Sitka spruce
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Sitka spruce ( Picea sitchensis ) |
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| Picea sitchensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Bong. ) Carrière |
The Sitka spruce ( Picea sitchensis ) is a plant from the genus of spruce ( Picea ) within the family of the Pinaceae (Pinaceae). The Picea sitchensis , native to western North America, is the largest species of the spruce genus ( Picea ). It provides valuable timber in its natural range . Picea sitchensis was named after the city of Sitka in Alaska and is the official state tree of the US state Alaska.
description
Habitus
The Sitka spruce is an evergreen tree that grows to heights of 50 to 70 meters, in rare cases up to 95 meters, with a trunk diameter of up to 5 meters. This makes it the largest of all spruce species. The maximum age is given as around 800 years. In the first years of life this tree is rather slow-growing. At 50 years of age it can reach heights of up to 27 meters. The crown of young trees is narrowly conical; on older trees the tip tapers evenly in a conical shape. Free-standing old trees have a broad crown and are mostly branched to the ground. The branches protrude horizontally and are only directed upwards in the upper crown area. Through the formation of replacement shoots ( preventive shoots ), the Sitka spruce is able to regenerate damage in the crown area after storms. Trees that grow on watercourses or in floodplains often develop water shoots .
Buds and foliage
The yellowish-brown winter buds are pointed-cone-shaped. They are between four and five millimeters long, with the upper crown area becoming larger than the lower. The bud scales are tight fitting. The needles are 15 to 25 millimeters long and about 1 millimeter wide. They are relatively flat, stiff and sharply pointed in cross section. They are keeled at the bottom. There are five to eight rows of stomata on each side of the keel . Most of them protrude radially from the branches, but on the underside of the branch they are usually parted. The top of the needle is fresh green, the underside of the needle is silvery gray-green in color. The needles stay on the tree for five to six years.
Flowers, cones and seeds
The Sitka spruce is single-sexed ( monoecious ) and becomes manable at 20 to 40 years of age . The flowering time depends on the location and the temperature and begins at the end of April in the southern part of the range and ends at the beginning of June in the north-west of the range. The dark red male cones develop from small buds on the side shoots of young twigs in the middle and lower third of the crown. The female cones develop from large buds in the upper third of the crown. The short-stalked cones are cylindrical with a length of 6 to 10 centimeters and a diameter of 2.5 to 3 centimeters with a blunt upper end. The elongated oval cone scales are thin, irregularly serrated and do not lie tightly. The cones are initially greenish yellow and turn light brown towards maturity. The brown seeds ripen in late August to early September of the flowering year. The winged seeds are about 10 millimeters long with wings. Without a wing, the length is 2 to 3 millimeters. The thousand grain weight is around 2.16 grams.
Chromosome number
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 24.
Root system and symbiosis
As a shallow root , the root system of the Sitka spruce penetrates to depths of up to 2 meters. It can develop side roots up to 23 meters long. These grow around 42 to 167 centimeters per year. Root growth can occur between different trees. The roots react very sensitively to a lack of oxygen, for example from waterlogging, and stop growing in such soil areas. The Sitka spruce forms an ectomycorrhizal symbiosis with over 100 types of fungus . Among the most common Mykhorrhizapartnern include the blusher ( Amanita rubescens ), the Tonblasse Fälbling ( Hebeloma crustuliniforme ), the Violet paint Deceiver ( Laccaria amethystea ) of reddish paint Deceiver ( Laccaria laccata ), which Kahle Kremp Ling ( Paxillus involutus ), the Ockertäubling ( Russula ochroleuca ) , the grass-green deaf ( Russula aeruginea ), Cenococcum geophilum , Laccaria hepaticus , Laccaria tumidus , Laccaria turbos and Telephora terrestris .
bark
The very thin bark is dark gray and flaky in young specimens. As the tree grows older, it becomes reddish with coarse flaking scales. The bark of young branches is bare, brown and clearly furrowed. They are densely covered with relatively large and protruding pin cushions.
