Soil and silvicultural characteristics in plantations of Prunus avium L. and Acer velutinum Boiss. in the west forest of Mazandaran

Document Type : Complete scientific research article

Authors

1 semnan university

2 Semnan university,

3 Semnan university, faculty of desert studies

4 Semnan University, Department of Forestry

5 Semnan university, Faculty of desert studies

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Plantation in each region, depending on Planted species, age, mixture and habitat conditions, can have different effects on stand quality and soil characteristics. The main objective of this study was to investigate the silvicultural characteristics of Pure and mixed plantations of Prunus avium L. and Acer velutinum Boiss.and the effect of those species on soil physic-chemical properties.
Material and methods: In order to investigate silvicultural characteristics and soil physico chemical properties of two pure and mixed plantations of P. avium and A. velutinum, three planted area of P. avium (6000 m2), A. velutinum (8000 m2), and the mixed stand of two species (10000 m2) in forest plantation of west Haraz (Azdarsi) were selected. In each stand, the silvicultural characteristics (i.e. type of species, diameter in breath height, total height, trunk height and crown diameter) in four geographical directions and soil properties (i.e. pH, EC, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available potassium und phosphorus, texture and relative humidity) were compared in depth of 15 cm were compared.
Results: Based on the results, the P. avium and A. velutinum trees in mixed stands had lower diameter and height values than those in pure ones. Trees volume in P. avium (0.17 m3) was higher than those in A. velutinum (0.11 m3) and mixture of two species had no significant impacts on volume of trees. Form factor index in pure and mixed stands of P. avium (1.03 and 1.07) were significantly higher than those in pure and mixed stands of A. velutinum (0.85 and 0.83). The highest and the lowest soil pH and EC were found in pure P. avium (6.47, 72.25 μScm-1) and pure A. velutinum (5.96, 47.80 μScm-1) plantations, respectively. Furthermore, the highest percentage of organic carbon and nitrogen content were observed in pure P. avium (1.88% and 0.12%) and the lowest one in mixed stand and A. velutinum (0.92% and 0.06%). The different studied tree stands did not show any significant differences in soil physical properties (i.e. texture, relative humidity and bulk density).
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, pure plantation of native P. avium has a good relative success and in some of the studied factors showed better performance than pure A. velutinum. The combined planting of these two species together in most of the investigated factors does not show a better situation than pure planting of any species.Form factor index, Haraz, Hyrkanian, Pure plantation, Mixed plantation, Soil properties.

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