Impacts of Forest-Based Activities on Woodland Characteristics in a Forested Watershed of Southern Zagros, Iran

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of forest-based activities on the conditions of the Ganaveh woodland in southern Zagros, Iran, and to suggest strategies for improving the implementation of forest resource management plans. Woodland inventory data gathered in 2003, and data from interviews in 2008, were used in this study. The results show that there is forest degradation in terms of a lack of forest regeneration and a relatively high incidence of bad quality trees. These defects in the woodland attributes reflect the effects of the traditional management on vegetation cover, and are a cause of concern regarding the sustainability and conservation of the woodland. Overgrazing, seed gathering, and drought in some years are probably the main reasons for the poor natural regeneration in the area. Forest activities over the last decades could be the main cause of the relatively high rate of bad quality oak trees and the high rate of oaks in coppice form. Some efforts to gain acceptance from the woodland users of the need to protect the preserved areas from animal grazing and seed gathering for a period could be a better alternative for woodland rehabilitation than seeding.