Comparison of seedling and coppice regeneration in pruned and undisturbed oak forests of Northern Zagros (Case study: Baneh, Kurdistan province)

Regeneration and forest durability guarantee is one of the most important aspects of forest sustainability and it should be placed in forest plans priority. So, due to important role of Zagros forests, comprehensive investigation about regeneration crisis becomes an increasing necessity. In this study we tried to investigate on seedling and coppice regeneration in two categories of higher and lower than 2 meters height classes and in untouched and traditionally pruned stands in three regions with different disturbance regimes. Study sites were located at Armardeh in Baneh city (Northern Zagros, Iran). Results of the study state that seedling and coppice regeneration in lower than 2 meters height classes are significantly more in untouched forest stands, and its density in site number "1" to "3" is 3250 versus 375± 92, 1600 versus 130± 18 and 310 versus 81± 37 per sample plot (2500 m2), respectively. In untouched stands in site number "1" and "2" saplings in higher than 2 meters height classes are 533 and 66 per sample plot., respectively, but in untouched stand in site number "3", due to livestock grazing, there is no sapling higher than 2 meters like other pruned stands. According to our results the most important factors affecting oak regeneration in this region are livestock grazing, fire, acorn collecting by villagers for domestic fodder, summer drought, pests and diseases on acorns and seedlings.