Wood
The yellowish brown heartwood is surrounded by whitish yellow to whitish gray sapwood . The soft wood is relatively light and straight grain. The annual rings, which can sometimes be wavy, are easy to see. The wood, which is easy to work with, dries quickly. The wood of trees from the northern parts of the distribution area is particularly knotty.
| Mechanical properties | value | unit |
|---|---|---|
| Density ( ) | 0.42 | g / cm³ |
| Compressive strength | 450 | kg / cm² |
| Flexural strength | 720 | kg / cm² |
| tensile strenght | 780 | kg / cm² |
Distribution and location
The Sitka spruce is found along the west coast of North America from Kodiak Island in Alaska to Mendocino County in Northern California . It is sea salt tolerant, so you can also find it right by the sea . Inland, their area often does not extend more than 30 kilometers and is only up to 210 kilometers wide. The range extends over a length of about 2,500 kilometers, in which it normally does not rise to altitudes above 300 meters. The highest occurrence is 910 meters in Southeast Alaska on the tree line. There are only a few untouched stands of old Sitka spruce trees. Some are on Vancouver Island in British Columbia , where you can still find original and very vigorous stocks.
The Sitka spruce thrives in the coastal climate, rich in mist and rain, with low temperature extremes, mild winters and cool summers. The annual amount of precipitation in the distribution area is 660 to 3,100 mm, depending on the location. The rain is partially replaced by long-lasting fog, thus enabling the species to grow even in locations with little precipitation. The soils should be deep and loose and have a good water supply. Shallow soils as well as bog and peat soils are mostly avoided. The preferred locations are river valleys and water-rich slopes. The pH of the soil should be between 4.0 and 5.7. Soil compaction and waterlogging have a negative effect on root growth. There are high demands on the calcium , magnesium and phosphorus supply. However, the water supply is more important than the nutrient supply.
In its entire distribution area, the Sitka spruce forms mixed stands with the West American hemlock ( Tsuga heterophylla ) and only rarely pure stands. To the south, the Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ), Lawson's false cypress ( Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ), the coastal pine ( Pinus contorta ), the western Weymouth pine ( Pinus monticola ), the coastal sequoia ( Sequoia sempervirens ) and the giant Arborvitae ( Thuja plicata ) mixed stands formed. To the north, these are replaced by the Nootka false cypress ( Xanthocyparis nootkatensis ), the mountain hemlock ( Tsuga mertensiana ) and the rocky mountain fir ( Abies lasiocarpa ). The undergrowth is mainly determined by the Sword Fern ( Polystichum munitum ) Maianthemum dilatatum , the Siberian plate herb ( Claytonia sibirica ), Tiarella trifoliata , Viola glabella , Viola sempervirens , smithii Prosartes that Gaultheria Shallon ( Gaultheria shallon ), Vaccinium parvifolium and Menziesia ferruginea educated. The coastal rhododendron ( Rhododendron macrophyllum ) and Vaccinium ovatum also occur in dry locations , while the forest lady fern ( Athyrium filix-femina ), the rib fern ( Blechnum spicant ), the broad-leaved thorn fern ( Dryopteris dilatata ), the hedgehog plantar plant in humid locations ( Oplopanax horridus ) and Sambucus callicarpa occur.
use
The light and solid wood of the Sitka spruce is easy to work with and is highly valued in North America despite its poor durability and tendency to warp. If the quality is appropriate, it is used, among other things, as tonewood in musical instrument making ( guitars ) or as masts for sailing ships. Poor quality wood is used as construction, pulp or paper wood. The Spirit of St. Louis , the plane with which Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic, was largely made of Sitka spruce wood. (→ main article: spruce wood )
The Indians of the Pacific coast, such as Coastal Salish , Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwaka'wakw , traditionally process root fibers into baskets and hats. Fibers were also processed into clothing, especially rain-repellent capes. The resin was also used to seal canoes. The resin-rich branches were used as fuel, but were also an important requisite for ritual acts and dances. The inner rind is edible, both fresh and baked into a kind of cookie, or as a thickener in soups. The wood also served as a means of healing wounds, was used against coughs and lung diseases by chewing it.
Because of its broad, bulky and not very harmonious crown, the Sitka spruce is rarely planted as a park or garden tree.
