Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Home / Unpublished en / Species of October 2018

Species of October 2018


Name: Cyprus Cedra
Scientific Name: Cedrus brevifolia
Family: Pinaceae

 

Description
The cedar of Cyprus is characterized as an evergreen resin tree that can reach up to 30m in height. Consists of small greenish-needle leaves and brown and red male and female cones respectively.

Spreading
Its natural spreading area is confined to the wider area of Tripylon (Cedar Valley) and the Black Cliffs in the Paphos Forest, while some clusters meet northwest of the Kykkou Monastery and Tsakkistra Monastery. It mainly develops on stony slopes with diabasic rocks and at an altitude between 900-1400m.

Biology
The flowering season extends from September to October while the fruit appears conical and brown in color.

CharacteristicsProperties
Cyprus cedar is considered a long-lived plant since it can reach the age of 500 years and its wood is characterized by high resistance to rot and insect and fungal infections. Because of this, many wood carvings, furniture and wooden structures preserved from earlier years have cedar wood as their raw material, while the whole plant is used as an ornamental and Christmas tree.

Ancient times
Historical references to Cypriot cedar are found in ancient texts by Theophrastus and Pliny who characterize it as a very important forest tree of the time, while cedar references are often found in the Bible as well.

Endemism – Protection
It’s one of the four species of cedar that can be found worldwide and is endemic to Cyprus. This species is included in the “Cyprus Red Book” and its designation as a “vulnerable species” makes it imperative to protect it. Today, although the Cypriot cedar is not being harvested, climate change and forest fires are still contemporary threats to the native cedar populations. Thus, the natural spreading areas of the species have been designated as “Nature Conservation Areas” and have been included in the European Natura 2000 Natural Area Network. In addition to the establishment of a gene bank, the Department of Forests has also set up fire protection systems and surveillance plans to protect the cedar population.

SOURCES:

  1. http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/fd/fd.nsf/DMLreserves_gr/DMLreserves_gr?OpenDocument
    http://www.plantnet.org.cy/cedrus_brevifolia_forests.html
  2. Τσιντίδης, Τ., Χατζήκυριάκου, Γ., Χριστοδούλου, Χ. (2002). Δέντρα και Θάμνοι στην Κύπρο. Λευκωσία: Ίδρυμα Α.Γ. Λεβέντη – Φιλοδασικός Σύνδεσμος Κύπρου.
  3. Τσιντίδης, Τ., Χριστοδούλου, Χ., Δεληπέτρου, Π., Γεωργίου, Κ., (2007). Το κόκκινο βιβλίο της χλωρίδας της Κύπρου. Λευκωσία: Φιλοδασικός Σύνδεσμος Κύπρου
  4. Τσιντίδης, Τ., (1995): Τα ενδημικά φυτά της Κύπρου. Λευκωσία: Τράπεζα Κύπρου – Παγκύπρια Ένωση Δασολόγων.

PHOTOGRAPH SOURCE:
http://threatenedconifers.rbge.org.uk/taxa/details/cedrus-brevifolia1

Διαβάστε επίσης

The species of December 2020

      Name: Chameleon Scientific name: Chamaeleo chamaeleon Family: Chamaeleonidae       Description Its body ...