Akram Ahmadi *1 
, Mahmood Bayat1 , Saeed Shabani1 , Sepideh Zavar1 , Maryam Moslehi1 , Saeedeh Taheri2 , Mohammad Aq Kakli2 , Lotfollah Parsaii1
, Mahmood Bayat1 , Saeed Shabani1 , Sepideh Zavar1 , Maryam Moslehi1 , Saeedeh Taheri2 , Mohammad Aq Kakli2 , Lotfollah Parsaii1
1- AREEO
2- Forests and rangelands organization
2- Forests and rangelands organization
Abstract: (156 Views)
Introduction: Regarding the reduction of forests in the world due to the destruction of forests and fires and the adverse effects of drought and climate changes, forest plantation is one of the strategic approaches for protecting and enriching forests. Forest plantations are a very small percentage of the global forest area. According to the estimates, half of the world's industrial wood is supplied by forest plantations. In addition to revitalizing areas, forest plantations moderate climate, prevents soil erosion, prevents air pollution, and creates recreational areas. It also prevents soil degradation in dry lands by planting compatible species. Also, in the long term, it will meet the needs of mankind and reduce the pressure of exploitation of natural forests, and performing some ecosystem services and making changes in the physical-chemical characteristics of the soil and biochemical cycles are other benefits. Nowadays, due to meeting the growing needs of the pulp and paper industry with afforestation with fast-growing species and limiting the harvesting of wood from natural forests, its importance has increased so that more studies in this field has become inevitable.
Unlike many countries, Iran's forest plantation areas do not have production goals and are often in the form of projects with different goals, such as the development of existing forests, desertification and sand stabilization, green spaces on the edge of industries and factories, green spaces, forest parks, and urban forestry that their collections are mentioned and reported as annual forestry works. Despite the great variety of species used in forestry according to the diverse ecological conditions in the country, there is no integrated management for the forest plantatins of the country. On the other hand, there is no documented information about the process of quantitative and qualitative changes in these forestry operations, and the researches conducted in academic and research societies have often been in the form of case studies and cross-sectional surveys using temporary sampling systems.
So, in line with the strategic policies of the Forestry and Pasture Research Institute of Iran and to create up to date and accurate database of the state of forest plantations in Golestan province, forest plantations in the west of Golestan province including the cities of Gorgan, Aliabad, Kurdkoi, Bandargaz, Aq-Qala, Bandar Turkeman and Gomishan were evaluated with the aim of investigating current situation and challenges, suggestions for improvement.
Materials and methods: At first, forest plantations in the west of Golestan province (including Gorgan, Aliabad, Kurdkoi, Bandargaz, Aq-Qala, Bandar Turkeman and Gomishan) were identified and analyzed based on the archival information of the country's forests, pastures, and watershed management organization, the general departments of natural resources and watershed management of the province, and the natural resources departments of Golestan province. Investigations was performed trough recording forest plantation form including extracting information such as the history and area of afforestation, identification of the type of planted species, identification of compatible species, evaluation of restoration and reclamation operations, and finally, analysis of the forest plantation program was carried out considering the principle of achieving predetermined goals. With the implementation of this project, an initial database of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forestry in the west of Golestan province was formed. Then, by preparing an initial database of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forest plantations in the west of Golestan province, all the quantitave and descriptive information recorded in the ArcMap software was converted into a digital map of carried-out forest plantations separately for each city, and then, the data was summarized and presented in the form of a research manuscript.
Results: The ratio of forest plantation area to the city area in the western cities of Golestan province was 0.05 and the bigest forest plantation area compared to the area of the city was in Bandargaz (0.02). The ratio of forest plantation area to the city area in the surveyed cities was as follows: Bandargaz, Aliabad, Kordkoy, Gorgan, Aq-Qala, Bandar Turkeman, and Gomishan. Most of the forest plantations were done in the east of Golestan province (83 percentage), which compared to the west, due to existing more areas suitable for forest plantation. In the cities of Gorgan and Aliabad, a greater area of forest plantation has been carried out, and in the cities of Aq-Qala, Bandar Turkeman and Gamishan, the area of forest plantation is zero, which indicates the inappropriate distribution of forest plantations in the cities in the province. The main species of forest trees in the west of the province often included Cupressus Sempervirens Horizontalis, Cupressus Arizonica, Pinus brutia, Quercus castanifolia, Alnus subcordata, etc. Among all forest plantation projects in the west of the province, Shast Kelate forest plantation project was more successful than all the projects, which was due to the complete protection of this project, as well as the prevention of livestock and wood smuggling. Among the less successful projects was the Ghorogh forest plantation project, where most of the social problems are observed. So that many damages to the trees have been caused by native people and passengers. On the other hand, a large area of plantation forests has been lost due to the location in the vicinity of agricultural land, encroachment on plantation forest lands and extensive smuggling. On the other hand, due to the lack of monitoring and investigating forest plantation projects, the presence of livestock in the field and the lack of forester has affected the success of this project.
