Iranian Journal of Forest

Iranian Journal of Forest

The impact of physiographic factors on the biometric characteristics of wild pistachio (Pistacia atlantica Desf.) trees in Kurdistan Province

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
S Sharifi 1
L Ghahramany 2
M Pourhashemi 3
M Pir Bavaghar 3
1 M.Sc. of forest science and engineering, Dept. of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.
2 Associate Prof., Dept. of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan and Dr. Hedayat Ghazanfari Center for Research and Development (R&D) of Northern Zagros Forestry, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.
3 Prof., Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/ijf.2025.485628.2013
Abstract
Introduction: Physiographic factors such as altitude, slope, and aspect play a crucial role in shaping vegetation patterns and species distribution. This study aimed to investigate the impact of these factors on the biometric characteristics of Pistacia atlantica trees in Kurdistan Province, Iran.
Material and Methods: This study was conducted in an 1860-hectare forest area in Sanandaj. The study area was divided into 36 homogeneous physiographic units based on altitude, slope, and aspect maps. For each landform unit, four random points (four repetitions) were determined digitally and their coordinates were entered to GPS for positioning. At each random sample point, seven of the nearest wild pistachio trees (with diameter at beast height ≥ 5 cm) were selected as sample trees (totally 1008 wild pistachio individuals). For each sample tree, the diameter at the breast height, total height, trunk height, crown height, the major diameter of the crown and its perpendicular diameter, and crown vitality were recorded. The distribution of wild pistachio trees in the diameter classes was drawn and the statistics of biometric indices of sample trees were calculated by separating physiographic factors and without considering physiographic factors (total). The effect of physiographic factors on the biometric indices of wild pistachio trees was investigated using a factorial experiment with a completely randomized design (considering the altitude, the slope, and the aspect as the test factors). The comparison of mean diameter at breast height, trunk height, crown area, slenderness coefficient of wild pistachio trees and treatment combinations (after rejecting the assumption that they are the same based on the result of analysis of variance) was done using Tukey's post hoc test.
Results: The results showed that altitude was the most significant factor affecting tree diameter. Generally, tree diameter increased with increasing altitude. Pistachio trees showed no significant differences in total and crown heights across physiographic factor classes. Slope influenced trunk height, with trees on gentler slopes having greater trunk heights. Additionally, crown area was influenced by a combination of slope and aspect, while crown vitality was influenced by both aspect and elevation. In terms of slenderness coefficient (the ratio of total height to diameter at 1.3 m above ground), the effect of altitude is statistically significant.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that physiographic factors significantly influence the growth and development of wild pistachio trees. Understanding these influences can be beneficial for developing sustainable management strategies for pistachio forests. By identifying the limiting factors for tree growth, appropriate management measures can be designed to improve habitat conditions and enhance the sustainability of this valuable species. Further studies in different regions with varying climatic and ecological conditions are needed to generalize the findings of this study.
Keywords
Altitude
Biometric characteristics
Pistacia atlantica
Zagros

Subjects

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Iranian Journal of Forest
Volume 17, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
Summer 2025
Pages 191-210

  • Receive Date 02 November 2024
  • Revise Date 13 December 2024
  • Accept Date 30 December 2024