Journal of
Soil Science and Environmental Management

  • Abbreviation: J. Soil Sci. Environ. Manage.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2391
  • DOI: 10.5897/JSSEM
  • Start Year: 2010
  • Published Articles: 315

Full Length Research Paper

Estimating the biodiversity of understory plant species in afforestation and land sliding areas of Alder stands

  Seyed Mahdi Varedi Koolaei1*, Hamid Jalilvand1, Seyed Mohammad Hodjati1 and Aidin Parsakhoo2
  1Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran. 2Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 09 August 2011
  •  Published: 21 September 2011

Abstract

 

After natural disturbance and human activities, the processes of regeneration and succession play an important role in increasing forest dynamics. In this study 51 sample plots were established to evaluate the status of plant species biodiversity in afforestation and landslide areas and to assess the effects of soil parameters on tree species community in Alder stands. Our measure of understory plant species biodiversity and evenness was based on computations in ecological methodology software. Species richness was calculated in PAST program. Results showed that the richness index of herbaceous species in control plots was more than that of landslide and afforestation areas. The evenness index of herbaceous in control plots was more than that of landslide and afforestation areas. Similar results were observed for biodiversity index. The richness index of regenerated tree species in landslide areas was more than that of control and afforestation plots, except for Berger-parker index. Moreover, the evenness index of regenerated tree species can be arranged as landslide plots > control plots > afforestation plots. Similar results were recorded for biodiversity index.

 

Key words: Biodiversity, afforestation, land slide, Alder, Darab Kola.