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Mahya Tafazoli, Pedram Attarod, Dr. Seyed Mohammad Hojjati, Mehrcedeh Tafazoli,
Volume 7, Issue 14 (12-2019)
Volume 7, Issue 14 (12-2019)
Abstract
Changes in the quality of water reaching forest floor is of the most important consequences of native and exotic tree species plantations for rehabilitating the derelict areas of the Caspian forests. The aim of this study was to compare the chemical composition of throughfall in plantations of Persian maple (Acer velutinim Bioss) and Turkish Pine (Pinus brutia Ten) in Darabkola Forest, Sari. The amount of gross rainfall and throughfall were measured using six and twenty plastic collectors, respectively, from May 15, 2012 to 15 March, 2013. To compare the concentration of Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium of the throughfall, four throughfall and rainfall samples were monthly taken from each stand. The results showed that the average of EC in growing season in Persian maple stand (170 µs/cm) was significantly higher than in Turkish pine stand (135 µs/cm) and in rainfall (55 µs/cm). Mean concentration of Potassium (Acer: 6.15, Pine 5.63 mg.l-1), Calcium (Acer: 0.53, Pine: 0.83 mg.l-1) and Magnesium (Acer: 0.59, Pine: 0.55 mg.l-1) were not significantly different between Acer and Pine stands. Mean concentration of potassium and magnesium in Persian maple stand (K: 6.15, Mg: 0.59 mg.l-1) and Turkish pine (K: 5.63, Mg: 0.55 mg.l-1) was significantly higher than the rainfall (K: 0.24, Mg: 0.32 mg.l-1). We concluded that the plantations change the water quality reaching the forest floor. It is needed to examine the effects of all endemic and exotic tree species on chemical composition of throughfall in future studies.
Mehrcedeh Tafazoli, Seyed Mohammad Hosseini Nasr, Hamid Jalilvand, Mahya Tafazoli,
Volume 9, Issue 17 (5-2021)
Volume 9, Issue 17 (5-2021)
Abstract
Chestnut as an indigenous and valuable forest species exists in some forests of Guilan province, which the area of its stands is decreasing due to the lack of natural regeneration and socioeconomic problems as well as ink and blight diseases; therefore, chestnut’s asexual propagation through tissue culture methods can be effective in protecting this species and preventing its extinction. The aim of this study was to use the micropropagation method in order to produce complete chestnut plantlets by identifying the best explants and plant growth regulators. For this purpose, seeds were collected from Visroud site, sterilized, soaked in boiling water and cultured on B5 medium, and then explants were taken from germinated seeds. Leaf, stem and root explants from in vitro seedlings of chestnut were cultured on B5 containing cytokinins (TDZ and BA) with concentrations of 0.02, 0.2, 1 and 2 mg/l and auxins (IBA, NAA, and IAA) with concentrations of 0.1, 0.2, 1 and 2 mg/l. Results showed that the best response was obtained from the leaf explants and TDZ (0.2 mg/l) and IBA (2 mg/l) had the highest percentage of callus- shooting (32.4%) and rooting (80%), respectively. The survival of seedlings outside the laboratory was 80%. Considering the importance of chestnut species in economic and environmental terms, the present study can be useful for the implementation of reclamation management to protect, develop and prevent extinction of this species.
Dr. Masoud Naderi, Dr. Ali Kialashaki, Dr. Ramin Veisi, Dr. Ali Sheykheslami, Dr. Mahya Tafazoli,
Volume 9, Issue 18 (9-2021)
Volume 9, Issue 18 (9-2021)
Abstract
Introduction and objective: Climate change and global warming is one of the major challenges in the context of sustainable development, which is due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. Afforestation is one of the practical and simple ways to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and increase carbon uptake in the soil. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the trend of soil carbon sequestration in Populus deltoides plantation located on different elevation classes.
Materials and methods: Three sites (Mahdasht, Pahnekola and NaghibdehMazde) were selected at elevations between 150 to 1200 m in Sari city. Quantitative variables including diameter at breast height, total height, basal area of all trees with a diameter more than 7.5 cm were recorded (full inventory method). Ten soil samples were taken at a depth of 0-10 cm in each site using the core method in order to study soil physical (moisture, texture and bulk density) and chemical properties (pH, EC, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and organic carbon).
