Elimination trial of four species from Pinaceae in the low-lands of Chamestan, Iran

In order to investigate the growth and survival of exotic tree species, four species from Pinaceae, namely, Pinus pinea, Pinus ponderosa, Picea abies and Abies alba were planted in 1984 on 1600 m2 (121 trees with spacing 4×4 m) in Chamestan plateau, Mazandaran province, north of Iran. The final measurement of tree parameters were: survival percentage, mean diameter, height, and stem quality. The measurement was carried out in 2006 and the statistical analysis of data was made using the ANOVA and Duncan tests by SPSS software. Results showed that the maximum and the minimum survival belong to Picea abies (%82) and Pinus ponderosa (%53), respectively. The highest and the lowest stem quality are attributed to Picea abies, Abies alba and Pinus pinea, respectively. The maximum mean diameter (28.2 cm) and annual diameter increment (11.7 mm/y) was calculated for Pinus pinea, whereas the minimum mean diameter (11.6 cm) and annual diameter increment (4.8 mm/y) was calculated for Pinus ponderosa. The maximum height was observed in Pinus pinea (11.61 m) and the minimum height in Pinus ponderosa (5.29 m).