The role of soil and physiographic factors on morphologic parameters of Cerasus microcarpa C. A. Mey. in Kermanshah forests

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Senior Research Expert, Research Division of Natural Recourses, Kermanshah Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO

2 Associate Prof., Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO)

3 Research Expert, Research Division of Natural Recourses, Kermanshah Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the relationship between vegetation properties of Cerasus microcarpa C. A. Mey. and physiographic and soil conditions in forests of Kermanshah province. After identifying the main habitats of C. microcarpa habitats, min and max range of altitude were determined. Concerning geographic expositions and terrain condition, 17 circular sample plots of 500 m2 each were established, in which C. microcarpa individuals could be grouped, with at least three of the total 122 shrubs in a plot.  Furthermore, 17 soil profiles were dug, in which the parameters including pH, EC, C%, CaCo3 and soil texture were determined. The PC-ORD software was used for Canonical Correspondence Analysis on the data. The results suggested that the geographical aspect plays an important role in selecting land form for C. microcarpa establishment, so that the shrubs are more distributed at the edges and valleys in northern slopes, while they are more presented in foothills and plains in southern slopes. The total height of shrubs in northern slopes and edges was higher than those in both southern slopes and plains. Both trunk and crown length reduce by increasing clay, CaCo3, EC and decreasing slope%. A direct relationship was observed between total height of shrubs and altitude and sand. Finally, the environmental conditions in southern slopes and plains which are accompanied by increasing the acidity and silt, which in turn contribute to increase the crown area and diameter at breast height of C. microcarpa shrubs.

Keywords


- Ali Ahmad Korori, S.,Khoshnevis, M., Matinizade, M. andMoraghebi, F., 2001. Ecological and environmental studies of Juniperus habitats of Iran. The National Conference of Management of Northern ForestsandSustainable Development.Ramsar,2001: 337-357(In Persian).
- Amorim, P.K. and Batalha, M.A., 2007. Soilvegetation relationships in hyperseasonal cerrado, seasonal cerrado and wet grassland in Emas national park (Central Brazil). Acta Oecologica, 32: 319-327.
- Archambault, L., Barnes, B.V. and Witter, J.A., 1989. Ecological species groups of oak ecosystems of southeastern Michigan, USA. Forest Science, 35: 1058-1074.
- Coroi, M., Skeffington, M.S., Giller, P., Smith, C., Gormally, M. and O’Donovan, G., 2004. Vegetation diversity and stand structure in streamside forests in the south of Ireland. Forest Ecology and Management, 202: 39-57.
- Cox, C.B. and Moor, P.D., 2005. Biogeography: An Ecological and Evolutionary Approach. Wiley-Blackwell, 440p.
- Fattahi, M., 1995. The Study of Zagros Oak Forests and the Most Important Factors of its Destruction. Published by Research Institute of Forest and Rangeland, Tehran, 63p (In Persian).
- Gooall, D.W., Perrg, R.A. and Howes, K.M.W., 1979. Arid-land Ecosystems: Structure, Functioning and Management. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 851p.
- Grytnes, J.A. and Vetaas, O.R., 2002. Species richness and altitude: a comparison between null models and interpolated plant species richness along the Himalayan altitudinal gradient, Nepal. The American Naturalist, 159(3): 294-304.
- Jazirehi, M. and Ebrahimi Rostaghi, M.E., 2003. Silviculture in Zagros. Tehran University Press, Tehran, 560p (In Persian).
- Khanjani-Shiraz, B., Sagheb-Talebi, Kh., Hemmati, A., 2012. Ecological and silvicultural characteristics of wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) in Guilan province. Iranian Journal of Forest, 4(4): 365-376 (In Persian).
- Khodakarami, Y., Khanhasani, M. and Sagheb- Talebi, Kh., 2012. Investigation of some effective ecological factors on Quercus infectoria dispersion in Kermanshah forests. The Second National Conference of Biodiversity and its Effect on Agriculture and Environment, Urmia, 2012: 405-411 (In Persian).
- Guerrero-Campo, J., Alberto, F., Hodgson, J., Garcı́a-Ruiz, J.M. and Montserrat-Marti, G., 1999. Plant community patterns in a gypsum area of NE Spain. I. Interaction with topographic factors and soil erosion. Arid Environments, 41(4): 401-410.
- Modir Shanehchi, M., 1993. Manual of Plant Ecology (translation). Imam Reza University Press, Mashhad, 509p (In Persian).
- Nantel, P. and Gagnon, D., 1999. Variability in the dynamics of Northern peripheral versus southern population of two colonial plant species Helianthus divericatus and Rhus aromatic.Forest Ecology and Management, 87: 748-760.
- Oliveira-Filho, A.T., Vilela, E.A., Carvalho, D.A. and Gavilanes, M.L., 1994. Effects of soils and topography on the distribution of tree species in a tropical riveine forest in south-eastern Brazil. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 10(4): 483-508.
- Pourhashemi, M., Marvi Mohajer, M.R., Zobeiri, M., Zahedi Amiri, Gh. and Panahi, P., 2007. A study of the factors effective on sprouting of oak species in Marivan forests (Case study: Doveyse forest). Iranian Journal of Natural Resources, 59(4): 819-830 (In Persian).
- Sekhavati, N., Akbarinia, M., Zangene, H. and Mirzaee, J., 2013. The role of topographic factors on biodiversity in Cerasus (L.) Mill. in Kermanshah forests. Journal of Forest and Rangeland, 97: 24-32 (In Persian).
- Strenberg, M. and Shoshany, M., 2001. Influence of slope aspect on Mediterranean woody formations, comparison of a semi-arid and arid site in Israel. Ecological Research, 16: 335-345.
- Talebi, M., Sagheb-Talebi, Kh. and Jahanbazi, H., 2010. Site demands and some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari province (western Iran). Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 14(1): 67-79 (In Persian).
- Tatli, A., Akan, H., Zfer, A. and Kara, C., 2002. The flora of upper Ceyhan valley. Turkish Journal of Botany, 26: 256-276.
- Wang, G.G., 2000. Use of understory vegetation in classifying soil moisture and nutrient regimes. Forest Ecology and Management, 129: 93-100.
- Zangene, H., 2005. Vegetation Map of Kermanshah Province. Published by Kermanshah Natural Resources and Watershed Management office, Kermanshah, 48p (In Persian).
- Zohary, M., 1973. Geobotanical Foundation of the Middle East. Gustav Fisher Verlag, Stuttgart Swets & Zeitlinger, Amesterdam, 739p.