Effect of pollarding on biotechnical characteristics and reinforcement amount of Lebanon oak (Quercus libani Oliv.) roots

Document Type : Scientific article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Student Forest Engeeniring, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

2 Associate Prof., Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

3 Prof., Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Among positive effects of vegetation in erosion control, reinforcement of soil by roots is very important. The quantity of reinforcement depends on root biotechnical characteristics such as root density and tensile strength. The aim of current study is to assess the effect of traditional pollarding on root biotechnical characteristics, soil reinforcement and slope stability. To estimate the Root Area Ratio (RAR/Root density index) core sampling with cylinder cores was used. For this purpose, core samples were taken from four sides around each tree in three different soil depths. In each core, number of roots and total root length was determined for each diameter class. Root samples were collected from both up and down slope and their strength was measured with a standard Instron. The results showed that root distribution in relation to depth had a wide variation. The results of ANOVA revealed that pollarding had a significant negative effect on RAR. Also the results of Wald chi square showed that pollarding had a significant negative effect on tensile strength of roots. Mean RAR values of fine roots in control and pollarding samples were 47.0 and 28.0%. Mean tensile resistance in control and pollarding samples were 40.31 and 19.94 MPa, respectively. The average reinforcement of fine roots in control and pollarding samples were 2.29 kPa and 1.12 kPa. The results of this study confirmed that traditional pollarding not only have negative effect on aboveground biomass of oak trees but also significantly reduce the positive effect of vegetation on soil reinforcement.

