Effects of Fire on Vegetation in the shanderman Forests

This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effects of fire on the vegetation in Shanderman forests (Guilan province). For this purpose, 60 sampling plots of 400 m2 were taken in a random-systematic Method in the areas of burned and control. The plant species present at the level of the samples were collected and identified, and their Life forms determined based on the Runkaeir's method. The results showed that 60 plant species were identified in the studied forest, 13 species (22%) only in the fire area, 5 species (8%) only in the control area, and 42 species (70%) were observed common in the both regions. The highest frequency belonged to Rosaceae and Poaceae families. In the study of the life forms of plant elements in the burned and control area, phanerophytes and hemicryptophytes were the most present in both regions. The results of the investigation of plant biodiversity indicators showed that the values of species diversity indicators in the burned area were higher than in the control area. DCA analysis showed that the composition of the vegetation in the burned area is not significantly different from the control area. Therefore, it can be concluded that after 12 years of the fire, the vegetation composition of the area has been restored and has become the same as the control area.