Results: The highest diameter (27.83 cm), height (21.13 m), basal area (0.046 m2) and volume (2.11 m3) was observed in Mahdasht and the lowest values were observed in Pahnekola. The lowest amount of pH (6.26±0.04), EC (0.3±0.01 ds/m), total nitrogen (0.11±0.01 %), potassium (169.49±25.00 mg/kg) and organic carbon (1.43±0.06 %) were observed in NaghibdehMazde (highest altitude). The highest and lowest rate of carbon sequestration was observed in Mahdasht (lowest altitude) and NaghibdehMazde (highest altitude), respectively. In general, in lower altitudes, poplar trees had a much better diameter growth than higher altitudes.
Conclusion: According to results, it can be stated that planting Populus deltoides in lower altitudes can be a suitable approach to reduce the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxid.
Seyedeh Fatemeh Hosseini, Hamid Jalilvand, Asghar Fallah, Hamed Asadi, Mahya Tafazoli,
Volume 12, Issue 2 (10-2024)
Volume 12, Issue 2 (10-2024)
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Background: Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) is one of the well-known industrial species of Hyrcanian forests that spreads from the west to east of these forests. Human activities have caused significant damage to Hyrcanian forests, and this issue highlights the importance of identifying factors affecting the structural characteristics of trees, especially beech, for the optimal management of these forests and the restoration of degraded areas. Considering the effect of environmental factors on the structural characteristics (the basal area and number per hectare) and the distribution of trees, the knowledge of their ecological requirements can be used to prepare programs for the protection and development of forests. Previous research about factors affecting the distribution of this species focused on topographical variables and the effects of climate change. Thus, No research has so far investigated the effect of the frequency of fog occurrence on the structural characteristics of this species. Therefore, the effect of topographical variables (height above sea level, slope, and direction), temperature, relative humidity, and fog on the number per hectare, basal area, and the presence of beech species was investigated in the present study using a generalized linear model (GLM). The results of this research and other studies on the future data from the forests of northern Iran can help predict possible changes in the distribution of species, especially beech species, under the effect of global warming.
Methods: To carry out this research, beech species data were obtained from the forest inventory data bank in the north of Iran. Because no meteorological station was available for the whole region of Hyrcanian forests, meteorological data were obtained from the POWER project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the USA. Since fog is defined as water droplets suspended near the earth's surface, which reduces horizontal visibility to less than one kilometer, the occurrence of fog was determined using the horizontal visibility index. After preparing the data, first the number of trees per hectare and then the basal area of trees were calculated in each sample plot. The collected data were separated based on the presence or absence of beech. Data were analyzed using GLM and cross-validation evaluation in R software and the caret package.
Results: The results of the correlation between the independent variables showed that the amount of precipitation had a significant and high correlation with relative humidity, hence the precipitation variable was removed from the modeling. The GLM showed acceptable accuracy for predicting the number of trees per hectare (R2 = 0.16), basal area (R2 = 0.16), and the presence of beech species (AUC = 0.75). The fog, height above sea level, and relative air humidity variables had a positive relationship with all three traits (number per hectare, basal area, and the presence of beech species) while temperature was negatively related only to the presence of beech species. The aspect variable had a positive and significant relationship with the number of beech trees per hectare and basal area, respectively, but it was not significantly related to the presence of this species. The height above sea level was the most important variable for predicting the number of trees per hectare, the basal area, and the presence of beech species. Relative humidity was the second most important variable for predicting the number of trees per hectare and basal area while fog was the second most important variable for the presence of beech species. The temperature, slope, and aspect had a significance of less than 20%.
