Spatial pattern analysis of Montpellier maple (Acer monspessulanum L.) on steep slopes in Zagros (Case study: Firoozabad, Fars province)

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 M.Sc., Department of Natural Resources and Environment, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Associate Prof., Department of Natural Resources and Environment, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Topography is recognized as one of the effective drivers in spatial pattern of trees scattered on steep slopes. Topography influences spatial distribution of trees by changes in light availability, soil moisture and microclimate. This study was aimed to analyze spatial pattern of Montpellier maple (Acer monspessulanum L.) located on steep slopes in Zagros vegetation zone. For this purpose, a 200 m × 200 m plot was selected in Montpellier maple site close to Firoozabad, Fars province, with the minimum and maximum altitude of 1470 and 1540 meter above sea level, respectively. The spatial location of 288 maple trees with dbh ≥ 5 cm were registered by Leica TS06. Spatial pattern of trees was then investigated by structurally different summary statistics (pair correlation function, nearest neighbour distribution function, spherical contact distribution function). Spatial pattern analysis of the trees regardless of slope caused biased results. While the spatial pattern of maple trees in the study plot with slope of 35% was significantly clumped up to 29 m distance and the largest distance to nearest neighbour was 16.3 m. The largest empty space among the trees was observed at 40.8 m spatial scale. In general, it was concluded that spatial pattern analysis of Montpellier maples scattered on steep slopes should be investigated by summary statistics that consider distances among trees on slope instead of their distances on plain surface.          

Keywords

References

- Basiri, R., Sohrabi, H. and Mozayen, M., 2006. A statistical analysis of the spatial pattern of trees species in Qamishaleh Marivan region, Iran. Iranian Journal of Natural Resources, 59(3): 579-588 (In Persian).
- Biabani, K., Pilevar, B. and Safari, A., 2016. Comparison of spatial patterns and interspecific association of Gall oak (Quercus infectoria) and Lebanon oak (Q. libani) in two less degraded and degraded oak stands in northern Zagros (Case study: Khedr Abad, Sardasht). Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 24(1): 77-88 (In Persian).
- Clyatt, K.A., Crotteau, J.S., Schaedel, M.S., Wiggins, H.L., Kelley, H., Churchill, D.J. and Larson, A.J., 2016. Historical spatial patterns and contemporary tree mortality in dry mixed-conifer forests. Forest Ecology and Management, 361: 23-37.
- Da Silva, K., Martins, S., Fortin, M., Ribeiro, M., Azevedo, C., Ribeiro, C. and Santos, N., 2014. Tree species community spatial structure in a terra firme Amazon forest, Brazil. Bosque, 35(3): 347-355.  
- Erfanifard, Y. and Kariminejad, N., 2015. Efficiency of different summary statistics in modeling spatial point patterns of Christ's thorn jujube trees (Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Wild.). Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 23(3): 413-424 (In Persian).
- Fortin, M.J. and Dale, M.R.T., 2005. Spatial Analysis, a Guide for Ecologists. University of Cambridge Press, Cambridge, 365p.
- Gao, M., 2013. Detecting spatial aggregation from distance sampling: a probability distribution model of nearest neighbor distance. Ecological Research, 28: 397-405.
- Gelfand, A., Diggle, P., Fuentes, M. and Guttorp, P., 2010. Handbook of Spatial Statistics. CRC Press, New York, 607p.
- Hoseini, A., 2012. Spatial distribution of Montpellier maple and honeysuckle related to topography and stand form in Karzan forests, Ilam. Iranian Journal of Natural Ecosystems, 3(2): 27-37 (In Persian).
- Illian, J., Penttinen, A., Stoyan, H. and Stoyan, D., 2008. Statistical analysis and modeling of spatial point patterns. John Wiley & Sons, London, 534p.
- Law, R., Illian, J., Burslem, D.F.R.P., Gratzer, G., Gunatilleke, C.V.S. and Gunatilleke, I.A.U.N., 2009. Ecological information from spatial patterns of plants: insights from point process theory. Ecology, 97: 616-628.
- Liu, Y., Li, F. and Jin, G., 2014. Spatial patterns and associations of four species in an old-growth temperate forest. Plant Interactions, 9(1): 745-753.
- Lo, C.P. and Yeung, A.K.W., 2007. Concepts and techniques in geographic information systems. Prentice-Hall Inc., New York, 532p.
- Lu, Z., Ding, B., Mi, X., Yu, J. and Wu, Y., 2009. Distribution patterns of tree species in an evergreen broadleaved forest in eastern China. Frontiers of Biology in China, 4(4): 531-538. 
- Meerveld, H. and McDonnell, J., 2006. On the interrelations between topography, soil depth, soil moisture, transpiration rates and species distribution at the hillslope scale. Advances in Water Resources, 29: 293-310.
- Murphy, S. and McCarthy, B., 2012. Evidence for topographic control of tree spatial patterning in old-growth, mixed mesophytic forest in southeastern Ohio, USA. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society, 139(2): 181-193.
- Nguyen, H.H., Uria‐Diez, J. and Wiegand, K., 2016. Spatial distribution and association patterns in a tropical evergreen broad‐leaved forest of north‐central Vietnam. Vegetation Science, 27: 318-327.
- Perry, G.L.W., Enright, N.J., Miller B.P. and La-Mont, B.B., 2009. Nearest-neighbor interactions in species-rich shrublands: The roles of abundance, spatial patterns and resources. Oikos, 118(2): 161-174.
- Pilehvar, B., Mirazadi, Z., Alijani, V. and Jafari Sarabi, H., 2015. Investigation of hawthorn and maple stand structure of Zagros forest using nearest neighbour indices. Iranian Journal of Zagros Forest Researches, 1(2): 1-14 (In Persian).
- Pourbabaei, H., Babaeian, M., Bonyad, A. and Adel, M., 2014. Autecology of Montpellier maple (Acer monspessulanum subsp. cinerascens) in forests of Fars province. Iranian Journal of Plant Research, 27(3): 376-385 (In Persian).
- Pourhashemi, M., Mansouri, F., Parhizkar, P., Panahi, P. and Hassani, M., 2014. Spatial pattern of sprout-clumps of Brant's oak (Quercus brantii) in utilized forest stands of Marivan. Iranian Journal of Plant Researches, 27: 534-543 (In Persian).
- Punchi-Manage, R., Wiegand, T., Wiegand, K., Getzin, S., Gunatilleke, C. and Gunatilleke, U., 2014. Effect of spatial processes and topography on structuring species assemblages in a Sri Lankan dipterocarp forest. Ecology, 95(2): 376-386.
- Safari, A., Shabanian, N., Erfanifard, Y., Heidari, R. and Purreza, M., 2010. Investigation of spatial pattern of wild pistachio (Pistacia atlantica Desf.) (Case study: Bayangan forests, Kermanshah). Iranian Journal of Forest, 2(2): 177-185 (In Persian).
- Sohrabi, H., 2014. Spatial pattern of woody species in Chahartaq forest reserve, Ardal. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 22(1): 27-38 (In Persian).
- Wang, X., Wiegand, T., Wolf, A., Howe, R., Davies, S. and Hao, Z., 2011. Spatial pattern of tree species richness in two temperate forests. Ecology, 99: 1382-1393.
- Wiegand, T., He, F. and Hubbell, S.P., 2012. A systematic comparison of summary characteristics for quantifying point patterns in ecology. Ecography, 35: 1-12.
- Zhang, C., Zhao, Y., Zhao, X. and von Gadow, K., 2012. Species-habitat associations in a northern temperate forest in China. Silva Fennica, 46(4): 501-519.
- Zhao, L., Xiang, W., Li, J., Lei, P., Deng, X., Fang, X. and Peng, C., 2015. Effects of topographic and soil factors on woody species assembly in a Chinese subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest. Forests, 6: 650-669.
Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research
Volume 25, Issue 4 - Serial Number 70
January 2019
Pages 574-584

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics