Journal of Natural Environment

Journal of Natural Environment

Seed traits of old Hyrcanian beech, velvet maple, and Caucasian alder trees in old-growth Hyrcanian forests

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mojtaba Azaryan 1
Hamed Aghajani 2
Vahid Etemad 3
Anooshirvan Shirvany 3
Seyed Mohammad Moein Sadeghi 4
1 Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
2 Department of Forest Sciences and Engineering, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran.
3 Department of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, University College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
4 College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, University of Arkansas at Monticello, Monticello, Arkansas, USA.
10.22059/jne.2026.412285.2902
Abstract
Old trees play an important role in maintaining genetic resources, ecosystem stability, and the continuity of natural regeneration in the Hyrcanian forests. However, limited information is available on the seed quality of these trees and how it differs from that of mature non-old trees. This study aimed to investigate and compare selected quantitative and qualitative seed traits, including seed moisture content, thousand-seed weight, seed diameter, and germination capacity, between old and control trees of three species: Hyrcanian beech (Fagus caspica Denk & G.W. Grimm), velvet maple (Acer velutinum Boiss.), and Caucasian alder (Alnus subcordata C.A. Mey) in the Namkhane District of the Kheyrud Forest. For each species, five old trees with a minimum DBH of 1.5 m were identified, and the nearest healthy mature trees of the same species with DBH of 50–70 cm were selected as controls. The results showed that seed moisture content did not differ significantly between old and control trees in any of the three species. Thousand-seed weight and seed diameter were significantly lower in old Hyrcanian beech and velvet maple trees than in their respective controls, whereas no significant differences were observed for these traits in Caucasian alder. In contrast, seed germination percentage was lower in old Caucasian alder trees than in control trees, while no significant differences were found in Hyrcanian beech or velvet maple. These findings indicate that the effects of tree aging on seed traits are species-specific and depend on the particular trait considered. Therefore, evaluating the regeneration potential of mother trees and their suitability as seed sources should simultaneously account for interspecific differences and multiple quantitative and physiological seed traits.
Keywords
">Biodiversity, ">Herbaceous vegetation, Hyrcanian forests. ">Logging operations, ">Soil disturbance.
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Journal of Natural Environment
Volume 79, Issue 3
Summer 2026
Pages 495-509