Successful cultivation takes place above all in humid coastal regions and in rainy mountainous areas. The Sitka spruce has been grown on a small scale in Central Europe since 1880. Because of the assumed low demands on the location, the cultivation took place mainly on boggy soils. These additions were not very economical and, from today's perspective, are an interference with the local ecosystem. In better locations, however, it shows an impressive mass performance, which makes at least the assumption of part of the often very numerous natural regeneration as a mixed tree species appear sensible.
Diseases and pests
The most important abiotic damaging factors are storm damage. Storm throwing and breaking occur particularly frequently at the edge of the stand exposed to the southwest. Due to the thin bark and the root system lying close to the surface, the Sitka spruce reacts very sensitively to forest fires, which, however, rarely occur in its area of distribution. Root rot is mainly caused by the common honey fungus ( Armillaria mellea ), the root sponge ( Heterobasidion annosum ), the pine brown sponge ( Phaeolus schweinitzii ), and Poria weirii . Stem and stick rot pathogens occur primarily on trees that are over 200 years old. The most common pathogens are the spruce sponge ( Fomitopsis pinicola ), the pine spruce ( Phaeolus schweinitzii ), the pine fire sponge ( Phellinus pini ), and Lentinus kauffmanii . The needles of the Sitka spruce are often attacked by species of fungi from the genus Chrysomyxa . Cancerous trunk growths occur particularly in coastal stands in Washington and Alaska, the cause of which has not yet been clarified. The beetle Pissodes sitchensis , which gnaws the bark of young trees, is mentioned as a notable animal pest . At the same time, it is resistant to the permanent effects of salty sea breezes, which can cause a windshear but otherwise hardly cause any damage.
Pests and Diseases in Europe
In Europe, only a few of the causes of damage that occur in its natural range are significant. Due to the different climatic and soil conditions, however, damage and diseases occur that can hardly be found in the natural range. The most common of these are frost and drought damage. The fungus Rhizina undulata infects the roots and usually only appears after exposure to heat. Stem crabs are caused by Nectria cucurbitula and occur in 42 of 120 cultivated areas in Germany. Of the animal pests, the giant bast beetle ( Dendroctonus micans ) is the most important. The sitka spruce louse ( Liosomaphis abietinum ) occurs only relatively rarely after mild winters. Sucking activities of this kind first lead to yellow needle spots, then to needle browning and finally to needle waste. In the case of mass multiplication, entire stocks can be de-needled. The needles are more rarely attacked by the Douglas fir ( Gilletteella cooleyi ), the leaf beetle Strophosomus capitatus and the fungus Lophodermium piceae . The Sitka spruce is less likely to be bitten by roe deer and red deer than the Norway spruce ( Picea abies ).
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Systematics
Taxonomy
It was first described in 1833 under the name ( Basionym ) Pinus sitchensis by the German botanist August Gustav Heinrich von Bongard in Observations sur la végétation de l'île de Sitcha in Mémoires de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Pétersbourg., Sér. 6, Sciences mathématiques, physiques et naturelles. Volume II, p. 164. The French botanist Élie Abel Carrière ordered in Traité général des conifères ou déscription de toutes les espèces et variétés aujourd'hui connues, avec leur synonymie, l'indication des procédés de culture et de multiplication qu'il convient de leur appliquer. S. 260 this species in 1855 under the name Picea sitchensis , which is valid today, in the genus of the spruce ( Picea ). Other synonyms for Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carrière are: Abies falcata Raf. , Picea falcata (Raf.) Valck.Sur. , Picea menziesii (Douglas ex D.Don) Carrière , Pinus menziesii Douglas ex D.Don , Pinus sitchensis Bong. , Tsuga sitchensis (Bong.) Regel , Abies menziesii (Douglas ex D.Don) Lindl. 1835 non Mirbel 1825 - Mirbel suggested this name for the Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) in 1825 .
External system
The Picea sitchensis belongs to the series Ajanenses from the section Sitchenses within the subgenus Casicta within the genus Picea .
hybrid
In its northern range, the Sitka spruce ( Picea sitchensis ) hybridizes with the white spruce ( Picea glauca ), creating Picea × lutzii Little . Furthermore, there are natural crosses with the Engelmann spruce ( Picea engelmannii ).
