Journal of Natural Environment

Study on changes in understory agricultural use, canopy density, and number of trees stands in Dena forests

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Forest Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural resources, University of Yasouj, Yasouj, Iran.

2 Department of Nature Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Yasouj, Yasouj, Iran.

10.22059/jne.2025.398138.2822

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the trend of changes in agricultural land use in the forest understory and to investigate changes in canopy density and number of tree stands in the Western Danai Protected Area and its adjacent open area during the period 1967 (1346 AH) to 2023 (1402 AH). The method of visual interpretation and simultaneous comparison of changes in the location of circular sample plots (1000 m2) in a 500 x 500 m survey grid was used on orthophotos of 1967 and Google Earth images (2009 and 2023) in pairs on two adjacent display screens. In each sample plot, changes in agricultural land use in the forest understory in seven levels and forest cover characteristics including canopy density percentage and number of tree stands or group crossings were interpreted and recorded. The land use transition matrix and the nonparametric Friedman, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests were used to analyze and compare the data. The results showed that agricultural land use change in the protected area is more stable than in the open area, but the decrease in the percentage of canopy density and the number of tree stands during this period indicates that the forest cover destruction in understory agricultural lands in the protected area was more severe. During this period, the average number of tree stands decreased from 4.33 in 1967 to 3.65 in 2023 and the median canopy density in the protected area decreased from 20% to 5%. These findings indicate a contradiction with conservation expectations and highlight the need for more efficient management to reduce forest destruction.

Keywords

Amuzad Mahdiraji, Gh., 2022. Recognition of national land from private lands, the principles, elements and legal effects, first ed. Dadgostar Press, Tehran, 480 p. (In Persian)
Arameshenia, P., Moradi, Gh., Moradi, M., Dashtpagerdi Moradi, M., 2024. The effect of socioeconomic factors on vegetation cover changes in Dena protected area. Iranian Journal of Forest 16(4), 437-452. (In Persian)
Braatz, S.M., 1992. Conserving biological diversity: a strategy for protected areas in the Asia-Pacific region (Vol. 23). World Bank Publications, 65 p.
Bruner, A.G., Gullisons, R.E., Rice, R.E., Dafonseca, G.A.B., 2001. Effectiveness of parks in protecting tropical biodiversity. Science Journal 291, 125-128.
Heydari, M., Bazgir, M., Kohzadian, M., 2021. Influence of Short and Long Period Abandonment from Agriculture on Vegetation and Soil Seed Bank Composition Compared to Undisturbed Forest in Zagros Region. Ecology of Iranian Forest 9(17), 49-61. (In Persian)
Jahangirian, SH., Salehi, A., 2015. The effect of topography factors on land use/cover changes of Yasouj forest park during 1965-2011. Journal of RS and GIS for Natural Resources 6(2), 89-106. (In Persian)
Karami, A., Feghhi, J., 2012. Investigation of Quantitative metrics to protect the landscape in land use by sustainable pattern (Case study: Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad). Journal of Environmental Studies 37(60), 79-88. (In Persian)
Keivan Behjou, F., Pourgholi, Z., 2019. Comparative assessment of tree and shrub species diversity in protected and under-recreational management conditions in Fandoghlou forest of Ardabil. Journal of Plant Research 32(3), 671-679. (In Persian)
Khatirpasha, N., Hojjati, M., Pourmajidian, M., Asadiyan, M., 2018. Impact of different land use on physical, chemical and biological soil properties in the Qalek forest Qhaemshahr city. Journal of Water and Soil Conservation 24(6), 211-225. (In Persian)
Lagomarsino, A., Benedetti, A., Marinari, S., Pompili, L., Moscatelli, M.C., Roggero, P.P., Lai, R., Ledda, L., Grego, S., 2011. Soil organic C variability and microbial functions in a Mediterranean agro-forest ecosystem. Biology and Fertility of Soils 47, 283-291.
Lambin, E.F., Meyfroidt, P., 2011. Global land use change, economic globalization, and the looming land scarcity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108, 3465-3472.
Mahdavi, A., Rezavinia, Z., Bazgir, M. Rostaminia, M., 2022. The Effect of Land use Changes on Soil Quality Indicators and Carbon Sequestration in Semi-arid Areas. Desert Ecosystem Engineering 8(22), 101-113. (In Persian)
Majnounian, H., 2003. Natural parks and protected regions (Values and functions). Environment protection organization Press, 438 p. (In Persian)
Malekhosseini, S.F., Dashti, S., 2016. Environmental Risks Assessment in Dena Protected Area Using of Multiple Criteria Decision Making (TOPSIS). Environmental Sciences 14(3), 41-56. (In Persian).
Moradi Ghiasabadi, B., Monvari, M., Gharagozlou, A., Khorasani, N., Riyat, B., 2013. Analysis of spatial-temporal changes through the calculation of landscape metrics and the use of classified error matrix. Study area: Dena Protected Area.Proceedings of national Conference of Geomatic, Tehran, Iran. (In Persian) Available from https://sid.ir/paper/894446/fa.
Quinn, G.P., Keough, M.J., 2023. Experimental Design and Data Analysis for Biologists (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 405 P.
Rahdari, V., Maleki Najaf Abadi, S., Afsari, KH., Abtin, E., Piri, H., Fakhireh, A., 2011. Monitoring of land cover and land use of Hamun Wildlife Sanctuary, between 1986 and 2009, using satellite imageries and GIS. Iranian Remote Sensing & GIS 3(2), 59-70. (In Persian)
Rostamvandi Zabrlou, A., Salehi, A., Farzin, M., 2022. Determining the extent of land degradation in the Dena Protected Area between 2009 and 2017. Journal of Natural Environment 74(4), 677-693. (In Persian)
Sagheb-Talebi, K., Sajedi, T., Yazdian, F., 2004. Forest of Iran. Reserch Institue of Forest and Rangelands Press, Tehran, 28 p. (In Persian)
Salehi, A., 2024. The necessity of strengthening the laws for the protection of forest lands with agricultural understory in the Zagros Basin: Alignment with socio-economic development and agricultural mechanization. 6th National Forest Conference of Iran.Karai, Iran.
Salehi, A., Karltun, L., Soderberg, U., Erikson, L., 2010. Livelihood dependency on woodland resources in southern Zagros, Iran. Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences 8(2), 181-194.
Salehi, A., Wilhelmsson, E., Söderberg, U., 2008. Land Cover Changes in a Forested Watershed, Southern Zagros, Iran. Land Degradation and Development 19, 542-553.
Turner, B.L., Lambin, E.F, Reenberg, A., 2007. The emergence of land change science for global environmental change and sustainability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. U. S. A. 104, 20666–20671.
Wali, M.K., Evrendilek, F., West, T., Watts, S., Pant, D., Gibbs, H., McClead, B., 1999. Assessing terrestrial ecosystem sustainability usefulness of regional carbon and nitrogen models. Nature and Resources 35(4), 21-33.
Zakeri, F., Hojjati S.M., Kiadaliri, H., Fallah, A. 2015. Effects of understory cultivation on the quantitive and qualitive characteristics of oak stands of Southern Zagros in Barm plain, Fars Province. Iranian Journal of Forests 7(1), 99- 109. (In Persian)
 
Journal of Natural Environment
Volume 78, Issue 3
November 2025
Pages 509-521