Commercial tree products modeling case study in Gorazbon district, Kheyroud Forest, Iran

Abstract

Reliable yield predictions are essential for sustainable forest management, with the quality of forest management plans hinging on the reliability of growth and yield predictions. Due to lack of both efficient harvest plans and product models in Hyrcanian forests, these requirements have implications for model design, implementation, and use. This study aims to estimate the percentage of different industrial products for oriental beech (Fagusorientalis Lipsky) and hornbeam (Carpinusbetulus L.) at the Kheyroud Forest Research Station located in the Caspian forests of northern Iran. For this purpose at first enhancement in accuracy of district's tariff tables were done by new clues from a new inventory. In order to determine the relation between product percentages and diameter at breast height (DBH), a set of models extracted to help forest managers predict when, where, and how much timber of hornbeam and oriental beech in each diameter class can be harvested. The results showed logs to be the most important output, reaching a peak at 100 and 115 cm diameter classes in both species, versus Bolt grade 1 & 2 reaching a minimum in these diameter classes behave conversely due to decay and harrow stems. The result of validation showed high accuracy of models in predicting commercial tree species products. In general the model is considered suitable for implementation in integrated forest sector modeling.