Assessment of forest structure and their spatial patterns are essential for managing and evaluation of forest ecosystems. This study was conducted at the ZAGROS FORESTS in Kermanshah to evaluate the forest structural characteristics and their spatial distribution. Data was collected from 25 plots (400 m2) in a 100 m´ 100 m systematic sampling grid. The spacing between plots was 50 m. In each plot, all living trees were mapped and measured. The important properties of the forest structure such as tree species, origin of trees (seed or shoot), number of sprouts in sprout-clumps, diameter (DBH), height and the largest and smallest diameters of crowns were measured. Furthermore, crown area and diameter were calculated. According to the results, the mean values of height, diameter, Crown area and dieback percentage were 3 m, 7 cm, 3.4 m2 and 19.56%, respectively. The low amount of canopy cover (18%) indicated the sparse cover in this area. All variables showed spatial structure at the large distances. Also cross variograms showed that the dieback percentage was spatially correlated to height and number of sprout. With this information, we will be able to manage forest ecosystems more efficiently and to reach the sustainability purpose.

Degradation of ZAGROS FORESTS has been continuing since a long time ago because of traditional and often improper exploitations due to poverty, unemployment, and livelihood. In this study, in order to reduce forest degradation and improve sustainability, the feasibility of multipurpose using of ZAGROS forest was assessed in Baneh FORESTS by using GIS, RS and AHP. All of the possible land-uses as well as criteria and sub-criteria were identified based on expert's judgment and literature reviews. Sub-criteria maps was created using available data, field works, and IRS-P6 imageries. The weights of sub-criteria were determined using AHP. The priority maps of each land-uses was produced with a weighted linear combination method using GIS. The final priority map was achieved by overlying the individual land-use priority maps. The final ecological capability map was prepared by editing the priority map. The results show the main area of current land-uses does not match with the ecological potential. However, ecologically, various land-uses meaning multiple-use can exist separately or together in the study area leading to reducing people’s dependence on forest trees, degradation and improving the forest sustainability.

Understanding the distribution of plant spatial pattern is useful for explaining the ecosystems stability, designing proper management plans, and preservative and reforestation operations. Considering the importance of the northern ZAGROS FORESTS in terms of socio - economic, protection and reforestation, and given that most research which has been done on the spatial patterns in the Western FORESTS of the country focused on the even-aged coppice FORESTS, the woody species spatial pattern in Havare-Khol FORESTS of Baneh city, governed by a combination of both even-age (on the tree) and uneven-aged FORESTS (on the ground), was studied. In this research, using the randomized-systematic method and 200×300 m inventory network, sixty sampling points were measured by the nearest individual, T-square and compound methods. Data analyses were accomplished by the distance methods of Johnson and Zimmer, Eberhart, Hopkins, Hinez and C index, using of Ecological Methodology software. Results showed the clumped pattern for Johnson and Zimmer, Eberhart and Hinez, the clumped pattern towards the random patterns for C index, and the uniform pattern for Hopkins indices. The clumped tree spatial pattern in Havare-Khol forest was totally determined. The results generally illustrated that based on some indices, taking distance the tree spatial pattern in Havare-Khol forest from natural condition was mainly related to the major jobs of forest dwellers, animal husbandry, and their activities (pruning and cattle grazing etc).

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of decline on the structure of central ZAGROS FORESTS. For this purpose, an area of about 32 hectares located in Khoramabad forest was inventoried using full calipering method. The values of Clark and Evans index were calculated 0.62 and 0.95 for before and after the decline respectively. These values showed a change from cluster positioning to random pattern with effect of decline in spatial distribution of trees. Also, the result of uniform angle index were calculated 0.51 and 0.48 for before and after the decline respectively that showed the random arrangement of nearest neighbors in both situation. The mean value of mingling index was calculated 0.06 and 0.09 for before and after degradation respectively which represents a slight increase in mixture. Also, the results of the Shannon-Wiener index, was 0.21 for before decline and 0.30 after decline that showed a slight increase in species diversity. The canopy area size index was calculated 0.71 and 0.50 respectively before and after the decline indicating that being dominant of the reference trees (Trees of center structure groups) than their neighbors. This dominance has been decreased by decline effect. Size difference of canopy area index calculated 0.48 and 0.56 respectively before and after the decline that the area difference between s reference trees and neighbor trees has been increased with influence of decline. The results of these indices can reveal forest figure to managers and planners which could be used to determine of created changes caused by natural processes in optimized management of forest.

This research measured and analyzed forest ground vegetation in permanent plots of typical and exclosure areas in the ZAGROS provinces, providing the possibility for long-term monitoring of quantitative and qualitative changes in vegetation. In total, 30 one-hectare square sample plots and 600 one-meter square microplots were studied along the ZAGROS, with floristic and environmental data related to tree and forest floor measured and recorded. According to the results, 370 species were identified in the ground vegetation and 20 species of phanerophytes. The most abundant families in exclosure and typical sites were Asteraceae and Poaceae, respectively. Sixty-six percent of the ground vegetation population belonged to the Poaceae family, with the most populated genus being Bromus, comprising 25% of all plant individuals. The largest genus was Astragalus (with 18 species), and its population was about 2.5 times higher in exclosure sites than in typical sites. The average percentage of ground cover (51.2%) and litter cover (34.3%) in exclosure plots was significantly higher than in typical plots (37.6% for ground cover and 25.2% for litter cover). The number of phanerophyte species in the exclosure area was significantly greater than in the typical area, while the difference for other life forms was insignificant. The comparison of diversity indices for ground species in the exclosure and typical plots showed no significant difference between these two groups. In general, the relative protection implemented in some parts of the ZAGROS, although it did not affect ground species diversity indices, did affect ground vegetation cover, litter cover, species composition, and phanerophyte species.

