Investigating changes in the physical and chemical characteristics of soil in control and dieback stands in Marivan county, Kurdistan province in Iran

Introduction and Objectives: The Zagros forests vegetation area with an area of more than 5 million hectares and providing more than 40% of the country's water are ecologically very important and the forest covers 256000 hectares of Kurdistan province (8.8% of the province) and in recent years, Oak decline and decay have increase in these forests. Oak decline in the Zagros forests has started in the last two decades and has caused serious damage to the forests of this vegetation area and study of the effective and aggravating factors of Oak decline provides valuable information to natural resource managers. The factors of slope aspect and physical and chemical soil parameters can has an effect on the aggravation oak decline in this forest. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the physical and chemical soil parameters in around healthy and dieback trees under the influence of slope and dieback in Marivan forests (in Kurdistan province).
Materials and Methods: Deteriorated (Garan) and control (Dolah Naw) stands were selected in the northern and southern slopes aspect. In the Garan habitat (Oak decline) on the northern slope, five healthy trees and five dieback trees were selected (10 trees in total), on the other hand, in this habitat on the southern slope, 10 more trees were selected (five healthy trees and five trees with dieback). In Dolah Naw habitat (control habitat), five healthy trees were selected in each aspect (in total, 10 trees in the control habitat). In total, 30 healthy and dieback trees were selected and numbered (20 healthy trees in the control and dieback trees and 10 trees in the dieback stands). Then, in the vicinity of the trunk of each tree (in the shaded part of the crown), a soil sample was taken at a depth of 0-20 cm (Horizon A) and the samples were transported to the laboratory in plastic bags. Physical and chemical characteristics (moisture percentage, acidity, soil electrical conductivity, absorbable phosphorus, absorbable potassium, nitrogen percentage, organic carbon percentage, lime, calcium and magnesium percentage) were measured for each soil sample. The two-way analysis of variance test was used to compare the effect of each factor and the interaction effect of the investigated factors on the physical and chemical parameters of the soil and data analysis was done in SPSS 20 software.
Results: The one-way analysis of variance test showed that there was a significant difference between the parameters of pH, electrical conductivity, percentage of organic carbon, potassium, nitrogen, moisture, lime, magnesium and calcium among the soil samples of healthy and dieback trees in the northern and southern slopes. The results of the analysis of variance test confirmed the interaction effect of kind of stands × slope aspect for electrical conductivity and calcium and for slope aspect × tree health in the parameter was lime percentage. Other findings showed that the highest average parameters of electrical conductivity, available phosphorus, potassium, organic carbon, nitrogen, and moisture were respectively 2.654 (d s m-¹), 1.10 (mg/kg), and 869.5 (mg/kg). ), 4.03%, 0.35% and 12.4% were observed in the soil adjacent to the control trees in the northern slope and for magnesium, calcium and CaCO3 parameters of healthy trees in the southern slope with the values ​​of 21 (meq/100), 42.2 (meq/100) and 13.60% was significantly more than other treatments. On the other hand, in the soil sample adjacent to the trees located in the stands affected by dieback, the average physical-chemical parameters were lower than the control stand (Doleh Naw) and this shows the importance of the physical-chemical parameters of the soil in reducing or increasing the resistance of trees to tree dieback. The findings of the research showed that the highest average macro elements (available phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen) in the soil adjacent to healthy trees in the northern slope and for calcium and magnesium, the highest amount of these elements were observed and confirmed in the soil adjacent to the trees in the southern slope and in the total amount Macro elements were more in the soil of the trees of control (north and south domain); Therefore, the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil (especially macro elements) have an effect on the resistance of oak trees to dieback and other environmental stresses, and the lack of macro elements causes the trees to be weak against the phenomenon of oak dieback.
Conclusion: In general, in the soil adjacent to the dieback trees, the poverty of nutrients and macro elements and lower values ​​of the studied parameters were observed. In general, in the trees affected by Oak decline, the poverty of nutrients and macro elements was observed, and the lower values ​​of the parameters were observed in the soil adjacent to the trees affected by Oak decline. Based on the results, for the optimal management of dieback stands and trees, increase protection measures (control of livestock grazing through grazing and reduction of traditional exploitations), increase restoration programs and forest development in the stands affected by dieback (increase seeding and enrichment operations). In degraded stands and planting with native species in dieback stands) and implementation of health cuts (withered and dieback branches and stems) were suggested.