Abstract

FERNANDES, Manuel; BENTO, João  and  DEVY-VARETA, Nicole. Aspetos biogeográficos e paleoambientais de uma população finícola de Pinus sylvestris L. na serra do Gerês (NW Portugal). GOT [online]. 2015, n.7, pp.159-181. ISSN 2182-1267.  https://doi.org/10.17127/got/2015.7.007.

The discovery of a population of Pinus sylvestris L. in the Gerês mountains in the late 19^th century opened a debate about its native status in Portugal. This paper reviews palaeoenvironmental data on the occurrence of the species in the Iberian Peninsula and in Portugal since the last glacial period. Written sources since the 18^th century where P. sylvestris is mentioned from the country vegetation and the Gerês mountains are also examined. The hypothesis of the native status of the Gerês population is discussed, along with the attempts to introduce this pine species in different locations of the country, prior to the afforestation of mountain areas in the 20^th century. The native status of the surviving populations in Gerês is admitted and the importance of its conservation as a biogenetic resource is stressed.

Keywords : Pinus sylvestris L.; Gerês; Biogeography; Paleobotany; native species; afforestation.

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