mohammad ebrahim farashiani

This study aimed to monitor pests and diseases in the Zagros forest habitats of Hamadan Province. Gyan and Zarrinbagh habitats in Nahavand County were selected as representative oak (Quercus bantii Lindl.) habitats. Seasonal sampling was conducted based on the type and severity of contamination by pests and pathogens between 2010 and 2019. The findings revealed that the oak weevil (Curculio glandium) and the oak moth (Cydia fagiglandana) are the most significant pests in the oak habitats of the province. Other pests, such as the oak budworm (Tortrix viridana), gall wasps (Andricus pseudocecconii, Aphelonyx persica, Pseudoneuroterus saliens, Neuroterus lanuginosus, Dryocosmus israeli), Chilaspis nitida, the gall fly (Dryomyia circinans), the gall mite (Aceria mackiei), and the oak smut disease (Biscogniauxia mediterranea), are of lesser importance. The need for continuous monitoring of these species is evident. Additionally, the studies highlighted that the most significant destruction and damage to the habitats are caused by human activities and the lack of sustainable management in these areas.

The National Botanical Garden of Iran (NBGI) is the country's largest and most complete genetic collection. Its role in preserving Iran's essential and endemic species and as a source for their propagation is irreplaceable. The National Botanical Garden of Iran, with its rich plant diversity (more than 4000 plant species), undoubtedly includes a wide range of valuable fungi. These include fungi, plant symbionts, and many other fungi that are nature's most effective recyclers and decomposers. During autumn 2023, Specimens of Sandy Stilt-Puffball (Battarrea phalloides), a rare and protected species worldwide, were collected from the NBGI. This saprobic fungi has no specific smell and taste and grows singly or in groups on sandy soils. In the collected samples, the morphological features of the fungus included a conical to semi-conical cap with a diameter of four centimeters, a hairy, hard, and brown stem with a height of 25 cm, and a vulva consisting of a capitolium and gleba and an elater at the base. Elaters had yellow spiral structures and basidia with two - four spores and no cystidia. Based on the above characteristics, the sample taken was identified as Battarrea phalloides (Agaraicaceae, Basidiomycota). Despite its worldwide distribution, the species B. phalloides is one of the rare and endangered fungal species. Observing this rare mushroom in the NBGI highlights the need to pay attention to this biological treasure and protect it from urban development.

Sophora mollis (Royle) Backer, Anagyris foetida L. and Spartium junceum L. (Fabaceae), have serve dual roles as medicinal and ornamental shrubs. The first two species are deeply rooted in Iran's natural heritage, while the latter is a rare botanical find, as highlighted by Hosseinzadeh et al. (2015). Recent observations at the Kashan Botanical Garden have brought to light a significant ecological disturbance: the infestation of Uresiphita gilvata (Fabricius, 1794) larvae. Documented for the first time in October 1402 and subsequently in the spring of 1403.

Cupressus sempervirens L. var. horizontalis is one of the indigenous species of Iran, the natural habitats of which are regarded as significant forest reserves within Iran. In the northern of Iran, cypress trees have commonly been observed in both natural and artificially planted forests. The purpose of this study was to investigate the fungal factors affecting the common cypress tree die back in Hassanabad (Mazandaran province) during the summer of 2023. Study of the affected trees indicated drying in the terminal branches of the trees, blight and necrosis of the upper branches, as well as canker formation on the trunks of common cypress trees. The infected tissues of common cypress trees were cultured on potato dextrose agar medium. Fungal isolates were obtained. Based on the macroscopic and microscopic characters of the isolates they were identified as Diplodia cupressi in the laboratory. To confirm the morphological identification the rDNA sequence data (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) were obtained using primers ITS1 and ITS4, and nBLAST. The pathogenicity of the fungus was approved on potted cypress seedlings. This study represents the major role of D. cupressi as the causal agent of Common cypress canker in North of Iran. It seems that the climate change and drought conditions provided the favorable environment to outbreak of the disease

Increasing need for wood and the other hand declinig wood resources have coused desire for afforestation with fast gowing species such as poplars, but weter deficit and cytosporal cankers on poplar species have become to important limiting factors of poplar cultivation in some parts of Iran. Ectomycorrhizal fungi have significant effect in improving the water status of plants, increasing the survival and growth of plants under stress.. The purpose of this research is investigation the effect of Laccaria bicolor on some morphological and physiological characteristics of poplar seedlings under drought stress and cytosporal canker.

This research was done in factorial form in a completely randomized design with 5 replications. The test factors included the biological factor in two levels (without mycorrhiza and with mycorrhiza) and the stress factor in three levels (no stress, drought stress and Cytospora stress). Inoculation of ectomycorrhizal fungus to poplar seedlings was done 14 weeks after the cuttings were cultivated in the pot and height of the seedlings reached to 50 cm.. Isolation and identification of the fungus causing cytosporal canker was done morphologically and molecularly and it was inoculated into poplar seedlings( after ectomycorrhizal establishment). Drought stress was done by reducing irrigation water based on the agricultural capacity of plants. Measurement of growth characteristics, physiological and enzymatic reactions of plants under stress and non-estress conditions were evaluated in different treatments.

