Editing Pinus peuce (section)

==Use==
Macedonian pine is one of the most valuable [[conifer]] species in the [[Balkan Peninsula]]. Its durable wood is highly valued in [[construction]], furniture production, [[wood-carving]] and [[cooper (profession)|cooper]]age. The tree is also exceptionally good at adapting to severe mountain climate conditions, which makes it a valuable species for [[afforestation]] on high terrain for protection against [[erosion]]. The local population use ''P. peuce'' [[resin]] to cure wounds, [[Chest|pectoral]], skin and stomach diseases, [[varicose veins]] and other illnesses.<ref name="alexandrov11"/>

Macedonian pine is also a popular ornamental tree in [[park]]s and large [[garden]]s, giving reliable steady though not fast growth on a wide range of sites. It is very tolerant of severe winter cold, hardy down to at least -45&nbsp;°C, and also of wind exposure. It is locally [[naturalisation (biology)|naturalised]] in [[Punkaharju]] in eastern Finland.<ref name=gymnosperm/>

Like other European and [[Asia]]n white pines, Macedonian pine is very resistant to [[white pine blister rust]] (''Cronartium ribicola'').<ref name=soegaard>Søegaard, B. (1972). Relative blister rust resistance of native and introduced white pines in Europe. Pages 233–239 in Bingham, R. T. et al., eds. Biology of Rust Resistance in Forest Trees. ''U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service Misc. Publ''. 1221.</ref><ref name=popnikola>Popnikola, N., M. Jovancevic, and M. Vidakovic. 1978. Genetics of Pinus peuce Gris. ''Annales Forestales'' 7/6: 187-206.</ref> This fungal disease was accidentally introduced from [[Europe]] into [[North America]], where it has caused severe mortality in the American native white pines (e.g. [[western white pine]], [[sugar pine]], [[whitebark pine]]) in many areas. Macedonian pine is of great value for research into hybridisation and genetic modification to develop rust resistance in these species; hybrids with [[eastern white pine]] inherit some resistance.<ref name=popnikola/>