Ten-year assessment of forest growth using permanent sample plots (Case study: Gorazbon District in Kheyroud Forest, Mazandaran province)

Subject Areas : Agriculture and Environment

Mahmood Bayat ¹ , Fatemeh Gorzin ²

1 - Assistant Prof.., Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.*(Corresponding Author)
2 - - MSc. Graduate, Dept. of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

Received: 1970-01-01 Accepted : 1970-01-01 Published : 1970-01-01

Keywords: Number of trees per hectare, Permanent sample plots, Standing volume, Volumetric growth,

Abstract :

                                Background and Purpose: Determination of forest growth is one of the most important goals and tasks in forest management, which has always been accompanied by challenges in the implementation section due to the complexity of volume and growth process determination. Knowing the volume of standing trees and growth is mandatory in an accurate planning. The volumetric growth of forest stands is a basis for determining the annual cutting in planning and management of forest exploitation. Harvest of this amount of wood leads to forest sustainable development and, to some extent, can provide the wood needed in the country without raising a problem for these valuable resources. Study method: This study was done in Gorazbon district of Kheyroud forest in Mazandaran province. 258 permanent sample plots were measured in the circle area of 10 R. Then, volumetric growth and number of trees in forest stands were directly calculated. Results: Results showed that the average tree numbers were 298.15 and 290.4 stems per ha in 2003 and 2012 respectively. The growing stocks were 335.8 and 367.7 sylve per ha sustainable forest management. Although beech constitutes 31% of the total number of trees in Gorazbon district, it accounts for 57% of the whole trees in terms of standing volume. Annual volumetric growth is 4 sylve per hectare and growth of tree number is -5.8 per hectare annually. Discussion and Conclusion: Finally, it can be concluded that preparing an inventory by permanent sample plots provides the necessary information and detailed statistics to determine the volumetric growth and number of trees to contribute to proper management and decision making. Moreover, harvesting this volumetric growth can help the economy and lead to sustainable development of the forest at the same time.

References:

1. of Bayesian model averaging in compatibility of stand basal area for even-aged plantations in southern China. Forest Science. Vol. 60(7), pp. 645e651.


2. Bayat, M., Namiranian, M., Zobeiri, M., Pukala, T., 2013. Using growing models to study and simulate different forest management methods and scenarios. Forest and Wood Products journal. Vol. 67(4), pp. 595-612. ( In Persian)


3. McLaren, K.P., Lévesque, M., Sharma, C., Wilson, B., McDonald, M.A., 2011. From seedlings totrees: Using ontogenetic models of growth andsurvivorship to assess long-term (>100 years) dynamics of aneotropical dry forest. ForestEcology and Management. Vol. 262, pp. 916–930.


4. Rolim, S.G., Jesus, R.M., Henrque, E., Couto, H.,Chambers, J., 2004. Biomass change in an Atlantictropical moist forest: the ENSO effect inpermanent sample plots over a 22-year period.Oecologia. Vol. 142, pp. 238–246.


5. Dauber, E., Fredericksen, T.S., Peña, M., 2005.Sustainability of timber harvesting in Boliviantropical forests. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 214(1-3), pp. 294-304.


6. Mirbaydin, A., Sagheb Talebi, KH., 1991. The success rate of forestry by Picea in different communities of Kelardasht. Forestry and Rangeland Research Institute press. 36p. ( In Persian)


7. Köhl, M., Scott, C., Zingg, A., 1995.  Evaluation of permanent sample surveys for growth and yield studies: a Swiss example. Forest  Ecology  and  Management. Vol. 71, pp. 187-194.


8. Sterba, H., Lederman, T., 2006. Inventory and modeling for forests in transition from evenaged to uneven –aged management. Forest Ecology and Management, 224: 278-285.


9. Top, N., Mizoue, N., Kai, S., 2004. Estimatingforest biomass increment based on permanentsample plots in relation to woodfuel consumption:a case study in Kampong Thom Province,Cambodi. Journal of Foret Research. Vol. 9, pp. 117–123.


10. Mirbaydin, A., 1994. Comparison of beech growth in virginal and used stands in the North of Iran. Forestry and Rangeland Research Institute press. Vol. 104, 35p. (In Persian)


11. Hatami, N., Moayeri, M.H., Heidari, H.L., 2013. Volume Increment Determination of Forest Stand Types in the District One of Dr Bahramnia Forest Management Plan,Gorgan. Iranian Forests Ecology. Vol. 1(2), pp. 57-69. (In Persian)


12. Jokar, M., Feghhi, J., Heshmat Alvaezin, M., Namiranian, M., Etemad, V., 2013. Determination of volume increment of Caspian beech by Swiss control method. Forest and Rangeland journal. Vol. 97, pp. 40-45. (In Persian)


13. Zahedi Amiri, GH., 1991. Determination of forest increment using fixed sample units in Kheyroud Forest.Msc Forestry, University of Tehran. 150p. (In Persian)


14. Bayat, M., Namiranian, M., Zobeiri, M. and Fathi, J. 2013a. Determining the growing volume and number of trees in the forest using permanent sample plots. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research. Vol. 21 (3), pp. 424-438. (In Persian)


15. Parhizkar, P., Sagheb Talebi, KH., 2016. Status of unmanaged oriental beech stand in different development stages within 5-years period (case study: Langa- Kelardasht). Journal of Plant Research. Vol. 29(1), pp. 31-42. (In Persian)


16. Hasanzad Navrodi, I., Hasangholopour, H., 2015. Determine the volume increment of trees in the series of Nav, Asalem. First National Conference on Natural Environment, Gilan, Iran. (In Persian)


17. Sarmadian, F., Jafari, M., 2001. Investigating the forest soils of the research station of the Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran. Natural Resources Journal. 111p. (In Persian)


18. Pretzch, H., Grote, R., Reineking, B., Rotzer, T.H., Seifert, S.T., 2008. Models forforest ecosystem management: a European perspective, Ann. Bot. Vol.101, pp. 1065–1087.


19. Härkönen, S., Mäkinen, A.,Tokola, T., Rasinmäki, J., Kalliovirta, J., 2010. Evaluation of forest growth simulators with NFI permanent sample plot data from Finland. Forest  Ecology  and  Management. Vol. 259, pp. 573- 589.