Abies numidica de Lannoy ex Carrière
A. baborensis Coss. ex Parl., A. pinsapo Boiss. var. baborensis Coss. ex Carrière
Eng.: Algerian fir. Spa.: Abeto argelino. Fre.: Sapin de Numidie. Tam.: Taument, timent, timert, tertuch, taïda.
Evergreen tree, monoecious, very similar to the Betic-Rif firs. Similar in shape, but usually not exceeding 20 m in height. Straight trunk up to 1 m in diameter with brown-greyish bark. Branches perpendicular to the trunk. In its external appearance, the main difference is the shape and arrangement of branchlets which appear clearly flattened. The leaves are longer (15-22 mm), also sessile but very twisted at the base; linear, rigid and thick, obtuse, never prickly, and often emarginate. Male cones ovoid (1-1.5 cm), usually red, sessile. Female cones cylindrical (2-3.5 cm) greenish and sessile. Strobili cylindrical, upright, slightly larger than in previous type species (13-20 × 4-5.5 cm).
Flowering:
April to May.
Fruiting:
September to November.
Habitat:
Limestone and marl mountains in a humid to subhumid climate, between 1,600 and 2,000 m. It grows in almost pure forests in the upper reaches of the mountains, or mixed with Cedrus atlantica and Quercus faginea, sometimes also with Taxus baccata, Populus tremula, Q. afares, Acer obtusatum and Ilex aquifolium.
Distribution:
Endemic tree of Algeria, in the mountains of Little Kabylia (Mounts Babor and Tababor).
Observations:
A. marocana and A. numidica, like other circum Mediterranean firs, appear today as rare survivors of the ice age, when they were widely distributed throughout the region. After the last ice age (about 10,000 years ago) the increase in temperature and decrease in humidity resulted in a great decline of these North African fir forests, with only some small refuge forests remaining in a few mountains where special microclimate conditions (cool and wet) allowed them to survive. These small relict forests were later exploited by man until they almost disappeared, but the inaccessibility of their habitat and the poor quality of their firewood, timber and coal have fostered the survival of some somewhat degraded remains of those leafy forests.
The Babor fir forest covers a small area. It is currently overgrazed and should be fully protected. It has a remarkable biodiversity and is refuge to numerous endemics. See more.
For the recovery of these small fir forests in their already small potential area, the most effective and cheap option seems to be natural recovery and the protection against logging and grazing. Thus, with adequate and simple protective measures, these small forests can recover and even double in their extension. This has been seen in Andalusia where, in the fifties, fir trees were in the brink of extinction. The protection and recovery of the North African fir forests is necessary not only due to their great scientific, aesthetic and ecological value, but also for the role they play in creating and protecting the soil and water resources.
Conservation status:
Rare and endangered species, with a very restricted distribution. In the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species it is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) (Yahi et al., 2011). In Algeria it is included in the List of protected non cultivated flora (Executive Decree 12-03 on 4-Jan-2012).