Successful attempts at crossing were made with the common spruce ( Picea abies ), the Ajan spruce ( Picea jezoensis ), the Likiang spruce ( Picea likiangensis ) and the Serbian spruce ( Picea omorika ).
swell
literature
- Peter Schütt, Horst Weisgerber, Hans J. Schuck, Ulla Lang, Bernd Stimm, Andreas Roloff: Lexicon of Conifers. Distribution - Description - Ecology - Use; the great encyclopedia . Nikol, Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-933203-80-5 , p. 315-328 .
- Reinhard Schober : The Sitka spruce. A biological-yield research . Series of publications by the Forest Faculty of the University of Göttingen and communications from the Lower Saxony Forest Research Institute, Volume 24/25. Sauerländer, Frankfurt am Main 1962.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Peter Schütt, Horst Weisgerber, Hans J. Schuck, Ulla Lang, Bernd Stimm, Andreas Roloff: Lexicon of Conifers . Nikol, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 3-933203-80-5 , p. 316 .
- ↑ a b c d e f AS Harris: Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. - Sitka Spruce. In: Silvics Manual. Volume 1 at Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry ( Memento July 15, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ A b Peter Schütt, Horst Weisgerber, Hans J. Schuck, Ulla Lang, Bernd Stimm, Andreas Roloff: Lexicon of Conifers . Nikol, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 3-933203-80-5 , p. 318 .
- ^ A b Peter Schütt, Horst Weisgerber, Hans J. Schuck, Ulla Lang, Bernd Stimm, Andreas Roloff: Lexicon of Conifers . Nikol, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 3-933203-80-5 , p. 319 .
- ↑ Picea sitchensis at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
- ^ A b Peter Schütt, Horst Weisgerber, Hans J. Schuck, Ulla Lang, Bernd Stimm, Andreas Roloff: Lexicon of Conifers . Nikol, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 3-933203-80-5 , p. 320 .
- ↑ Peter Schütt, Horst Weisgerber, Hans J. Schuck, Ulla Lang, Bernd Stimm, Andreas Roloff: Lexicon of Conifers . Nikol, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 3-933203-80-5 , p. 322 .
- ↑ Further details on usage: Daniel Moerman: Native American ethnobotany. 1998 and Sitka Spruce , ed. from the United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2003, p. 1.
- ↑ Peter Schütt, Horst Weisgerber, Hans J. Schuck, Ulla Lang, Bernd Stimm, Andreas Roloff: Lexicon of Conifers . Nikol, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 3-933203-80-5 , p. 326-327 .
- ↑ Botanical and Ecological Characteritics of Picea sitchensis at Fire Effects Information System = FEIS.
- ↑ Peter Schütt, Horst Weisgerber, Hans J. Schuck, Ulla Lang, Bernd Stimm, Andreas Roloff: Lexicon of Conifers . Nikol, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 3-933203-80-5 , p. 324-325 .
- ↑ Peter Schütt, Horst Weisgerber, Hans J. Schuck, Ulla Lang, Bernd Stimm, Andreas Roloff: Lexicon of Conifers . Nikol, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 3-933203-80-5 , p. 325-326 .
- ↑ Elie Abel Carriere: Traité général des conifères ou déscription de toutes les espèces et variétés aujourd'hui connues, avec leur synonymie, l'indication des procédés de culture et de multiplication qu'il convient de leur appliquer. Paris 1855, p. 260 ( scanned. )
- ↑ Picea sitchensis at Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, accessed April 16, 2019.
- ↑ Picea sitchensis in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
- ^ A b Peter Schütt, Horst Weisgerber, Hans J. Schuck, Ulla Lang, Bernd Stimm, Andreas Roloff: Lexicon of Conifers . Nikol, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 3-933203-80-5 , p. 321 .
Web links
- Picea sitchensis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: Conifer Specialist Group, 1998. Retrieved on December 31 of 2008.
- Thomas Meyer: Data sheet with identification key and photos at Flora-de: Flora von Deutschland (old name of the website: Flowers in Swabia ).
