Cupressus atlantica description

Specimen in native range (4).

Cupressus atlantica Gaussen 1950

Common Names

Azel (Berber), Atlas cypress (2).

Taxonomic notes

Syn: C. sempervirens var. atlantica Silba 1981. Although it has been suggested that this species is a small-coned variety of C. sempervirens, terpene data suggest otherwise, implying a closer affinity to C. dupreziana (1).

Description

Medium-sized tree to 35m high and 4 m in diameter [girth?]. Conical form with straight trunk; no fastigiate forms have been reported. Bark grey-brown, longitudinally fissured, lacking decortication. Branches set at large angles, upward curving. Branchlets of 1st and 2nd order distichous. First order shoots are slightly flattened in section, very fine (diam 0.5mm). Foliage cupressoid scales, opposite, decussate, imbricate, appressed, acuminate, strongly keeled, 1 mm long, with conspicuous, active resin gland. General aspect of foliage fine-grained, slightly glaucous, especially on young tree. Seedlings have two apiculate cotyledons and glaucous apiculate leaves (2).

Range

S Morocco: Endemic to the High Atlas Mountains of Southern Morocco (11°W, 31° N) where there are several stands and a number of isolated trees distributed over a total area of about 200 km². One or two small groves remain in dry woodland on steep scree slopes in Oued n'Fiss Valley south of Marakech. Estimates of the area of occupancy have declined from 5500ha in 1950 to 1460ha in 1986, largely because of habitat degradation, overgrazing and to some extent exploitation. In 1997 a survey found a complete absence of natural regeneration. One subpopulation was fenced and attempts were being made to replant the species, but the rate of success was very low. The soils are more or less eroded, on parent material consisting mainly of schist and basalt. The trees grow at 1100-2000 m elevation in a Mediterranean climate with rainfall of 350-700 mm/year. Summer maxima are likely to average about 30°C and winter minima less than 0° C. Extreme frosts of -15°C are thought to occur and have been measured at an [unspecified] arboretum (2, 3). The species is listed as endangered by the World Conservation Monitoring Center (3).

Big Tree

Oldest

On the basis of 'growth rates,' ages of 2,000 years have been attributed (2). This suggests that ages exceeding 200 years probably occur.

Dendrochronology

Described as potentially useful (2).

Ethnobotany

The species is drought-resistant, frost-resistant and tolerates a variety of soils. It can produce long, high-grade sawlogs and has an attractive aromatic wood. It is very durable (2).

Observations

Remarks

The forests of Atlas cypress are managed by the Moroccan Forest Service with the objective of maintaining and improving them. However, the future depends on natural regeneration, and it remains to be seen how successfully the conditions for this can be recreated despite continued grazing. The Forest research station of Rabat has undertaken a long-term programme of research on the species, including the designation of plus trees for seed collection (2).

Citations

(1) A. Yani, P. Baradat and C. Bernard-Dagan. 1990. II. Chemotaxonomy of Cupressus species, pp 29-38 in J. Ponchet (ed.), AGRIMED research programme. Progress in EEC research on cypress diseases. Results of the Agrimed project (1980-1988). Luxembourg: Commision of the European Communities.
(2) P.J. Stewart. 1981. Cupressus atlantica. In: FAO Forestry Department (compiler). Databook on endangered tree and shrub species and their provenances. Rome: FAO.
(3) World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Trees database, URL=http://www.wcmc.org.uk/cgi-bin/SaCGI.cgi/trees.exe, accessed 1-Jul-1999.
(4) S. Xenopoulos, Claudine Andreoli, A. Panconesi, J. Pinto Ganhao, and J.J. Tuset. Importance of Cypress, pp 1-14 in J. Ponchet (ed.), AGRIMED research programme. Progress in EEC research on cypress diseases. Results of the Agrimed project (1980-1988). Luxembourg: Commision of the European Communities.