The effect of gap size on herbaceous biodiversity and soil properties in the Beech forest with different management background in Mazandran and Guilan provinces

Document Type : Scientific article

Authors

1 M.Sc. of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, Urmia University, Urmia, I. R. Iran

2 Professor, Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, Urmia University, Urmia, I. R. Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, I. R. Iran

Abstract

Background and objectives: As complex and dynamic ecosystems, forests are influenced by natural and human-induced changes. These changes can directly affect the structure of plant communities and biodiversity. Gaps are one of the key factors in this context, arising from tree dieback, natural tree fall, or tree harvesting. Gaps serve as spaces for light and precipitation to reach the understory, playing a significant role in tree regeneration and changes in the diversity of understory species. This research aims to address the following questions:

Does management affect the physical and chemical properties of soil and the diversity indices of herbaceous plants in gaps of varying sizes?
Is there a difference in the trends of changes in the diversity of herbaceous plants and the physical and chemical properties of soil within gaps of different sizes in managed stands using selective logging compared to control stands in the provinces of Mazandaran and Gilan?

Methodology: This study was conducted in the beech forests of Mazandaran Province (Kelardasht region) and Gilan Province (Shafaroud region). Two control plots and two managed plots using selective logging were selected in each region. In both the managed and control stands, three gaps were randomly identified across four size classes: small (less than 200 square meters), medium (200 to 500 square meters), large (500 to 1000 square meters), and very large (more than 1000 square meters). The type of species and the percentage of herbaceous cover were determined in five four-square-meter subplots at the edges and center of each gap. Soil samples were collected from a depth of 0 to 25 centimeters from the five subplots in each gap, and a composite sample was taken for analysis. Soil characteristics, including texture (using the hydrometer method), pH (using an electric pH meter), total nitrogen (using the Kjeldahl method), organic carbon (using the Walkley-Black method), available phosphorus (using the Olsen method), and exchangeable potassium (using flame photometry), were measured. The species richness index (number of species in the sample plot), Simpson diversity index, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, and Shannon-Wiener evenness index for each sample were calculated using PC-ORD version 5 software. The means of richness and diversity indices and soil characteristics for the managed and control stands were compared using independent t-tests. Additionally, the means of these variables in gaps of different sizes were compared using Tukey's test. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 18.
Results: A total of 32 herbaceous species were identified in the Kelardasht region and 66 species in the Shafaroud region. The results indicated that, overall, with the increase in gap size, the diversity indices showed no significant changes in both the managed and unmanaged sections of Mazandaran Province. However, in Gilan Province, a different trend in the changes of these variables was observed with increasing gap sizes. The size of the gap and the type of management had a significant impact on the diversity of herbaceous species, with greater diversity found in larger gaps. In this study, the soil characteristics between regeneration gaps in both managed and unmanaged stands in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces did not show significant differences.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the size of gaps and forest management do not significantly affect soil characteristics in the studied areas; however, they do influence the diversity indices of herbaceous plants in Gilan Province. Therefore, the ecological conditions of the region and the type of management are key factors in the biodiversity of gaps. The results of this study can contribute to improving forest management and preserving biodiversity in various regions.

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References

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Forest Research and Development
Volume 10, Issue 3
December 2024
Pages 343-361

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