A quantitative study of post-fire resprouting of Quercus brantii  Lindl. in Zagros forests (Kermanshah province, Iran)

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Graduate Student of Forest Science and Engineering, Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

2 Corresponding author, Associate Prof., Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan and Dr. Hedayat Ghazanfari Center for Research and Development (R&D) of Northern Zagros Forestry, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

3 Assistant Prof., Department of Natural Resources, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

Background and objectives: Fire is considered an ecological factor that affects most terrestrial ecosystems. The disturbances caused by fire vary depending on the ecosystem type and fire severity. Understanding how species respond to fire in forest ecosystems is essential for identifying ecosystem recovery processes. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to examine the response of Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.), specifically, the characteristics of post-fire sprouts and their diameter and height increments, to different levels of burn severity over time following fire events.
Methodology: Three burned sites in the Zagros forests of Kermanshah Province, Iran, were selected, each representing a different time since the last fire: 2, 3, and 5 years (treatments 2AF, 3AF, and 5AF, respectively). In each site, three continuous transects were established: one on each margin and one through the central part of the stand, aligned with the dominant slope and accounting for a 20-meter marginal effect. For each tree whose trunk or crown intersected a transect, the following were recorded: species name, collar diameter, number of sprouts before the fire, burn severity (classified as low, moderate, or high), number of post-fire sprouts, and the diameter and height of the dominant sprouts (i.e., the thickest and tallest shoots). Burn severity was visually assessed and categorized into three classes. To calculate the average annual diameter and height increments, the measurements of dominant sprouts were divided by the number of years since the fire.
Results: The results indicated that Persian oak responds to fire through resprouting, and the extent of this response is influenced by the diameter of the burned stump and the burn severity. Specifically, as stump diameter increases, the number of post-fire sprouts decreases. In contrast, smaller-diameter stumps produce a greater number of sprouts. Moreover, the number of post-fire sprouts increased with burn severity, with the highest sprouting observed under moderate and high severity conditions. The greatest mean annual diameter increment (ranging from 9.1 to 10.2 mm/year) was found in larger stumps (diameter classes 11 and 13 cm) subjected to moderate and high burn intensity across all areas. The median annual height increments of post-fire sprouts, regardless of stump diameter or burn severity, were 34, 32, and 35 cm/year in 2AF, 3AF, and 5AF, respectively. The highest median annual height increments—47, 38, and 42 cm/year in the 2AF, 3AF, and 5AF sites, respectively—were associated with high burn severity. Spearman’s correlation test showed a weak but significant negative correlation between the number of post-fire sprouts and the diameter of the pre-fire stump. A weak but significant positive correlation was also found between the number of post-fire sprouts and the number of pre-fire sprouts on the same stump.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that Q. brantii resprouts in response to fire, and that the number of post-fire sprouts is influenced by the diameter of the pre-fire stump and the severity of the burn. The highest number of sprouts and the greatest height increments were observed in areas affected by high burn severity.
 
 

