The Canary Islands pine (Pinus canariensis), a singular species

Abstract

The Canary Islands pine (Pinus canariensis), a singular species.

The Canary Islands pine (Pinus canariensis Chr. Sm. Ex DC in Buch) is the main forest species of the Canary Archipelago, but also one of its more outstanding endemisms and an interesting model of plant adaptation. Considered a living fossil, it represents an ancestral pine type which diversified into actual Mediterranean pines. This paper revises and interprets the results obtained during thirteen years of studies by the research groups of the Forestry School (UPM) and CIFORINIA. Our aim is to contribute to the knowledge of the species’ life strategy and its adaptive capacity, aiming to the use and conservation of its genetic resources.