Abiotic factors impact on oak forest decline in Lorestan Province, Western Iran
Abstract The Zagros oak forests in Iran are facing a concerning decline due to prolonged and severe drought conditions over several decades, compounded by the simultaneous impact of temperature on oak populations. This study in oak woodlands of central Zagros forests in Lorestan province analyzed ab...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54551-6 |
| _version_ | 1797275229970497536 |
|---|---|
| author | Saeed Mehri Ali Asghar Alesheikh Aynaz Lotfata |
| author_facet | Saeed Mehri Ali Asghar Alesheikh Aynaz Lotfata |
| author_sort | Saeed Mehri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Zagros oak forests in Iran are facing a concerning decline due to prolonged and severe drought conditions over several decades, compounded by the simultaneous impact of temperature on oak populations. This study in oak woodlands of central Zagros forests in Lorestan province analyzed abiotic factors such as climate properties, topographic features, land use, and soil properties from 1958 to 2022. We found that higher elevation areas with steeper slopes and diverse topography show significant potential for enhancing oak tree resilience in the face of climate change. Additionally, traditional land use practices like livestock keeping and dryland farming contribute to a widespread decline in oak populations. Preserving forest biodiversity and ensuring ecological sustainability requires immediate attention. Implementing effective land-use management strategies, such as protecting and regulating human-forest interaction, and considering meteorological factors to address this issue is crucial. Collaborative efforts from stakeholders, policymakers, and local communities are essential to oppose destructive suburban sprawl and other developments. Sustainable forestry practices should be implemented to improve the living standards of local communities that rely on forests and traditional livestock keeping, offer forestry-related jobs, and ensure social security. Such efforts are necessary to promote conservation awareness and sustainable practices, safeguarding this unique and vital ecosystem for future generations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:11:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b72dca2ad71c4441b6f160b1e421acf3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:11:21Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-b72dca2ad71c4441b6f160b1e421acf32024-03-05T18:39:04ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-02-0114112010.1038/s41598-024-54551-6Abiotic factors impact on oak forest decline in Lorestan Province, Western IranSaeed Mehri0Ali Asghar Alesheikh1Aynaz Lotfata2Department of Geospatial Information Systems, Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of TechnologyDepartment of Geospatial Information Systems, Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of TechnologyDepartment of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of CaliforniaAbstract The Zagros oak forests in Iran are facing a concerning decline due to prolonged and severe drought conditions over several decades, compounded by the simultaneous impact of temperature on oak populations. This study in oak woodlands of central Zagros forests in Lorestan province analyzed abiotic factors such as climate properties, topographic features, land use, and soil properties from 1958 to 2022. We found that higher elevation areas with steeper slopes and diverse topography show significant potential for enhancing oak tree resilience in the face of climate change. Additionally, traditional land use practices like livestock keeping and dryland farming contribute to a widespread decline in oak populations. Preserving forest biodiversity and ensuring ecological sustainability requires immediate attention. Implementing effective land-use management strategies, such as protecting and regulating human-forest interaction, and considering meteorological factors to address this issue is crucial. Collaborative efforts from stakeholders, policymakers, and local communities are essential to oppose destructive suburban sprawl and other developments. Sustainable forestry practices should be implemented to improve the living standards of local communities that rely on forests and traditional livestock keeping, offer forestry-related jobs, and ensure social security. Such efforts are necessary to promote conservation awareness and sustainable practices, safeguarding this unique and vital ecosystem for future generations.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54551-6Abiotic stressorsMeteorological factorsEcosystem sustainabilityDroughtTime series |
| spellingShingle | Saeed Mehri Ali Asghar Alesheikh Aynaz Lotfata Abiotic factors impact on oak forest decline in Lorestan Province, Western Iran Scientific Reports Abiotic stressors Meteorological factors Ecosystem sustainability Drought Time series |
| title | Abiotic factors impact on oak forest decline in Lorestan Province, Western Iran |
| title_full | Abiotic factors impact on oak forest decline in Lorestan Province, Western Iran |
| title_fullStr | Abiotic factors impact on oak forest decline in Lorestan Province, Western Iran |
| title_full_unstemmed | Abiotic factors impact on oak forest decline in Lorestan Province, Western Iran |
| title_short | Abiotic factors impact on oak forest decline in Lorestan Province, Western Iran |
| title_sort | abiotic factors impact on oak forest decline in lorestan province western iran |
| topic | Abiotic stressors Meteorological factors Ecosystem sustainability Drought Time series |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54551-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT saeedmehri abioticfactorsimpactonoakforestdeclineinlorestanprovincewesterniran AT aliasgharalesheikh abioticfactorsimpactonoakforestdeclineinlorestanprovincewesterniran AT aynazlotfata abioticfactorsimpactonoakforestdeclineinlorestanprovincewesterniran |