Palaeobiogeography of Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. salzmannii (Dunal) Franco in the north-western Mediterranean Basin: A review based on macroremains

•Historical biogeography of Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii in Mediterranean Basin.•Climatic changes and inter-specific competitions controlled its past distribution.•This pine species could be disappear in many Mediterranean landscape in the future.

The palaeobiogeography of Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii is investigated in an attempt to understand the environmental mechanisms responsible for its present-day fragmented distribution. A synthesis of data based on cone imprints from travertine deposits and wood charcoal from archaeological sites suggests that, in the past (Holocene), P. nigra subsp. salzmannii had a larger distribution in the north-western Mediterranean Basin. This species has disappeared from eastern France probably as a result of the competition with other ligneous species, such as Quercus ilex and Pinus halepensis, which were favoured by anthropogenic disturbances during the Late Holocene. Current environmental changes, including increasing drought and fire events, will further contribute to the regression of P. nigra subsp. salzmannii populations. The safeguard of this pine in the Mediterranean landscapes relies on sustained national and European conservation programs.