The aim of this study is comparison of the determined Forest Management Unit [FMU] by FORESTS and Rangelands Organization [FRO] with the local society units the selection of forest management plan in the ZAGROS FORESTS in Iran. The research was carried out in "Taf" territory in province of Lorestan which is located in middle ZAGROS FORESTS. The decision making for the determination of FMU needs multiple factors. For this purpose, Stakeholder analysis and Analytic Hierarchy Process [AHP] was applied. Results showed that Social requests, Adaptability with natural resources plans, Topography, Forest type, Cost of forest management plan and Effectiveness of forest management plan are the Criterion for determining FMU in medial ZAGROS FORESTS. Results of applying AHP indicate that choosing local society units for FMU is a better choice in ZAGROS FORESTS.

The present study aimed to evaluate the capability of IRS-P6-LISS III imagery to map a forest canopy density by employing the traditional hard classification and the Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) in Marivan city, Kurdistan province. Geometric correction procedure was performed with less than 1 pixel root mean square error (RMSE). Various vegetation indices and artificially bands generated by principal component analysis (PCA) were used in the classification procedure. A ground truth map was produced based on a randomized-systematic method with a grid size of 250´400 meters and 50´50 meters sample size strata. The suitable band combinations for classification were selected through the training area using the Transformed Divergence index. Supervised classification methods i.e., parallelepiped, minimum distance to mean, maximum likelihood, and ANNs algorithms were applied to generate the canopy density map with 4 classes (very sparse, sparse, semi-dense and dense). The accuracy assessment of the generated canopy density maps was implemented using the ground truth map. Some classes were also merged because of the low spectral separation between these classes. Finally the classification was performed to produce the canopy density map with 3 classes (sparse, semi-dense and dense). The highest overall accuracy and the Kappa coefficient were achieved by maximum likelihood method with 78.47 percent and 0.66, respectively. Our results indicated the high capability of the IRS-P6 LISS III imagery compared to other satellite images, for example, Landsat and Aster data, which already tested in the previous work to map the canopy density in ZAGROS FORESTS.

Quantitative, qualitative and structure data are vital for forest management at ZAGROS region of Iran. For this study, a site (40 hectare) at Blake forest located at Armardeh village of Baneh township was selected and 100 percent of the trees were measured, using 25 x 25 m. sampling plots. In addition to location of the trees in relation to the plot's corner, trees characteristics, including diameter at breast height (dbh), total height, crown height and crown diameters (biggest and smallest diameters) were measured at each plot. In order to identify the appropriate sampling method, for different methods were applied at 100 x 100 inventory net, consisting of: random sampling at three levels of sampling plots (40, 50 and 60 numbers, each at 10 R. area), and systematic-random at three levels of sample plots area (5, 10 and 20 R.), systematic-random with rectangular sample plots at two levels of area (10 x 50 and 20 x 50 m.) and transect 50 m. (length). The statistical methods of Anova and Duncan t were used to analyze the trees characteristics data and the %E2*T criteria to determine the appropriate inventory method. The horizontal and vertical structure of the forest was showed in 25 x 25 m. sample plot, using SVS software. The results showed that structure of Blake forest contains of two layers, in which Quercus infectoria and Quercus libani (average height of 7 and 6 m., respectively) make the over story, and Crataegus azarolus and Acer cinerascens (average height of 5 and 4.5 m., respectively) make the under storey. Furthermore, for diameter measurement (29222), transect and for total height (6048) and crown height (6668) measurements, Systematic –random with 5 R. sample plots at 100 x 100 sampling net system, recognized as the best inventory methods. Overall, the systematic-random inventory method with 5 R. sampling plots at 100 x 100 sampling net system is suggested to determine structure and measure characteristics of coppice and aged FORESTS of Baneh township of Kurdistan province of Iran.

Soil is one of the important components of the forest ecosystem and can be affected by vegetation. Knowing the quality of the soil can be used as a guide to analyze the health of the forest ecosystem. Since soil characteristics are influenced by different forest types. The purpose of this study was to investigate the soil quality in four types of (Pure Quercus infectoria), (Quercus brantii-Quercus libani and other species) (Pure Quercus libani), and (Quercus infectoria-Quercus libani) in the FORESTS of north ZAGROS. For this purpose, 15 physical, chemical and biological characteristics of soil from a horizon were selected as the Total Data Set. Then, using principal components analysis, 4 characteristics including nitrogen, phosphorus, soil absorbable potassium and the metabolic quotient were selected as the minimum data set. Soil Quality Index was evaluated in these two datasets. The results showed that the average soil quality index of four forest types was calculated from 0.23 (Pure Quercus infectoria) to 0.44 (Quercus brantii-Quercus libani and other species). The soil quality index was 0.25 and 0.24 for the pure Quercuslibani and Quercus libani- Quercus infectoria types, respectively. The coefficient of explanation between the Minimum Data Set and the Total Data Set is equal to 0.80, which indicates the reliability of using the Minimum Data Set instead of the Total Data Set Therefore, the use of the most effective soil characteristics in soil quality assessment studies, while reducing the time of soil science studies, provides the basis for economic savings in the discussion of forestry studies.