The level of catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase significantly increased in mycorrhizae- drought and mycorrhizae – Cytospora seedlings and had a significant difference of 1% with control seedlings under stress. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the mycorrhizal seedlings under stress increased less than the control seedlings under stress and they have a significant difference with each other at the 1% level. Using of ectomycorrhizal fungus L. bicolor improves the growth characteristics of poplar seedlings, the amount of leaf area, leaf fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, stem fresh and dry weight and stem height have significant differences with seedlings without symbiosis. The stem diameter in symbiosis seedlings with and the control treatment had no significant difference. Ectomycorrhizal symbiosis has led to an increase in photosynthesis, stomata conductance, intercellular carbon dioxide and transpiration in the symbiotic seedlings compared to the control treatment. In the drought and cytospora stress, plants without symbiosis had a lower performance in photosynthesis, transpiration, and stomatal conductance, which led to a decrease in growth in these treatments.

In this study, Cytospora chrysosperma was identified as the causative agent of cytosporal canker. Findings of this research showed that the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor was able to create symbiosis with P.alba in greenhouse conditions. This symbiosis has increased growth, improved plant physiology, and increased plant resistance in plants with symbiosis compared to seedlings without symbiosis under drought and cytospora canker. Therefore, considering the improvement of the water condition, increase growth and biomass, and modification of the physiological characteristics of the inoculated plants with ectomycorrhizal fungi compared to the control, Establishing this ectomycorrhizal interaction can be introduced as a new strategy to increase success of seedlings in poplar plantations for wood cultivation.

The Hyrcanian region is damaged every year by various factors. Pests are also one of the most important factors causing large-scale damage to the forest cover in the north of the country. Morimus verecundus, is one of the most important pests of Beech, Alder and other forest trees in Iran.

In this research, the biology of this insect was studied on alder and beech wood specimens in laboratory and field conditions in Golestan province during 2000-2005. Studies in the laboratory were conducted based on a completely randomized design in 12 replications and each breeding cage (containing a pair of adult male and female insects) was considered as a replication. The test conditions in this research were 25±5 °C., 60±5% R.H, 14:10 L.D. Field studies in the main centers of pollution in the two stations of Derazno and Jafarabad forests started in the second half of the March. Studies in the field were conducted based on a completely randomized design in 50 replications and each tree trunk enclosed by a net was considered as a replication. To investigate the life cycle of the pest at the time of the pest's activity in the spring, a number of infected logs were taken to the laboratory every week and split with a chainsaw and the larvae or complete insects inside them were collected. Laboratory and field studies were conducted based on complete random design and the mean and standard deviation of the studied biological parameters were calculated based on common statistical methods.

The results showed that the emergence of adult insects started from the early days of the April and the peak of emergence was in the middle of the May, but then at the end of October due to the emergence of new generation insects, complete insects were observed in small numbers and ended in early November. The female began to oviposit in 9±2 days after emergence and the mean of oviposition period 8.1±1.57 days, the average number of deposited eggs by each female was 99.1±12.61, the average embryonic period 8.9±2.29, White elliptical eggs hatched 95.8±4.1 days after oviposition and the average longevity of male and female insects was 77.5±16.5 and 90.5±18.2, respectively. In laboratory conditions, at the beginning of April and a few days after releasing the whole insects into the rearing cages, their feeding activity started from the bark of the thin branches of alder and beech. The average length of the pre-ovulation period is 7±4.1 days, the average length of the egg-laying period is 10.75±1.47 days, the average number of eggs laid is 51.77±0.5, the average length of the embryonic period is 75.1±1.01 9 days and the average longevity of male and female insects was 107±11.7 and 100.5±12.77 respectively. The number of larval stages was four and the fourth instar larvae formed in the deep parts of the trunk pupal chamber and pupated. The pupae emerged to adults after 2 months in December. Adults stayed in the pupation cell over winter and left them in the next spring. Therefore, the life cycle completed in two years.

The study of pest breeding using alder wood and completing the life of the pest in the laboratory was done for the first time. Mating and egg-laying activities were rarely observed during the day. The lifespan of complete insects of this species is long, like other species of this genus and it makes the insect able to survive the winter and survive for more than one year. To complete and optimize the pest breeding in natural areas as well as sustainable forest protection, extensive and complementary studies in this field are needed in the future.

Failure to pay attention to the protection of water resources, soil and plant resources has caused the destruction of these resources. Among the effective factors in this destruction, we can point out land use conversion without a comprehensive approach, cutting down forests, destroying rangeland, drought, damage by pests and diseases. Pests and plant diseases in the forests and rangelands of the country are considered one of the most important factors of forest destruction. For the prevention and management of the outbreak of pests and plant diseases, there is a need for monitoring and a comprehensive management plan for pests and plant diseases. As the largest province in the country, Kerman province is part of the Turani, Iran zone, and out of the total area of 181737 square kilometers of this province, about 5% of agricultural land, 45% of rangeland, 13% of forest and 37% of desert.

To evaluate and monitor the status of the most important pests and pathogens of the main plants and considering the diversity of environmental conditions and the area of forests and natural rangeland in Kerman province, sampling was carried out during the years 2018 to 2020. The monitoring plan was implemented in Dehno, Babzangi, Kohpanj and Glochar stations as well as Yazdanabad and Raviz areas as two mountain almond tree habitats. The most important forest communities (trees-shrubs) and rangeland in the mentioned areas are Juniperus excelsa M.Bieb. , Amygdalus scoparia Spach. , Amygdalus elaeagnifolia Spach., Artemisia aucheri Boiss's, Artemisia siberi Besser, Stipa arabica Trin. & Rupr and Zygophyllum atriplicoides Fisch. & C. A. Mey. Periodic sampling of pests and pathogens was done in those plants in the desired parts. In sampling, the type and level of contamination with pests and pathogens were recorded. Due to the thinness of the almond forests in the investigated areas in Kerman province, the transect sampling method was used in the form of continuous lines. Data collection from rangeland areas was done during field visits of representative plant types. