The Relationship between Stand Structure and Tree Growth Form—Investigating the Effects of Selection Cuttings in Mountainous Mixed Beech Forests
Among forest management methods, selection cutting puts into practice applications that follow the processes that naturally occur in the ecosystem. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of selection cutting on the stand structural characteristics and growth form of trees. The e...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/9/1861 |
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| author | Sarkhosh Karamzadeh Mehrdad Nikooy Kambiz Taheri Abkenari Farzam Tavankar Angela Lo Monaco Rodolfo Picchio |
| author_facet | Sarkhosh Karamzadeh Mehrdad Nikooy Kambiz Taheri Abkenari Farzam Tavankar Angela Lo Monaco Rodolfo Picchio |
| author_sort | Sarkhosh Karamzadeh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Among forest management methods, selection cutting puts into practice applications that follow the processes that naturally occur in the ecosystem. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of selection cutting on the stand structural characteristics and growth form of trees. The effect of selection cutting was evaluated in terms of the frequency and standing volume of trees and deadwood, diversity of tree species indices, stand structural complexity index (SCI), height-to-diameter ratio (HDR) or slenderness index, and live crown ratio of trees (LCR). These were measured and estimated through a systematic random plot sampling in two adjacent parcels with different management histories (parcel A, managed using the selection cutting method, and parcel B, managed using the protected method and without cutting trees) in mixed beech forests in Northern Iran. The results showed that the standing volume, Shannon index, deadwood volume, and SCI index in parcel A were lower than in parcel B. The selection cuttings had no effect on the HDR value of the upper-storey trees, while it decreased the HDR value of the middle-storey and light-demanding trees (maple and alder) and increased the HDR value of the lower-storey and beech trees. Also, the results showed that as a result of the implementation of selection cuttings, the total LCR of the lower-storey trees increased, but the total LCR of the upper-storey trees decreased compared to the protected forest. Furthermore, the results showed that tree growth form (HDR and LCR) are related to the SCI of the stands. These results showed that the implementation of the single-selection method had simplified the structure of the stands; also, with the changes made in the growth form of trees, the possibility of snow and wind damage was increased, especially in young trees. It is necessary to prioritize the ecological values of forest deadwood, thick trees, biological diversity, and the resistance of these stands against snow and wind damage in the next cutting operations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:44:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a169f8399fef4bc2af50082454b125b6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:44:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-a169f8399fef4bc2af50082454b125b62023-11-19T10:47:03ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072023-09-01149186110.3390/f14091861The Relationship between Stand Structure and Tree Growth Form—Investigating the Effects of Selection Cuttings in Mountainous Mixed Beech ForestsSarkhosh Karamzadeh0Mehrdad Nikooy1Kambiz Taheri Abkenari2Farzam Tavankar3Angela Lo Monaco4Rodolfo Picchio5Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Somehsara 96196-43619, IranDepartment of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Somehsara 96196-43619, IranDepartment of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Somehsara 96196-43619, IranDepartment of Forestry, Khalkhal Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khalkhal 56817-31367, IranDepartment of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Tuscia University, 01100 Viterbo, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Tuscia University, 01100 Viterbo, ItalyAmong forest management methods, selection cutting puts into practice applications that follow the processes that naturally occur in the ecosystem. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of selection cutting on the stand structural characteristics and growth form of trees. The effect of selection cutting was evaluated in terms of the frequency and standing volume of trees and deadwood, diversity of tree species indices, stand structural complexity index (SCI), height-to-diameter ratio (HDR) or slenderness index, and live crown ratio of trees (LCR). These were measured and estimated through a systematic random plot sampling in two adjacent parcels with different management histories (parcel A, managed using the selection cutting method, and parcel B, managed using the protected method and without cutting trees) in mixed beech forests in Northern Iran. The results showed that the standing volume, Shannon index, deadwood volume, and SCI index in parcel A were lower than in parcel B. The selection cuttings had no effect on the HDR value of the upper-storey trees, while it decreased the HDR value of the middle-storey and light-demanding trees (maple and alder) and increased the HDR value of the lower-storey and beech trees. Also, the results showed that as a result of the implementation of selection cuttings, the total LCR of the lower-storey trees increased, but the total LCR of the upper-storey trees decreased compared to the protected forest. Furthermore, the results showed that tree growth form (HDR and LCR) are related to the SCI of the stands. These results showed that the implementation of the single-selection method had simplified the structure of the stands; also, with the changes made in the growth form of trees, the possibility of snow and wind damage was increased, especially in young trees. It is necessary to prioritize the ecological values of forest deadwood, thick trees, biological diversity, and the resistance of these stands against snow and wind damage in the next cutting operations.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/9/1861selection cuttingstructural complexity indexheight-to-diameter ratiolive crown ratiomixed beech stands |
| spellingShingle | Sarkhosh Karamzadeh Mehrdad Nikooy Kambiz Taheri Abkenari Farzam Tavankar Angela Lo Monaco Rodolfo Picchio The Relationship between Stand Structure and Tree Growth Form—Investigating the Effects of Selection Cuttings in Mountainous Mixed Beech Forests Forests selection cutting structural complexity index height-to-diameter ratio live crown ratio mixed beech stands |
| title | The Relationship between Stand Structure and Tree Growth Form—Investigating the Effects of Selection Cuttings in Mountainous Mixed Beech Forests |
| title_full | The Relationship between Stand Structure and Tree Growth Form—Investigating the Effects of Selection Cuttings in Mountainous Mixed Beech Forests |
| title_fullStr | The Relationship between Stand Structure and Tree Growth Form—Investigating the Effects of Selection Cuttings in Mountainous Mixed Beech Forests |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Relationship between Stand Structure and Tree Growth Form—Investigating the Effects of Selection Cuttings in Mountainous Mixed Beech Forests |
| title_short | The Relationship between Stand Structure and Tree Growth Form—Investigating the Effects of Selection Cuttings in Mountainous Mixed Beech Forests |
| title_sort | relationship between stand structure and tree growth form investigating the effects of selection cuttings in mountainous mixed beech forests |
| topic | selection cutting structural complexity index height-to-diameter ratio live crown ratio mixed beech stands |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/9/1861 |
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