Keywords

References

- Abdi, A., Majnounian, B., Rahimi, H., Zobeiri, M. and Habibi Bibalani, Gh., 2010. Investigation of biotecnical properties of parottia persica in order to use in bioengineering (Case study: Patom district of Kheiroud forest). Iranian Journal of Natural Resources, 63(1): 53-62 (In Persain).
- Abdi, A., Majnounian, B., Rahimi, H., Zobeiri, M. and Habibi Bibalani, Gh., 2011. Assessment of root tensile strength of some Hyrcanian species for soil stabilization (Case study: Patom district, Kheiroud forest). Iranian Journal of Natural Resources, 64(3): 339-351(In Persian).
- Abedini, A., Pourtahmasebi, K., Ghazanfari, H. and Karimi, A.N., 2010. Effect of severe lopping on radial growth of Lebanon oak (Quercus libani Oliv.) trees in Baneh adjacent forests. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 18(4): 556-578 (In Persian).
- Avani, N., Lateh, H. and Habibi Bibalani, Gh., 2013. Study of root distribution of Macaranga tanarius (L.) Mull. Arg.(Parasol leaf tree)on east-west highwat slope, Malasiya. Journal of BioScience and Biotechnology, 2(3): 195-200.
- Bayala, J., Teklehaimanot, Z. and Ouedraogo, S.J., 2004. Fine root distribution of pruned trees and associated crops in a parkland system in Burkina Faso. Agroforestry Systems, 60: 13-26.
- Beeden, J. and Mclvor, I., 2010. The effects of pollarding on the fine roots of willows planted for soil stabilisation on pastoral hill slopes. Published by Contributing Regional Councils and MAF, Contract 23273, Wellington, 7p.
- Bischetti, G.B., Chiaradia, E.A., Epis, T. and Morlotti, E., 2009. Root cohesion of forest species in the Italian Alps. Plant and Soil, 324: 71-89.
- Bischetti, G.B., Chiaradia, E.A., Simonato, T., Speziali, B., Vitali. B., Vullo. P. and Zocco A., 2005. Root strength and root area ratio of forest species in Lombardy (northern Italy). Plant and Soil, 278: 11-22.
- Böhm, W., 1979. Methods of Studying Root Systems. Springer, Heidelberg, 190p.
- De Baets, S., Poeson, J., Reubens, B., Wemans, K., De Baerdemaeker, J. and Muys, B., 2007. Root tensile strength and root distribution of typical Mediterranean plant species and their contribution to soil shear strength. Plant and Soil, 3058: 207-226.
- Fattahi, M., 1994. Galazani (Pollarding of oak trees). Pajouhesh & Sazandegi, 23: 4-11 (In Persian).
- Genet, M., Kokutse, N., Stokes, A., Fourcaud, T., Cai, X., Ji, J. and Mickovski, S., 2008. Root reinforcement in plantations of Cryptomeria japonica D. Don.: effect of tree age and stand structure on slope stability. Forest Ecology and Management, 256: 1517-1526.
- Ghazanfari, H., Namiranian, M., Sobhani, H., Marvie Mohajer, M.R. and Pourtahmasbi, K., 2003. An estimation of tree diameter growth of Lebanon oak (Quercus libani) in northern Zagros forests (Case study: Havareh Khol). Iranian Journal of Natural Resources, 57(4): 649-662 (In Persian).
- Gray, D.H. and Sotir R.B., 1996. Biotechnical and Soil Bioengineering Slope Stabilization: A Practical Guide for Erosion Control. Wiley, Chichester, 400p.
- Greenway, D.R., 1987. Vegetation and slope stability: 187-230. In: Anderson, M.G. and Richards, K.S. (Eds.). Slope Stability. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 187p.
- Heidari, B., 2005. Study of forest structure in natural and degraded stands in Baneh. M.Sc. thesis, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Mazandaran, Sari, 75p (In Persian).
- Majnounian, B., Abdi, A., Foshat, M. and Soofimariv, H., 2014. Determining biomechanical properties of popular (popolus nigra) for soil bio engineering porposes. Journal of Forest and Wood Product, 67(1): 13-19 (In Persian).
- Mattia, C., Bischetti, G.B. and Gentile F., 2005. Biotechnical characteristics of root system of typical Mediterranean species. Plant and Soil, 278: 23-32.
- McIvor, I.R., Douglas, G.B., Hurst, S.E., Hussain, Z. and Foote, A.G., 2008. Structural root growth of young Veronese poplars on erodible slopes in the southern North Island, New Zealand. Agroforestry Systems, 72(1): 75-86.
- McIvor, I.R., Douglas, G.B., Dymond, J., Eyles, G. and Marden, M., 2011. Pastoral hill slope erosion in New Zealand and the role of poplar and willow trees in its reduction: 257-278. In: Godone, D. and Silvia, S. (Eds.), Soil Erosion Issues in Agriculture. Open Access Publisher, Wellington, 470p.  
- Mohammadrad, A., 2015. Effect of pollarding and season on tensile strength of Quercus persica roots. M.Sc. thesis, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, 92p (In Persian).
- Naghdi, R., Maleki, S, Abdi, E., Mousavi, R. and Nikooy, M., 2013. Assessing the effect of Alnus roots on hillslope stability in order to use in soil bioengineering. Journal of Forest Science, 59(11): 417-423.
- Nyambane, O.S. and Mwea, S.K., 2011. Root tensile strength of three typical plant species and their contribution to soil shear strength, a case study, Sasumua Backslope, Nyandarua District, Kenya. Journal of Civil Engineering Research and Practice, 8(1): 57-73.
- O’Loughlin, C. and Watson, A., 1979. Root-wood strength deterioration in radiata pine after clearfelling. New Zealand Journal of Foresty Science, 9: 284-293.
- Pourhashemi, M., Zandebasiri, M. and Panahi, P., 2015. Structural characteristics of oak coppice stands of Marivan forests. Journal of Plant Reseaches, 27(5): 766-776 (In Persian).
- Ranjbar, A., Ghahramani, L. and Pourhashemi, P., 2013. Impact assessment of pollarding on biometrical indices of Lebanon oak (Quercus libani Oliv.) in Belake forests, Baneh. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 20(4): 578-594 (In Persian).
- Sagheb Talebi, Kh., Hemmati, A., Khanjanishiraz, B., Siahipour, Z. and Akbarzadeh, A., 2009. Architectural model and impact of root pruning on diameter and height growth of oak (Quercus castaneifolia) seedlings (Pilambara, Guilan). Iranian Journal of Natural Resources, 61(4): 867-876 (In Persian).
- Salehi, A., Mohammadi, A. and Safari, A., 2011. Investigation and comparison of physical and chemical soil properties and quantitative characteristics of trees in less-damaged and damaged area of Zagros forests (Case study: Poldokhtar, Lorestan province). Iranian Journal of Forest, 3(1): 81-89 (In Persian).
- Soltani, A. and Faraji, A., 2014. Relation of Water, Soil and Plants. Published by Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Mashhad, 252p (In Persian).
- Stofko, P., 2010. Relationships between the parameters of aboveground parts and the parameters of root plates in Norway spruce with respect to soil drainage. Journal of Forest Science, 56(8): 353-360.
- Stokes, A., 2002. Biomechanics of tree root anchorage: 175-186. In: Waisel, Y., Eshel, A. and Kafkafi, U. (Eds.). Plant Roots: The Hidden Half. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1120p.
- Watson, A.J. and Marden, M., 2004. Live root-wood tensile strengths of some common New Zealand indigenous and plantation tree species. New Zealand Journal of Foresty Science, 34(3): 344-353.
- Wu, T.H., McKinnell, W.P. and Swanston, D.N., 1979. Strength of tree root and landslides on Prince of Wales Island. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 16: 19-33.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics