Pine Forest Habitat

Introduction

The xerophilous mountain vegetation, developing above the area shrouded in fog due to the trade winds, is dominated by the pine forests of Pinus canariensis. In the Canary islands the tree line of the pine forests varies between 1000 and 2000 meters, but on the ancient lava streams of the eastern slopes of mount Teide (Tenerife) we can observe individual pine-trees growing as high as 2400 meters. In the lowest areas of the pine-tree range, where the influence of the humid fog is still strong, we can find heliophilous shrubs typical of the degraded areas of the forests of trees with laurel-like leaves. The pine forests are characterised by the presence of two shrubby legumes: Adenocarpus viscosus, Chamaecytisus proliferus and Lotus hildebrandtii, a small herbaceous plant, still belonging to the family of legumes, which we can observe in large quantities, on the south-western slopes of mount Teide. Cistus symphytifolius, Echium virescens and Micromeria varia are more bound to the degraded areas of the pine forests, where there are fewer pine-trees.

The largest extensions of this kind of vegetation can be found in: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma and Hierro. The pine forests in Tenerife represent a preferential habitat for Fringilla teydea subspecies teydea (the Teide finch) and for Dedrocopos major subspecies canariensis (Teide's red woodpecker major) while the Gran Canaria forests are the preferential habitat for F teydea subspecies polatzeki and Dedrocopos major subspecies thanneri. All this explains the great naturalistic interest for such surroundings and accounts for the insertion in the list of the areas needing protection according to the European Community.

Pinus Canariensis

It is a tree which sometimes reaches great dimensions: there are some plants up to 60 meters high with a trunk over two and a half meters in diameter. It has needle-shaped leaves, sometimes light green, up to 30 centimetres long, arranged in clusters of three. The upright trunk has grey bark, with grey-reddish plates. The "Canary Islands' pine-tree" is an endemic plant of the archipelago, but it is wild only in Tenerife, La Palma, Gran Canaria and Hierro, while the trees which can be observed in La Gomera have been introduced by man.

Chamaecytisus Proliferus

It is a shrub with branches starting from the base, up to four meters high and sometimes seven. The trunk has a dark grey bark. The greyish-green leaves are trifoliate and carried by a petiole almost as long as the leaves themselves. The white flowers are arranged in the terminal part of the branches. The fruits are legumes up to seven centimeters long. This is a very variable species and some varieties have differences which don't seem to depend on ecological factors. C. proliferus subspecies angustifolius (O.Kuntze) Kunk seems to be very different from the typical one and can only be observed in La Palma, while C. proliferus subspecies proliferus can be observed in Tenerife, La Gomera and Gran Canaria. "Escob6n" is an excellent honey-producing species.

Adenocarpus Viscosus

This shrub with close branches and leaves is an endemic plant of the Canary Islands (Tenerife and La Palma) where it can easily be found beneath the tree line. The leaves are small, trifoliate and have a short petiole. They are viscous, fasciculated and are carried especially on the youngest branches. The yellow flowers are arranged on the highest part of the branches.

Lotus Campylocladus

It is an endemic species of the island of Tenerife where it can easily be observed in the underbrushes of the thin pine forests, particularly on the western slopes of mount Teide. The yellow flowers of this creeping herbaceous plant catch the eye on the grey lava.

Cistus Symphytifolius

This plant is easily recognisable both for the showy pink of its flowers and for their size, as they reach five centimeters in diameter. Unfortunately, the flowers of this cistus are incredibly delicate and a thunderstorm is sufficient to destroy them. It is a shrub of up to one meter in height, with opposite velvety leaves with prominent veins. It is very common in the lower part of the pine forest range. Cistus symphytifolius is an endemic species of Canary Islands.

Echium Virescens

It is a branched shrub, up to two meters high. The lanceolate leaves are narrow and long, pointed, flat and strigose owing to the thin, short and stiff hairs. The flowers vary from pink to light blue and are arranged in close inflorescences at the end of the branches.

Micromeria Varia

It is a small prostrate shrub with more or less close branching, practically always densely pubescent, specially on the small young branches. The leaves generally are opposite, sometimes in small clusters; they have linear o slightly lanceolate shape and their margins bends towards the top. The white-pinkish flowers are grouped in verticils. It is an endemic species of Canary Islands.