Four-year monitoring of crown dieback variations of Persian oak trees in relation to individual and site characteristics (Case study: Meleh-Siah forest, Ilam province, Iran)

Hosseini, Ahmad; Jahanbazi Gujani, Hassan; Tahmasebi M, Manouchehr

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Volume 11, Issue 23 (12-2023)

PEC 2023, 11(23): 103-115

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Four-year monitoring of crown dieback variations of Persian oak trees in relation to individual and site characteristics (Case study: Meleh-Siah forest, Ilam province, Iran)

Ahmad Hosseini ^*

, Hassan Jahanbazi Gujani²

, Manouchehr Tahmasebi M³

Research Division of Natural Resources, Ilam Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Ilam, Iran., Research Division of Natural Resources, Ilam Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center , ahmad.phd@gmail.com
2- Research Division of Natural Resources, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Shahrekord, Iran
3- Research Division of Natural Resources, Ilam Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Ilam, Iran

Abstract: (1722 Views)

The present research aimed to investigate the crown dieback of Persian oak trees in relation to their individual and site characteristics, and evaluated the changes in the crown health of trees during the years 2019 to 2022 in the Meleh-Siah forest in the northern half of Ilam province. Two sites were identified in the northern and southern aspects and 100 oak trees were marked in each site. The characteristics of each tree, including the diameter at breast height, tree height, max and min crown diameter and tree origin were measured and determined. The dieback condition of tree crowns was evaluated and divided into four classes of crown dieback including; First class: healthy trees, second class: tree crowns with low dieback, third class: trees with crown dieback less than 50%, fourth class: trees with crown dieback more than 50%. The evaluation of crown dieback of trees was done over four years and in September. The results showed that the highest abundance of trees in the northern site is in the classes of declining and crown dieback up to 50%, and in the southern site is in the class of crown dieback more than 50%. The number of trees leaving the healthy and declining classes was higher, respectively, which were transferred to the higher crown dieback classes. The healthy and declining classes were associated with decreasing changes and the crown dieback less than 50% class was associated with increasing changes. The dbh, height and crown area of healthy trees were lower than those of other crown dieback classes. The frequency of crown dieback was higher in denser stands. The rate of crown dieback was higher in coppice trees than in standard trees; in addition, the temporal changes of crown dieback were more in coppice trees. The results indicate that individual and social traits and environmental conditions have a considerable impact on the crown health of oak trees and how they react to recent droughts. Also, the temporal changes of crown dieback of trees showed the rapid process of oak trees dieback towards their death, which can lead to serious destruction of forests under the condition of continued drought, which is a warning to the executive organs for the protection and restoration management of these forests.

Article number: 8

Keywords: West forests, Drought, Crown dieback, Zagros, Environmental conditions, Individual tree traits

Full-Text [PDF 963 kb] (291 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: General
Received: 2023/02/12 | Accepted: 2023/09/27 | Published: 2024/03/20

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Hosseini A, Jahanbazi Gujani H, Tahmasebi M M. Four-year monitoring of crown dieback variations of Persian oak trees in relation to individual and site characteristics (Case study: Meleh-Siah forest, Ilam province, Iran). PEC 2023; 11 (23) : 8
URL: http://pec.gonbad.ac.ir/article-1-907-en.html

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