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

- Adeli, E. and Yakhkashi, A., 1975. Forest Protection. Tehran University Press, Tehran, Iran, 252p (In Persian).
- Aguilar-Garavito, M., Cortina-Segarra, J., Matoma, M. and Barrera-Cataño, J.I., 2023. Postfire resprouting and recruitment of Quercus humboldtii in the Iguaque Mountains (Colombia). Forest Ecology and Management, 537: 120937.
- Ahmadi, D., Hosseini, V. and Mohammadi Samani, K., 2023. Comparison effect of prescribed heat on some chemical properties of soil under Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in laboratory conditions. Iranian Journal of Forest, 14(4): 457-471 (In Persian with English summary).
- Alidoust, M., Naghdi, R., Nikooy, M. and Peyrowan, H.R., 2024. Effect of slope and different intensities of rainfall using rain simulator on runoff and soil loss one year after forest fire (Shenroud Forest, Guilan). Iranian Journal of Forest, 16(2): 257-271 (In Persian with English summary).
- Azizi, M., Khosravi, M. and Pourreza, M., 2021. Time Series model of fires forests and rangelands of Kermanshah province using MODIS data from 2002 to 2018. Iranian Journal of Forest and Range Protection Research, 19(2): 279-296 (In Persian with English summary).
- Bataineh, M., Portner, B., Pelkki, M. and Ficklin, R., 2022. Prescribed fire first-order effects on oak and maple reproduction in frequently burned upland oak–hickory forests of the Arkansas Ozarks. Forests, 13(11): 1865.
- Bellingham, P.J. and Sparrow, A.D., 2000. Resprouting as a life history strategy in woody plant communities. Oikos, 89: 409-416.
- Bergeron, Y., Leduc, A., Harvey, B.D. and Gauthier, S., 2002. Natural fire regime: a guide for sustainable management of the Canadian boreal forest. Silva Fennica, 36: 81-95.
- Certini, G., 2005. Effects of fire on properties of forest soils: a review. Oecologia, 143(1): 1-10.
- Clarke, P.J., Lawes, M.J., Midgley, J.J., Lamont, B.B., Ojeda, F., Burrows, G.E., … and Knox, K.J.E., 2013. Resprouting as a key functional trait: how buds, protection and resources drive persistence after fire. New Phytologist, 197: 19-35. 
- Darabi, H., Gholami, Sh. and Sayad, E., 2016. Spatial distribution of oak decline in relation to trees morphologic properties in Zagros forests, Kermanshah. Journal of Wood and Forest Science and Technology, 23(2): 1-22 (In Persian with English summary).
- Etchells, H., O’Donnell, A.J., McCaw, W.L. and Grierson, P.F., 2020. Fire severity impacts on tree mortality and post-fire recruitment in tall eucalypt forests of southwest Australia. Forest Ecology and Management, 459: 117850.
- Francos, M., Colino-Prieto, F. and Sánchez-García, C., 2024. How Mediterranean ecosystem deals with wildfire impact on soil ecosystem services and functions: A review. Land, 13: 407.
- Ghahramany, L., Ghazanfari, H., Fatehi, P. and Valipour, A., 2018. Structure of pollarded oak forest in relation to aspect in Northern Zagros, Iran. Agroforestry Systems, 92(6): 1567-1577.
- Ghazanfari, H., Namiranian, M., Sobhani, H., and Mohajer, R.M., 2004. Traditional forest management and its application to encourage public participation for sustainable forest management in the northern Zagros mountains of Kurdistan Province, Iran. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 19(4): 65-71.
- Ghazanfari, H., Namiranian, M., Sobhani, H., Marvi Mohajer, M.R. and Pourtahmasi, K., 2005. An estimation of tree diameter growth of Lebanon oak (Quercus libani) in northern Zagros forests (Case study: Havareh Khole). Iranian Journal of Natural Resources, 57(4): 649-662 (In Persian with English summary).
- Jazirehi, M.H. and Ebrahimi Rostaghi, M., 2003. Silviculture in Zagros. University of Tehran Press, Tehran, Iran, 560p (In Persian).
- Karimi, S. and Pourbabaei, H., 2017. The effect of fire on structure and regeneration of woody species in the central Zagros forests ecosystem, case study: Bazazkhaneh Strait forest area in Kermanshah province. Iranian Journal of Forest and Range Protection Research, 14(2): 122-135 (In Persian with English summary).
- Khanhasani, M., Jalili, A., Khodakarami, Y. and Tavakoli, A., 2004. Introduction of some of the ecological and silvicultural characteristics of the forest areas of Kermanshah province. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 12(4): 557-584 (In Persian with English summary).
- Kim, J., Lim, J.H., Shin, M., Han, S.H. and Kang, W., 2020. Oak resprouting survival and competition for 19 years after wildfire in the Republic of Korea. Forests, 11(5): 515.
- Masaka, K., Ohno, Y. and Yamada, K., 2000. Fire tolerance and the fire-related sprouting characteristics of two cool-temperate broad-leaved tree species. Annals of Botany, 85(1): 137-142.
- Matula, R., Šrámek, M., Kvasnica, J., Uherková, B., Slepička, J., Matoušková, M., ... and Svátek, M., 2019. Pre-disturbance tree size, sprouting vigour and competition drive the survival and growth of resprouting trees. Forest Ecology and Management, 446: 71-79.
- Mehdifar, D., Taheri Abkenar, K., Pourhashemi, M. and Soosani, J., 2021. Modification of structural characteristics of coppice stands of Brant`s oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) using tending operations in the forests of Lorestan Province. Journal of Forest and Wood Products, 74(3): 311-319 (In Persian with English summary).