Conclusion: The reason for the higher relative importance of the height above sea level can be attributed to low temperature and high rainfall as the optimal conditions for the growth of the beech tree; these conditions are directly related to the height above sea level. Our results also determine the importance of relative humidity and the occurrence of fog in the distribution of beech species. The high importance of the relative humidity variable may result from the fact that beech is generally described as adapting to full-shade to partial-shade conditions. Since the northern aspect (in the Northern Hemisphere) generally receives less direct sunlight and is usually cooler, this species usually establishes in the northern direction in the Hyrcanian forest. On the other hand, since relative humidity increases with decreasing temperature, it can be concluded that beech prefers higher relative humidity. In the forests of mountainous areas and near the coast, the number of fog occurrences is high due to high air humidity and altitude. Finally, this phenomenon leads to rain fog and increases the amount of water reaching the forest floor. Therefore, it can be stated that the occurrence and production of fog play a pivotal role in providing the water needs of beech trees due to the high moisture requirement of this species. The high importance of relative air humidity and the occurrence of fog in the distribution of beech species necessitate additional studies regarding the accurate estimation of the occurrence and amount of fog in Hyrcanian forests. Studies on fog and its effects on vegetation, particularly in temperate regions, can provide valuable insight into the potential benefits of fog for this species. Given the lack of studies, it is suggested to investigate the effects of other environmental factors, including soil properties, on the distribution of beech species.
Background: Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) is one of the well-known industrial species of Hyrcanian forests that spreads from the west to east of these forests. Human activities have caused significant damage to Hyrcanian forests, and this issue highlights the importance of identifying factors affecting the structural characteristics of trees, especially beech, for the optimal management of these forests and the restoration of degraded areas. Considering the effect of environmental factors on the structural characteristics (the basal area and number per hectare) and the distribution of trees, the knowledge of their ecological requirements can be used to prepare programs for the protection and development of forests. Previous research about factors affecting the distribution of this species focused on topographical variables and the effects of climate change. Thus, No research has so far investigated the effect of the frequency of fog occurrence on the structural characteristics of this species. Therefore, the effect of topographical variables (height above sea level, slope, and direction), temperature, relative humidity, and fog on the number per hectare, basal area, and the presence of beech species was investigated in the present study using a generalized linear model (GLM). The results of this research and other studies on the future data from the forests of northern Iran can help predict possible changes in the distribution of species, especially beech species, under the effect of global warming.
Methods: To carry out this research, beech species data were obtained from the forest inventory data bank in the north of Iran. Because no meteorological station was available for the whole region of Hyrcanian forests, meteorological data were obtained from the POWER project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the USA. Since fog is defined as water droplets suspended near the earth's surface, which reduces horizontal visibility to less than one kilometer, the occurrence of fog was determined using the horizontal visibility index. After preparing the data, first the number of trees per hectare and then the basal area of trees were calculated in each sample plot. The collected data were separated based on the presence or absence of beech. Data were analyzed using GLM and cross-validation evaluation in R software and the caret package.
Results: The results of the correlation between the independent variables showed that the amount of precipitation had a significant and high correlation with relative humidity, hence the precipitation variable was removed from the modeling. The GLM showed acceptable accuracy for predicting the number of trees per hectare (R2 = 0.16), basal area (R2 = 0.16), and the presence of beech species (AUC = 0.75). The fog, height above sea level, and relative air humidity variables had a positive relationship with all three traits (number per hectare, basal area, and the presence of beech species) while temperature was negatively related only to the presence of beech species. The aspect variable had a positive and significant relationship with the number of beech trees per hectare and basal area, respectively, but it was not significantly related to the presence of this species. The height above sea level was the most important variable for predicting the number of trees per hectare, the basal area, and the presence of beech species. Relative humidity was the second most important variable for predicting the number of trees per hectare and basal area while fog was the second most important variable for the presence of beech species. The temperature, slope, and aspect had a significance of less than 20%.
