The Effect of Shelterwood Silvicultural Method on the Plant Species Diversity in a Beech (fagus Orientalis Lipsky) Forest in the North of Iran

摘要

To clarify the effect of shelterwood silvicultural method on the diversity of plant species in a beech (Fagus orientalis) forest in the north of Iran, we compared the plant species diversity in three compartments (treatments) where regeneration cuttings were performed with that in a primary compartment. The sampling procedure was a systematic random method and the tree, tree regeneration, shrub and herbaceous species were identified and measured within sampling plots. Results indicated that the mean tree richness in compartment No. 1 (only with one seed cutting) was higher than in the other compartments. The mean richness of understorey species in compartment No. 4 (with all regeneration cuttings) was higher than in the other compartments. The mean evenness (EVar) of tree species in compartment No. 4 was higher than in the other compartments. The mean evenness of understorey species in compartment No. 1 was higher than in the other compartments. The mean tree diversities (i.e. 1-D, N2, H′ and N1) in compartment No. 1 were higher than in the other compartments. In addition, the mean diversities of understorey species in compartment No. 1 were higher than in the other compartments.