- Moradi, B., Ravanbakhsh, H., Meshki, A. and Shabanian, N., 2016. The effect of fire on vegetation structure in Zagros forests (Case Study: Sarvabad, Kurdistan province). Iranian Journal of Forest, 8(3): 381-392 (In Persian with English summary).
- Moradi, N., Ghahramany, L. and Valipour, A., 2021. Monitoring changes in the structural characteristics of pollarded oak stands (Case study: Kocher forest in Kurdistan province, Iran). Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 30(1): 83-102 (In Persian with English summary).
- Nieves, J.M., Ward, J.S., Royo, A.A., McDill, M.E., Kreye, J.K. and Steiner, K.C., 2022. Stand and site characteristics affect the probability of stump sprouting in some eastern North American hardwoods. Forest Ecology and Management, 511: 120136.
- Nemens, D.G., Varner, J.M., Kidd, K.R. and Wing, B., 2018. Do repeated wildfires promote restoration of oak woodlands in mixed-conifer landscapes? Forest Ecology and Management, 427: 143-151.
- Pourreza, M., Khosravi, M. and Sayad, E., 2023. Vulnerability of the most important trees, shrubs and bushes species to wildfire in the forests of Kermanshah province. Progress and Development of Kermanshah Province, 2(2): 24-40 (In Persian with English summary).
- Pourreza, M., Safari, H., Khodakarami, Y. and Mashayekhi, Sh., 2009. Preliminary results of post fire resprouting of manna oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in the Zagros forests, Kermanshah. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 17(2): 225-236 (In Persian with English summary).
- Ranjbar, A., Ghahramany, L. and Pourhashemi, M., 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 with English summary).
- Ravanbakhsh, H., Pourhashemi, M., Hamzeh'ee, B., Rashidi, F., Iranmanesh, Y., Bordbar, S.K., ... and Rahimi, H., 2024. Reproduction and the importance of nurse species in the monitoring plots of Zagros forests, Iran. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 32(1): 61-76 (In Persian with English summary).
- Ritchie, M., Berrill, J.P., Hammett, E. and Long, J.W., 2023. Early responses to crown modification of California black oak sprouts initiated by high-severity wildfire. Journal of Forestry, 287: 20.
- Rostami Jalilian, A., Ghahramany, L., Ghazanfari, H. and Shakeri, Z., 2016. Response of Gall oak (Quercus infectoria Oliv.) to pollarding in northern Zagros. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 24(4): 633-645 (In Persian with English summary).
- Sadeghi, H., Soltani, A. and Kahyani, S., 2020. Modelling of sprouting potential of the Quercus brantii in coppice stands of central Zagros. Journal of Forest Research and Development, 6(1): 107-120 (In Persian with English summary).
- Sagheb Talebi, Kh., Sajedi, T. and Pourhashemi, M., 2014. Forests of Iran: A Treasure from the Past, a Hope for the Future. Springer, Dordrecht, 152p.
- Schmalzer, P.A. and Foster, T.E., 2022. Effects of repeated fire on Florida oak-saw palmetto scrub. Fire Ecology, 18(1): 16.
- Shokri, R.A., Basiri, R. and Taleshi, H., 2017. Effect of fire on structure and regeneration of oak coppice trees in Lorestan province (Case study: Tangeh Ghale area in Kuhdasht). Journal of Forest Research and Development, 3(2): 163-174 (In Persian with English summary).
- Travis Swaim, J., Dey, D.C., Saunders, M.R., Weigel, D.R., Thornton, C.D., Kabrick, J.M. and Jenkins, M.A., 2016. Predicting the height growth of oak species (Quercus) reproduction over a 23-year period following clearcutting. Forest Ecology and Management, 364: 101-112.
- Vakili Tajareh, S., Hosseini, V. and Mohammadi Samani, K., 2019. Effect of different temperatures on the physio-chemical properties of Aleppo oak ash litter under laboratory conditions. Iranian Journal of Forest, 11(2): 269-280 (In Persian with English summary).
- Valipour, A., Ghazanfari, H., Lexer, M.J. and Namiranian, M., 2021. Early sprouting behaviour of Lebanon oak (Quercus libani Oliv.) in Zagros forests of Iran. Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, 30: 1-12.
- Valipour, A., Namiranian, M., Etemad, V. and Ghazanfari, H., 2008. Primary study of diameter effect on the ability of stump sprouting of Lebanon oak (Quercus libani Oliv.) in northern Zagros forests (case study: Armardeh, Baneh). Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 16(4): 626-637 (In Persian with English summary).
- Volkova, L. and Fernández, M.E., 2024. Editorial overview to the Special Issue ‘Wildfires in a changing world’. Forest Ecology and Management, 556: 121727.
- Weigel, D.R. and Peng, C.Y.J., 2002. Predicting stump sprouting and competitive success of five oak species in southern Indiana. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 32(4): 703-712.
- Yazadni, E., Hosseini, V. and Mohammadi Samani, K., 2020. Effect of wildfire on some chemical properties of forest soil near base trunk and crown border of Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.). Journal of Water and Soil, 33(6): 913-922 (In Persian with English summary).

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics