Effective factors in formation of forest structure in Aras riparian zone (Case study: Ardebil Province)

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Malayer, Malayer, Iran

2 Research Expert, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

A study was conducted to investigate the effective factors in the formation of the forest structure across the Aras Riparian Zone in northwestern Iran. To this aim, the study area was divided into 5 units based on the vegetation status (natural, artificial), destruction rate of riparian zone and topography. The silvicultural (e.g. density, average diameter, average height, growth form, canopy cover and quality of trees), ecological and socioeconomic ecological, socioeconomic parameters were studied in each unit.The silvicultural parameterswere surveyedwithin a number of 20 sample plots each encompassing 10×10 m which were selected by randomized systematic design. The results showed that species density was the only factor showing a significant difference (p<0.01) amongst the units, whereas the average diameter and the average height did not were not significantly different. As a socioeconomic factor, livestock showed to bear a negative significant correlation with species density (p<0.01), whereas the population proved not to be significantly associated with species density. Further results showed that a difference in soil texture is significantly correlated (p<0.05) with the density of tree species. 

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