Impact of management on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forest in comparison to unmanaged forest (Case study: Golband region)

Abstract

This study was performed in order to consider the effect of management plans on forest, through comparison between qualitative and quantitative characteristics of managed and unmanaged forests. Compartment No. 149 from Shourab district (52.8 ha) and compartment No. 218 from Jamand district (68.7 ha) were selected as managed and unmanaged forests, respectively and were inventoried using a systematic rectangular grid of 80m×125m by 1000m2 sample plots; diameter at breast height, height and stem quality were measured. Results showed that forest type in managed forest has changed from beech-hornbeam to hornbeam-beech. Respecting to species diversity and quality degrees, managed forest was changed negatively in comparison to unmanaged forest. In managed forest, it's appeared that hornbeam populations have increased and as a result society movement toward climax has been slowed down or even prevented. In managed compartment comparing to unmanaged one, hornbeam lost advantage of density in diameter classes, posterior to beech. Also the result of statistical test showed that difference in stock volume between beech and hornbeam species in two compartments is significant.

Keywords

• managed compartment
• unmanaged compartment
• species diversity
• hornbeam
• beech
• quantitative and qualitative characteristics