Conclusion: The reason for the higher relative importance of the height above sea level can be attributed to low temperature and high rainfall as the optimal conditions for the growth of the beech tree; these conditions are directly related to the height above sea level. Our results also determine the importance of relative humidity and the occurrence of fog in the distribution of beech species. The high importance of the relative humidity variable may result from the fact that beech is generally described as adapting to full-shade to partial-shade conditions. Since the northern aspect (in the Northern Hemisphere) generally receives less direct sunlight and is usually cooler, this species usually establishes in the northern direction in the Hyrcanian forest. On the other hand, since relative humidity increases with decreasing temperature, it can be concluded that beech prefers higher relative humidity. In the forests of mountainous areas and near the coast, the number of fog occurrences is high due to high air humidity and altitude. Finally, this phenomenon leads to rain fog and increases the amount of water reaching the forest floor. Therefore, it can be stated that the occurrence and production of fog play a pivotal role in providing the water needs of beech trees due to the high moisture requirement of this species. The high importance of relative air humidity and the occurrence of fog in the distribution of beech species necessitate additional studies regarding the accurate estimation of the occurrence and amount of fog in Hyrcanian forests. Studies on fog and its effects on vegetation, particularly in temperate regions, can provide valuable insight into the potential benefits of fog for this species. Given the lack of studies, it is suggested to investigate the effects of other environmental factors, including soil properties, on the distribution of beech species.
Dr. Hamed Asadi, Mohammad Sadegh Kavianpour, Mahya Tafazoli,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (2-2025)
Volume 13, Issue 1 (2-2025)
Abstract
Background: Identifying and studying the plant species of a region, as a fundamental aspect of ecology, yields insights into biodiversity and the reactions of biological communities to prevailing environmental conditions, while also providing a thorough understanding of the evolutionary history of plants and the ecological potential of that area. Darabkla forest in the southeast of Sari city is one of the forests in the lower parts of the Hyrcanian forest zone. Despite the very high importance of studying the flora of plants, until now there has not been a detailed and focused study related to the flora, biological form and geographical distribution of plants in this region and this altitude range of Hyrcanian forest. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to identify and introduce the plant species of the region, especially the floor covering of this forest for optimal management and protection of this natural ecosystem. Also, providing information on flora, biological form, and geographical distribution of plants can be a basis for conducting other researches, including plant sociology in the region.
Methods: The present study was conducted in Darabkola educational and research forest (area 2612 hectares) located in watershed 74 of the Natural Resources Organization of Mazandaran province. This area is located in the southeast of Sari city. In order to identify and introduce the flora of the region, plant species were collected from the beginning of October 2018 to the end of September 2019, using the braun blanquet method and 400 square meter sample plots with 400 meter grid dimensions, as well as the field survey method, from all the study area. Also, the samples were identified with the help of the Flora Iranica. Also, the biological form of plants was determined based on Raunkiaer classification.
Results: In the floristic study of the educational and research forest of the faculty of Natural Resources, Sari, Darabkola, a total of 141 plant species belonging to 122 genera and 60 plant genera were identified. Asteraceae family with 13 plant species, Poaceae family with 12 plant species and Lamiaceae, Rosaceae and Fabaceae families with 9, 8 and 7 plant species, respectively, were introduced as the richest plant families in Darabkla forest. In total, they include 35% (50 plant species) of all species. The genera Carex with 4 species and Hypericum with 3 species were the most diverse plant genera in terms of the number of species in Darabkla forest. The study of the biological forms of the species in the region using the Raunkiaer method showed that cryptophytes with 28% (number of 40 species), phanerophytes with 26% (36 species), trophytes with 23% (32 species) and hemi-cryptophytes respectively. with 21% (30 species), are the main biological forms of the vegetation composition of Darabkella forest. Chamaephytes are also the rarest biological form in the region with 2% (3 species). The results of the geographical distribution of plant species in the region showed that most of the plant species belong to the PL region (48 species) and the ES region (34 species), which is more than 58% of the species (81 species) have been assigned to themselves. After that, the species of ES/IT/M (16 species, 11 percent), ES/IT (15 species, 11 percent), COS (15 species, 10 percent), vegetation ES/M (11 species, 8%) were located. The vegetative regions of IT and IT/M, each with one species, had the lowest presence in the region.
