Classification of forest degradation based on Quantitative characteristics in Arasbabran forests (Kaleibarchay and Ilginechay whatersheds)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Member of Scientific board- Research Institute of Forests & Rangelands

2 Forests and Rangelands Research Department, East Azerbaijan Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

Arasbaran forests are one of the richest forest habitats in Iran, which their appearance, species composition, and structure have drastically changed because of human activities in the past few centuries. The present study aimed to investigate the different structures of forest stands that result from degradation and disturbance. The research data were collected from 148 established round sample plots of 3 ares in Kaleibarchay and Ilgenachay zones. Different defined groups were generated based on the basal area (m2/ha), density (trees/ha), highest tree, crown cover percentage, and the number of seedlings and coppice sprouts using hierarchical cluster analysis. A number of the cluster was assessed based on K- Means analysis. Then PCA was used to detect the most effective variables. The results of PCA showed that the first and second components explain 73.7% of the changes and basal area per ha and density per ha were the most effective factors in classification. Finally, the results revealed that 89.1% of grouped cases are correctly classified. Thus the area was divided into 5 classes, according to the degree of degradation which the first group with the best condition includes the succeeding stands towards climax communities, and the fifth group includes degraded forests. Based on these results, a decision can be made commensurate to the degradation stages and improvement can be achieved through proper planning.

Keywords


-Alijanpour, A., Zobeiri, M., Marvi Mohajer, M.R., Zargham, N. and Feghhi, J. 2004. A comparision of forest stand quantitative factors in protected and non protected areas in arasbaran forests. Iranian Journal of Natural Resources Research, 57(3): 447-453.
-Alijanpour, A., Eshaghi Rad, J. and Banj Shafiei, A. 2009a. Comparison of woody plants diversity in protected and non-protected areas of Arasbaran forests. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 17(1): 126-133.
-Alijanpour, A., Eshaghi Rad, J. and Banj Shafiei, A. 2009b. Investigation and comparison of two protected and non-protected forest stands regeneration diversity in Arasbaran. Iranian Journal of Forest, 1(3): 209-217.
-Alijanpour, A., Fatullahi, A., Eshaghi Rad, J. and Mohamed, A.R. 2017. Effect of aspect and soil on quantitative and qualitative characteristic of hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) in Arasbaran forest (case study: Ilginehchay and Kaleibarchay Watersheds). Journal of Plant research, 30(4): 887-898.
-Amirghasemi, F., Sagheb Talebi, KH. and Dargahi, D. 2001. The study of natural regeneration structure in Arasbaran forest (Sotanchi region) .Iranian journal of forest and poplar research, 6: 1-61.
-Curtis, R.P. and Marshall, D.D. 2000. Why quadratic mean diameter?. Western Journal of Applied Forestry, 15: 137-139.
-Ebady, A. and Omidvar, A. 2011. Relationship between some ecological factors and distribution of yew tree (Taxus baccuta L.) in Arasbaran forests (Case study: Ilganechay and Horand regions). Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 19(3): 327-339.
-Ebrahimi Gajoti, T. 1995. Phytosociology and cartography of Arasbaran forests. Master's thesis. Tabriz University. 
-Eguiguren, P., Fischer, R. and Günter, S. 2019. Degradation of Ecosystem Services and Deforestation in LandscapesWith and Without Incentive-Based Forest Conservation in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Forests, 10, 442. doi: 10.3390/ f10050442. 26 p.
-Eshaghi Rad, J., Manthey, M. and Mataji, A. 2009. Comparison of plant species diversity with different plant communities in deciduous forests. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 6 (3):389-394.
-Ghanbari, S., Moradi, Gh. and Nasiri, V. 2018. Quantitative characteristics and structure of tree species in two different conservation situations in Arasbaran Forests. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 26 (3):357-367.
-Ghanbari Sharafeh, A. 2005. The investigation of the ecologic sequence of Taxus baccata L. masses in the Arasbaran forests, Master's thesis, the University of Tehran.
-Habibi Kaseb, H. 1992. Fundamentals of forest soil science. University of Tehran Press. Tehran. 424p.
-Javanshir, K. 1976. Atlas of Iran woody plants – published by society of natural resources and human environment conservation.
-Mahmoudi, B., Bazgir, A., Feghhi, J. and Jafari, F. 2016. Prioritize the Degree of Degradation Forms in Forest Sites of Iran. Journal of forest and wood product,
 68(4): 919-930.
-Mohammadzadeh, A., Basiry, R., Torahi, A.A., Dadashian, R. and Elahian, M. 2014. Evaluation of biodiversity of plant species in Arasbaran area using non parametric measures with respect to topographic factor of slope: a case study of aquiferous land of Ilgina and Kaleibar Rivers. Journal of plant research, 27(4): 728-741.
-Moradi Dirmandrik, Sh., Ramezani Kakroudi, E., Alijanpour, A. and Banj Shafiei, A. 2015. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Arasbaran Forest Protected Area in slope gradient classes. Forest Research and Development, 1(1): 1-15.
-Pourbabaei, H., Manafi, H. and Abedi, T. 2010. Investigation of woody species biodiversity in white georgian oak tree (Quercus petraea subsp.iberica) sites (case study: Choobe daragh and Darana, Arasbaran). Iranian Journal of Forest, 2(3): 197- 207.
-Research report, Investigation of ecological characteristics of Iranian forest tree species (Acer monspessulanum, Acer hyrcanum and Prunus avium) in East Azerbaijan. 2014. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands. https://www.civilica.com/R/7862.
-Rezaei Banafsheh.M., Rostamzadeh, H. and Feyzzadeh, B. 2008. The study and evaluation of the trend of forest surface changes using the remote sensing and GIS: a case study of Arasbaran forests (1987-2005). Geographical research quarterly, 39(62): 143-159.
-Safari, M., Sefidi, K., Alijanpoor, A. and Elahian, M. 2018. Study of Natural Regeneration in Quercus macranthera Stands in Different Physiographic Conditions in Arasbaran Forests. Ecology of Iranian Forests, 6(12): 1-8.
-Sasanifar, S., Alijanpour, A., Banj Shafiei, A. and Eshaghi Rad, J. 2017. Study of regeneration of woody species and canopy crown of trees in Arasbaran forests. The first national conference on the protection and preservation of Arasbaran forests, Sept 5-6 Tabriz, Iran., pp. 1-11.
-Saura, S. and Carballal, P. 2004. Discrimination of native and exotic forest patterns through shape irregularity indices: an analysis in the landscapes of Galicia, Spain. Landscape Ecology, 19: 647–662.
-Scharnweber, T.,  Rietschel, M. and Manthey, M. 2007. Degradation stages of the Hyrcanian forests in southern Azerbaijan. Archiv für Naturschutz und Land schafts forschung, Germany, 133-156.
-Ugarković1, D., Španjol, Ž., Tikvić, I., Kapučija, D. and Plišo Vusić, I. 2019. Microclimate differences in the degradation stages of Holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) forests. Šumarski list, 9(10): 391–402.
-Valizade Kamran, KH., Farokhkhan Toroghi, A. and Hatami Nejad, H. 2013. Assessment of Vegetation Cover and Soil Status Changes in Arasbaran Protected Areas. The 3rd international conference on environmental planning & management, Nov 26, Tehran, Iran, pp. 1-11. 
-Vásquez-Grandón, A., Donoso, P.J. and Gerding, V. 2018. Forest Degradation: When Is a Forest Degraded?. Forests, 9, 726. doi:10.3390/f9110726.13 p.