Periodic occurrences of decline and death of oaks over widespread areas have been recorded since 1900 in all the world. These outbreaks, variously named oak decline, oak dieback, or oak mortality, are caused by a complex interaction of environmental stresses and pests and given the name oak decline.
Please describe the experience in your country.
The problem of dust in the forests of oak trees in Iran rise to the disease.Oak trees are weak.Forest fires have been prepared by the drought and dust.Pruning of tree branches, there is no benefit.
Thank you Dr. Taheri
Do you have some suggestion for this problem?
Dear Seyed,
Actually, may be there are lots of problem in declining of oak forest but the main problem is related to human activity (anthropogenic). In Turkey, Oak forestlands has been managed mostly as coppice forms. A large part of the forests occuring in Southeastern Turkey has been destroyed and formed shrubby bunchy by anthropogenic effects such as unmanaged cutting for fuelwood, grazing and illegal cutting.
In addition to all, I think the another problem is global changing. For instance; Oak leaf roller, Tortrix viridana L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), especially in Central Europe, Turkey, Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan is an important pest species of oaks. This species mostly occurs up to 700 meter altitude. But in 2010, I have found it in Brant's Oak coppice occuring southestern Anatolia in over the 1000 meter altitude. It may indicate that something is cahanging really due to climate changing in terms of Oaks...(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269336601_Larval_development_and_behavior_of_oak_leaf_roller_depending_on_brant%27s_oak_phenology)
These forests, although may be regarded as unproductive and degraded. So, they have physiological activity as all other plants and ability to sequestrate atmospheric CO2. Degraded Branth’s oak stands will may sequestrate approximately 5.5 tonnes atmospheric CO2 in one hectare per year under the relatively optimal photosynhetical conditions. Besides, in case of rehabilitation of this forests, the ratio may will be up to 3 times.(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268804276_The_Potential_for_Atmospheric_CO2_Squestration_in_Degraded_Oak_Coppices_Occuring_Southeastern_Anatolia_Region)
So, protection and rehabilitation is important issue for enhancement of productivity in degraded oak coppices. And coppice should be turned into high forest by using silvicultural methods...
Warm regards...
Conference Paper Larval development and behavior of oak leaf roller depending...
Conference Paper The Potential for Atmospheric CO2 Squestration in Degraded O...
Seyed -
major factors driving oak decline in our state are hydrology and lack of management. As anthropogenic hydrologic alterations have occurred over the landscape, we have not kept up the pace in management of our bottomland hardwood forest resources to accommodate site changes that impact forest composition and structure.
some sites have become wetter, but more sites have become drier, forcing a slow change in the forest composition that can be accommodated through forest management practices, but only if being recognized early enough. Otherwise, we end up with large acreages of mortality which seem to occur overnight, while the mortality was actually gradually building up until a tipping point, usually associated with a severe drought and/or flood sequence, causes rapid mortality occurrences.
Continuous and long-term monitoring of your forest resources and all associated water resources the forests draw upon for sustenance is the best way to fend off future 'declines' or 'mortality events' in forest systems.
Life is driven by water; too much, too little, or even too much flux between the extremes can be detrimental.
Kenny
Dear Kenny
As I said drought seen in a few years in Iran.The next problem was the origin of the dust of Iraq and Saudi Arabia and violence.Dehydration can be seen in every part of the problem.Lakes and rivers are dry.This summer's heat was incredible.The plant pests have also flooded. Poverty and war damage to forest resources in the Middle East and Iran.
plant pests in large concentrations are usually tied to the plants being stressed before attack, thus attracting the larger concentration of pests to feed on a weakened host. Your drought situation seems to be one of the drivers for the current decline you may be experiencing. you mention nothing about any silviculture practice being applied to the forests; is there any forest management happening?
Iranian Commercial forests in northern placed.Oak forests of the West are not commercial. Their function is environmental.Implications of Forest management conducted in northern Iran.Oak forest management is the protection and reforestation.In addition, there are also wild pistachio trees grow.Local people are injured wild pistachio trees.Named turpentine trees produce latex.Turpentine latex exported.
After the problem of drought and dust in oak forests , This year's State Forestry Administration has attempted to prune trees.Pruning trees does not save them.In addition, people are encouraged to cut trees illegally.
perhaps a management program focused on improving oak tree vigor through appropriate thinning of less vigorous stems via harvest for local use can improve all situations. This allows the residual stems in the forest more space for growth while allowing locals to legally utilize the less vigorous stems for their needs.
Dear Kenny Ribbeck
How are you?Your suggestion isn't operational, Because these forests have social problems.Many of the people are farmers.Animals eat all the young oak.Dry farming is done in oak subtree.Oak trees in steep mountains and cemeteries have been better.
The government does not have sufficient funds to maintain forests.In practice, the challenge is to manage the forest current problem governmental organizations.The problems are not only financial.There isn't enough research on resistant trees.
Soon I and a team will work on dust damage (oak trees ).
you seem to have multiple users of your forests with no one looking toward long-term viability of the forest ecosystem. Without some control on use of the forest, it sounds like the short term gain by the multiple users will continue to hamper development of a healthy forest system.
a rotational grazing system could help, if soundly managed by the users. The users would actually see greater benefits than from the overgrazed system they seem to be operating in now.
Dear friends
The problems of Iran's forests, the lack of decision-makers' information on diverse uses of forests, and in particular water conservation in the forest, and Natural resources are a low priority for decision-makers
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