The recent distribution of Pinus brutia: A reassessment based on dendroarchaeological and dendrohistorical evidence from Israel

The distribution area of Pinus brutia today covers mainly the eastern region of the Mediterranean. Dendrohistorical research, based on the analysis of wood remains from archaeological sites and historical buildings in Israel, indicates that during ancient times P. brutia was absent from the natural vegetation landscape of Israel and may have been much less important in the eastern Mediterranean region as a whole. However, it was very common in the vegetational landscape of the Eastern Mediterranean from the nineteenth century onwards. This points to changes which have taken place only during the last few hundred years, influenced mainly by human activities rather than by changes in climatic conditions.