Swiss stone pine - portrait of a mountain forest tree

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The Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra L.) stands out among the pine tree species of the Alpine region. It “crowns” the timberline, its altitudinal range explaining why it is sometimes also known as the “Queen of the Alps”. The stone pine also stands out for various biological characteristics. As well as its capacity for physiological adaptation, its interaction with the spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) as a seed disperser is of particular note. And then the Swiss stone pine also plays an important ecological and economic role as the main tree species of the stone pine-larch forest community, especially in the Alps. Rapid climate change does pose a major challenge, however. The long-lived Swiss stone pine can only move up the slopes slowly in response to the increasing competition as other tree species also migrate to higher altitudes.