Conclusion: According to the success of the projects and the study of their challenges, among the suitable management solutions that are recommended for forest plantation projects in the west of the province are to increase the social acceptance of the projects, continuous care and maintenance and the necessity of pruning in many forestry plantations, the exit of coniferous species and entering broad leaf species and employing more foresters, considering the ecological potential of the field in revitalization and reforestation, continuous monitoring of these forest plantation projects and proper management of the projects and harvesting of hand-planted forestry to the useful age.
Unlike many countries, Iran's forest plantation areas do not have production goals and are often in the form of projects with different goals, such as the development of existing forests, desertification and sand stabilization, green spaces on the edge of industries and factories, green spaces, forest parks, and urban forestry that their collections are mentioned and reported as annual forestry works. Despite the great variety of species used in forestry according to the diverse ecological conditions in the country, there is no integrated management for the forest plantatins of the country. On the other hand, there is no documented information about the process of quantitative and qualitative changes in these forestry operations, and the researches conducted in academic and research societies have often been in the form of case studies and cross-sectional surveys using temporary sampling systems.
So, in line with the strategic policies of the Forestry and Pasture Research Institute of Iran and to create up to date and accurate database of the state of forest plantations in Golestan province, forest plantations in the west of Golestan province including the cities of Gorgan, Aliabad, Kurdkoi, Bandargaz, Aq-Qala, Bandar Turkeman and Gomishan were evaluated with the aim of investigating current situation and challenges, suggestions for improvement.
Materials and methods: At first, forest plantations in the west of Golestan province (including Gorgan, Aliabad, Kurdkoi, Bandargaz, Aq-Qala, Bandar Turkeman and Gomishan) were identified and analyzed based on the archival information of the country's forests, pastures, and watershed management organization, the general departments of natural resources and watershed management of the province, and the natural resources departments of Golestan province. Investigations was performed trough recording forest plantation form including extracting information such as the history and area of afforestation, identification of the type of planted species, identification of compatible species, evaluation of restoration and reclamation operations, and finally, analysis of the forest plantation program was carried out considering the principle of achieving predetermined goals. With the implementation of this project, an initial database of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forestry in the west of Golestan province was formed. Then, by preparing an initial database of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forest plantations in the west of Golestan province, all the quantitave and descriptive information recorded in the ArcMap software was converted into a digital map of carried-out forest plantations separately for each city, and then, the data was summarized and presented in the form of a research manuscript.
Results: The ratio of forest plantation area to the city area in the western cities of Golestan province was 0.05 and the bigest forest plantation area compared to the area of the city was in Bandargaz (0.02). The ratio of forest plantation area to the city area in the surveyed cities was as follows: Bandargaz, Aliabad, Kordkoy, Gorgan, Aq-Qala, Bandar Turkeman, and Gomishan. Most of the forest plantations were done in the east of Golestan province (83 percentage), which compared to the west, due to existing more areas suitable for forest plantation. In the cities of Gorgan and Aliabad, a greater area of forest plantation has been carried out, and in the cities of Aq-Qala, Bandar Turkeman and Gamishan, the area of forest plantation is zero, which indicates the inappropriate distribution of forest plantations in the cities in the province. The main species of forest trees in the west of the province often included Cupressus Sempervirens Horizontalis, Cupressus Arizonica, Pinus brutia, Quercus castanifolia, Alnus subcordata, etc. Among all forest plantation projects in the west of the province, Shast Kelate forest plantation project was more successful than all the projects, which was due to the complete protection of this project, as well as the prevention of livestock and wood smuggling. Among the less successful projects was the Ghorogh forest plantation project, where most of the social problems are observed. So that many damages to the trees have been caused by native people and passengers. On the other hand, a large area of plantation forests has been lost due to the location in the vicinity of agricultural land, encroachment on plantation forest lands and extensive smuggling. On the other hand, due to the lack of monitoring and investigating forest plantation projects, the presence of livestock in the field and the lack of forester has affected the success of this project.
Conclusion: According to the success of the projects and the study of their challenges, among the suitable management solutions that are recommended for forest plantation projects in the west of the province are to increase the social acceptance of the projects, continuous care and maintenance and the necessity of pruning in many forestry plantations, the exit of coniferous species and entering broad leaf species and employing more foresters, considering the ecological potential of the field in revitalization and reforestation, continuous monitoring of these forest plantation projects and proper management of the projects and harvesting of hand-planted forestry to the useful age.
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