Sustainability and development in forest is dependent on stability and development of natural regeneration. So fate of a natural forest is dependent on present situation of regeneration. In present study, regeneration stability situation was studied in two shelter wood and selection systems methods in natural mass of Fagus ORIENTALIS LIPSKY. Studied forest is located on domain of Siahkal natural resourses center and Shenrood forestry plan. In this study, two domain are compared to each other which one of them was applied in shelter wood and the other in selection systems method. After area identification, 15 holes were selected in each method. After hole recognition and identification of their center, we moved 20 meters in 4 main directions and creacted a 400 meters plot and quantitative characteristics of yearlings (number of yearlings, their height, their diameter) are measured in each hole. Applied test in this study is t-test. Comparison of total frequency and test results indicated that total number of regeneration in shelter wood methods is more than selection systems method and percent of regeneration in shelter wood method is more than selection systems method, that means ,it has a more pure population than selection systems method. Percent of regeneration in other species in selection systems is more than shelter wood methods that means regeneration in selection systems method is more mixed than shelter wood method. In the number of regeneration with height shorter than 1.30 cm significant difference was not observed, But the number of yearlings with height more than 1.30 cm in shelter wood method was more than selection systems method. The number of yearlings in diameter levels of 1.5 cm are decreasing in two methods. But density of this decrease in shelter wood is much lower than selection systems method. So that in selection systems ,only in two diameter levels, yearlings were measured but in shelter systems method yearlings were present in each four diameter levels.

The main goal of this project is to preserve genetic resources of forests by vegetative propagation of adult trees. Fagus ORIENTALIS LIPSKY, which its micropropagation, investigated in this project, is one of the most important trees in the forests of Iran. Buds were taken from 3 different genotypes grown in the north forests of Iran. Surface sterilization of the explants was very difficult. Elimination of first three layers of the bud scales was necessary. Intact bud scales caused severe contamination even with very strong sterilizing treatments. Using %0.1 (w/v) solutions of mercuric chloride for 3 minutes was the most effective way for surface sterilization of the explants. The rate of shoot and bud development was very low, and this was the same on WPM and DKW. Culturing established buds horizontally, cold treatment or high auxin concentration pretreatment activated axillary buds. Using 0.2mg/l 2ip (6-dimethylamino purin) together with 0.5 mg/l BA (benzylamino purin) improved shoot proliferation. There were no significant differences between the three genotypes. None of the micropropagated shoots were rooted.

CpDNA variation in the oriental beech, Fagus ORIENTALIS LIPSKY (Fagaceae) was studied in 14 populations distributed throughout the species range in Hyrcanainzone, Iran. Two cpDNA intergenicregionswere analyzed:(i) DT region between trnD (tRNA-Aspand trnT (tRNA-Thr) genes, and (ii) OA region between the orj184 and petA genes. The restriction fragments of the region DT did not show any polymorphism among individuals within any analyzed populations. However, among individuals within analyzed populations of Asalem and Neka-1400, polymorphismin the restriction fragments of the OA regionwas found.A total of 3 different chloroplast (cp) haplotypes were scored. The distribution of the cpDNA haplotypes revealed a geographical structure of the genetic differentiation with Gst=%68.7 and Nst=%70.3. The distribution pattern of F ORIENTALIS cpDNA haplotypes may reflect environmental differences and migration history of beech during historical distribution in Tertiary from Asalem (most polymorphic zone) to east part of Hyrcanian forests.

Oriental beech (Fagus ORIENTALIS LIPSKY) is a timber producing species in Hyrcanian forests in north part of Iran. In order to increase seed germination capacity and seedling production of this species, in vitro embryo culture was carried out. Cold (four-week cold stratification) and non-cold treated seeds were disinfected. Endocarps of seeds were removed and isolated embryos transferred onto MS and 1 MS media. The results indicated that there is no 1/2. Significant difference between cold treated (4oC) and control seeds for embryo germination at p<0.05 level (72.33 and 77.5% respectively). Therefore, removal of endocarp layer from seed and in vitro embryo culture without cold treatment can cause breakage of seed dormancy. There was no significant difference e between MS and 1 MS medium for embryo 1/2 germination at 0.05 level (78/37 and 72/72% respectively). Produced seedlings were successfully acclimatized and transferred to the greenhouse

Oriental beech (Fagus ORIENTALIS LIPSKY) seed storing is unavoidable, due to long-time cycle of mass seed production (sometimes up to 8 years) and demand for restoration of its non-regenerated gaps in northern forests of Iran. In this research, F. ORIENTALIS seeds with moisture content (MC) of 30% and 7% were stored during 11 months in refrigerator (4ºC). By terazolium test, it was revealed that viability of both seed types started to decline after month 3. At the end of the month 11, the viability of seeds with 30% and 7% MC was 51% and 76%, respectively. It is concluded that, the fresh and dry seeds of F. ORIENTALIS can be stored near to 1 year in mountain forests of north of Iran and then sown in nursery or sown/broadcasted (with soil scarification) in forest. In order to inhibit the decay, fresh seed is better to be soaked with fungicide at once collection.

