Structure analysis of juniper (Juniperus excelsa M.B.) stands in the Irano-Touranin vegetation zone (Case study: Parvar protected area, Semnan province)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Botany Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, AREEO, Tehran, Iran.

2 Forest Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, AREEO, Tehran, Iran.

3 Department of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

10.22059/jfwp.2024.381531.1310

Abstract

The dynamics of spatial structure play a major role in understanding the mechanisms of forest structure and the formation of biodiversity, and largely determine the sustainability of the forest and its productivity. As part of a long-term monitoring project, the present study was conducted to assess the structure of juniper (Juniperus excelsa M.B.) stands in the Parvar protected area of Semnan province in the Irano-Touranian vegetation zone. Two permanent sample plots, each one hectare, were randomly selected, and the quantitative characteristics of woody species were measured and recorded using the full calipering inventory method. The structural characteristics of the stands were calculated based on the nearest neighbor indices. In sample plot one, juniper was the most abundant species, accounting for 49.7% (94 stems), while Rosa canina was the least abundant, with 4.8% (9 stems). Berberis integerrima and Cerasus microcarpa accounted for 39.7% and 5.8% of abundance, respectively. Sample plot two, with 75 stems per hectare, consisted of only two species: juniper (54 stems, 72%) and barberry (21 stems, 28%). The Clarke and Evans index and uniform angle indices indicated a clustered spatial distribution pattern of trees. The species mingling index for the entire stand in sample plots one and two was 0.46 and 0.38, respectively, indicating moderate mixing. The combined structural diversity index value was 0.47 and 0.48 in sample plots one and two, respectively, suggesting high diversity in the investigated stands. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of these indices in estimating the horizontal structure of forest stands, providing valuable information essential for management and decision-making processes.

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References

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Forest and Wood Products
Volume 77, Issue 3
December 2024
Pages 301-312

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