor (Ireland), Fulvio Ducci (Italy), Silvia Fineschi (Italy), Bartolomeo Schirone (Italy), Marco Cosimo Simeone (Italy), Giovanni Giuseppe Vendramin (Italy), Lorenzo Vietto (Italy), Janis Birgelis (Latvia), Virgilijus Baliuckas (Lithuania), Kestutis Cesnavicius (Lithuania), Darius Danusevicius (Lithuania), Valmantas Kundrotas (Lithuania), Alfas Pliûra (Lithuania), Darius Raudonius (Lithuania), Robert du Fays (Luxembourg), Myriam Heuertz (Luxembourg), Claude Parini (Luxembourg), Fred Trossen (Luxembourg), Frank Wolter (Luxembourg), Joseph Buhagiar (Malta), Eman Calleja (Malta), Ion Palancean (Moldova), Dragos Postolache (Moldova), Gheorghe Postolache (Moldova), Hassan Sbay (Morocco), Tor Myking (Norway), Tore Skrøppa (Norway), Anna Gugala (Poland), Jan Kowalczyk (Poland), Czeslaw Koziol (Poland), Jan Matras (Poland), Zbigniew Sobierajski (Poland), Maria Helena Almeida (Portugal), Filipe Costa e Silva (Portugal), Luís Reis (Portugal), Maria Carolina Varela (Portugal), Ioan Blada (Romania), Alexandru-Lucian Curtu (Romania), Lucian Dinca (Romania), Georgeta Mihai (Romania), Mihai Olaru (Romania), Gheorghe Parnuta (Romania), Natalia Demidova (Russian Federation), Mikhail V. Pridnya (Russian Federation), Andrey Prokazin (Russian Federation), Srdjan Bojovic (Serbia) , Vasilije Isajev (Serbia), Saša Orlovic (Serbia), Rudolf Bruchánik (Slovakia), Roman Longauer (Slovakia), Ladislav Paule (Slovakia), Gregor Bozič (Slovenia), Robert Brus (Slovenia), Katarina Celič (Slovenia), Hojka Kraigher (Slovenia), Andrej Verlič (Slovenia), Marjana Westergren (Slovenia), Ricardo Alía (Spain), Josefa Fernández-López (Spain), Luis Gil Sanchez (Spain), Pablo Gonzalez Goicoechea (Spain), Santiago C. González-Martínez (Spain), Sonia Martin Albertos (Spain), Eduardo Notivol Paino (Spain), María Arantxa Prada (Spain), Alvaro Soto de Viana (Spain), Lennart Ackzell (Sweden), Jonas Bergquist (Sweden), Sanna Black-Samuelsson (Sweden), Jonas Cedergren (Sweden), Gösta Eriksson (Sweden), Markus Bolliger (Switzerland), Felix Gugerli (Switzerland), Rolf Holderegger (Switzerland), Peter Rotach (Switzerland), Marcus Ulber (Switzerland), Sven M.G. de Vries (The Netherlands), Khouja Mohamed Larbi (Tunisia), Murat Alan (Turkey), Gaye Kandemir (Turkey), Gursel Karagöz (Turkey), Zeki Kaya (Turkey), Hasan Özer (Turkey), Hacer Semerci (Turkey), Ferit Toplu (Turkey), Mykola M. Vedmid (Ukraine), Roman T. Volosyanchuk (Ukraine), Stuart A'Hara (United Kingdom), Joan Cottrell (United Kingdom), Colin Edwards (United Kingdom), Michael Frankis (United Kingdom), Jason Hubert (United Kingdom), Karen Russell (United Kingdom), C.J.A. Samuel (United Kingdom).
 

Status of Acer lobelii conservation in Europe

Genetic diversity and variation 

There is little research on Lobel's maple and almost no published empirical data currently exists specifically on the species’ population genetics. What research does exist suggests a high degree of polymorphism and that most genetic variation occurring within populations rather than between them (Guarino et al., 2008). Much of the genetic knowledge on Lobel's maple is inferred from studies on other Acer species. Lobel's maple is clearly genetically distinguished from Norway maple (Acer platanoides) and Miyabe maple (Acer miyabei) (Grim and Denk, 2014) 

Gene flow 

Lobel's maple pollen is wind dispersed and seeds are dispersed by wind or animal activity. This facilitates connectivity among subpopulations, promotes high within-population diversity, and lowers interpopulation differentiation in the absence of geographically isolated populations (Guarino et al., 2008). 

 

The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2025.

Marginality and fragmentation 

Typically, other Acer species in fragmented habitats display moderate to low differentiation among populations (Guarino et al., 2008). Given Lobel's maple’s small range of fragmented habitats it might be expected that the species has undergone some reduction in gene flow among isolated clusters, leading to subtle genetic structuring (Guarino et al., 2008). However, this fragmentation and isolation have not been to a degree sufficient to cause severe inbreeding or loss of diversity, despite a weak to moderate genetic structuring of the species where isolated populations exist (Guarino et al., 2008). 
 

The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2025.

Management 

Due to its limited range and habitat threats, conservation of the species is needed. However, a lack of research makes it unclear what management of the species would be beneficial. Therefore, further research on the species and its genetics is required. 

 

The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2025.

Genetic Characterisation of Acer lobelii and its GCUs

Availability of FRM

FOREMATIS

Further reading

NA

References

Grimm, G.W. and Denk, T. 2014. The Colchic region as refuge for relict tree lineages: cryptic speciation in field maples. Turkish Journal of Botany, 38(6): 1050–1066. https://doi.org/10.3906/bot-1403-87 

Guarino, C., Santoro, S., De Simone, L., Cipriani, G., and Testolin, R. 2008. Differentiation in DNA fingerprinting among species of the genus Acer L. in Campania (Italy). Plant Biosystems – An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology, 142(3): 454–461. https://doi.org/10.1080/11263500802410785 

 

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