Conclusion: As a habitat rich in biodiversity, Darabkola educational and research forest provides a valuable opportunity for ecological research. The floristic study in this research showed the identification of 140 plant species belonging to 121 genera and 59 families, which shows the high diversity of this region. In particular, Asteraceae, Poaceae and Lamiaceae families were recognized as the richest plant families, which indicates the high compatibility of these species with the environmental conditions of the region. Morphological analysis showed that cryptophytes and phanerophytes, as two dominant groups, play an important role in adapting to the ecological conditions of Darabkla forest. These findings can be a sign of the stability of this ecosystem against environmental changes. The geographical distribution of plants also showed that more than half of the species belong to multi-zones and the European-Siberian vegetation zone. This geographical distribution can help to better understand ecological patterns and ecological interactions in these forests. Considering the ecological and scientific value of Darabkla forest, it is necessary to protect this habitat. The implementation of conservation programs to prevent forest destruction, reduce grazing pressure by livestock and protect biodiversity should be considered as the main priorities. These measures not only help to preserve forest ecosystems, but also provide an opportunity for future research in the field of ecology, forest management and climate change. In general, floristic identification and analysis is an efficient tool for understanding the status and biodiversity of forests and can be the basis for deeper research in various fields related to ecology and natural resource management..
Methods: The present study was conducted in Darabkola educational and research forest (area 2612 hectares) located in watershed 74 of the Natural Resources Organization of Mazandaran province. This area is located in the southeast of Sari city. In order to identify and introduce the flora of the region, plant species were collected from the beginning of October 2018 to the end of September 2019, using the braun blanquet method and 400 square meter sample plots with 400 meter grid dimensions, as well as the field survey method, from all the study area. Also, the samples were identified with the help of the Flora Iranica. Also, the biological form of plants was determined based on Raunkiaer classification.
Results: In the floristic study of the educational and research forest of the faculty of Natural Resources, Sari, Darabkola, a total of 141 plant species belonging to 122 genera and 60 plant genera were identified. Asteraceae family with 13 plant species, Poaceae family with 12 plant species and Lamiaceae, Rosaceae and Fabaceae families with 9, 8 and 7 plant species, respectively, were introduced as the richest plant families in Darabkla forest. In total, they include 35% (50 plant species) of all species. The genera Carex with 4 species and Hypericum with 3 species were the most diverse plant genera in terms of the number of species in Darabkla forest. The study of the biological forms of the species in the region using the Raunkiaer method showed that cryptophytes with 28% (number of 40 species), phanerophytes with 26% (36 species), trophytes with 23% (32 species) and hemi-cryptophytes respectively. with 21% (30 species), are the main biological forms of the vegetation composition of Darabkella forest. Chamaephytes are also the rarest biological form in the region with 2% (3 species). The results of the geographical distribution of plant species in the region showed that most of the plant species belong to the PL region (48 species) and the ES region (34 species), which is more than 58% of the species (81 species) have been assigned to themselves. After that, the species of ES/IT/M (16 species, 11 percent), ES/IT (15 species, 11 percent), COS (15 species, 10 percent), vegetation ES/M (11 species, 8%) were located. The vegetative regions of IT and IT/M, each with one species, had the lowest presence in the region.
Conclusion: As a habitat rich in biodiversity, Darabkola educational and research forest provides a valuable opportunity for ecological research. The floristic study in this research showed the identification of 140 plant species belonging to 121 genera and 59 families, which shows the high diversity of this region. In particular, Asteraceae, Poaceae and Lamiaceae families were recognized as the richest plant families, which indicates the high compatibility of these species with the environmental conditions of the region. Morphological analysis showed that cryptophytes and phanerophytes, as two dominant groups, play an important role in adapting to the ecological conditions of Darabkla forest. These findings can be a sign of the stability of this ecosystem against environmental changes. The geographical distribution of plants also showed that more than half of the species belong to multi-zones and the European-Siberian vegetation zone. This geographical distribution can help to better understand ecological patterns and ecological interactions in these forests. Considering the ecological and scientific value of Darabkla forest, it is necessary to protect this habitat. The implementation of conservation programs to prevent forest destruction, reduce grazing pressure by livestock and protect biodiversity should be considered as the main priorities. These measures not only help to preserve forest ecosystems, but also provide an opportunity for future research in the field of ecology, forest management and climate change. In general, floristic identification and analysis is an efficient tool for understanding the status and biodiversity of forests and can be the basis for deeper research in various fields related to ecology and natural resource management..
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