Nuclear simple sequence repeats (nSSRs), together with 16 different enzyme loci, were used to analyze genetic diversity and differentiation among beech (Fagus ORIENTALIS LIPSKY) populations along two altitudinal gradients in Hyrcanian forests of Iran. Both enzymes and nSSR analyses revealed a high level of genetic diversity in natural populations of F. ORIENTALIS. The genetic diversity, estimated by expected heterozygosity, was 0.19 (by enzymes) and 0.65 (by nSSRs). Genetic variation across both markers did not reveal genetic structuring along altitudinal transects. There was less genetic variation among altitudinal gradients within transects compared to transect sites. Differentiation assays and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that there was a relatively low genetic differentiation among populations, and just 1% and 5% of the genetic variation occurred among populations by nSSR and enzyme data, respectively. Mantel tests showed that there was not a significant correlation between the genetic distances among populations and the distance of elevation. The results of the present study indicate that the relatively low genetic differentiation among F. ORIENTALIS populations at different elevations was not caused by ecological factors. These patterns suggest that higher rates of gene flow along altitudinal gradients within transects, than between transects; a process that could question altitudinal adaptation.

The trail was conducted at Ziarat Forest (Longitude: 54° 25¢ East, Latitude: 36° 43¢ North, altitude: 650-2350. asl) of Caspian region of Iran in order to identify the seedling cycle of F. ORIENTALIS.Twenty seven dominant beech trees were selected for quantitative and qualitative measurement. After soil and ground cover sampling and tree measurement, the trees were cut down and a disc sample was taken from each tree's stump. The discs were analyzed to study the annual rings. The results showed that:I-Fagus ORIENTALIS has two seeding types, heavy and light.2- The minimum age of seeding is about 49 year when is often associated with light seeding.3- The heavy seeding begin at age of 57 year.4- At a same site, different seeding cycles were observed during the living period.5- The light and the heavy seeding repeat at 2-6 and 3-27 year period, respectively.6- Natural regeneration depends on the light seeding cycles due to their frequent occurrence.7- There was a relationship between the averag decrease of annual ring growth rate and seeding types as follows:a. If decrease of annual ring growth rate is more than 1mm, there will be a heavy seeding cycle.b. If decrease of annual ring growth rate is between 1mm and 0.31mm, then there will be alight seeding cycle.C. If decrease of annual ring growth rate is less than 0.31 mm, there will not be a seeding cycle.

Fagus ORIENTALIS LIPSKY accounted for 24 percent of stem number and 30 percent of total volume in northern forests of Iran. The aim of this research is finding the regularity in frequencies of diameter increment, determining the relationship between tree age and fluctuations in radial increment of beech trees. Several hypotheses including stationary, secular trend, cyclic and random variations in data series of the beech tree increment, were examined to find out the main effective factor on variations. Four sound beech trees with mean diameter of 10 cm and maximum age of 350 years were selected. One disk was prepared at breast height from each sample tree. Then rings width was measured and data processed with the Time Series analysis. Results showed that there is more than one trend (model) in radial increment diagram of the sample beech trees. Positive correlation was calculated between tree age and radial increment up to the age of 120 years, where as this correlation turns to negative after this age. The mean and distribution of radial increment differ in periods of tree life. Radial increment of the beech trees is fitted with cubic model along the two age periods. Volume trend of annual increment always is positive and is not inversed. Autocorrelation diagrams show one year periodicity for the fluctuations of radial increments. The other periodicities are irregular and the alterations are not statistically significant.

Oriental beech (Fagus ORIENTALIS LIPSKY) is one of the most valuable tree species that covers 17. 6% of the area and make up 30% of the stand volume in the Hyrcanian forests. This study aimed to update the form factor and to improve the volume table of this species. For this purpose, we applied random sampling method to collect field data from 150 beech trees in different diameter at breast height (D. B. H) classes (30-135 cm) based on inventory and marking list of 2015-2016. The sample trees were distributed in five forest management plan area including Livan, Vatana, Kordkuy, Shamushak, and Dr. Bahramnia. In each tree, D. B. H and diameter at 0. 1, 0. 3, 0. 5, 0. 7 and 0. 9 of tree height, as well as diameter at two tops of 2 m long logs were measured. Finally the tree volume, true, natural, artificial and Hohnadl form factor for each tree was computed. The results showed that true, natural, artificial, and Hohnadl form factor value were 0. 503, 0. 464, 0. 407 and 0. 454, respectively. There were significant statistical differences between the true, artificial and natural with Hohnadl form factor (α = 0. 05). The difference between true and natural form factor was not significant. Also, the results showed that there was significant difference between the computed volume and the volume driven from volume table (tariff); the greatest differences between the mentioned volumes estimated was mainly in the large D. B. H classes. According to the results, we can conclude that the natural form factor can be applied to determine the beech form factor.

Investigation on restoration of non-regenerated canopy gaps of a beech (Fagus ORIENTALIS LIPSKY) stand in Sangdeh forests (north of Iran) was carried out by planting beech nursery seedlings and beech forest (wilding) seedlings in three gaps of 50, 200, 600 m2 and one gap in open. The results reveal that at the end of the growing season, survival rate of each seedling treatment at one-year and two-year periods decrease as gap size increases. In 600 m2 gap and even in open place it does never decline from 54% at the end of the 2nd growing season. One-year height growth of both treatments, as well as two-year height growth of wildings, is smallest in open, and two-year height growth of nursery seedlings is greatest in 600 m2 gap. Generally, from this research it is deduced that in the investigated site, restoration of non-regenerated canopy gaps of the beech stand is practicable with plantation of beech wilding seedlings, Just as beech nursery seedlings, in gaps smaller and probably bigger than 600 m2.