Impact assessment of local users of pollarded stands on Northern Zagros forests

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of local users on pollarded oak stands. For this purpose, biometric indices (total height, trunk height, crown height, crown area and crown height to total height ratio) of Quercus libani Oliv. trees were used. Three pollarded stands with similar physiographic conditions and the same pollarded age (four years after pollarding) under the traditional management of three different local users were selected. In the selected pollarded stands, using 100% inventory, collar diameter for all trees (collar diameter ≥ 5 cm) were measured. For the Quercus libani trees, in addition to collar diameter, total height, trunk height and two small and large crown diameters in the two perpendicular directions were measured. The results indicate a significant difference in terms of biometric indices (i.e. total height, crown height, crown area and crown height to total height ratio), which confirms the different behavior of local foresters in performing pollarding and the possibility of using these biometric indices to evaluate the performance of local users.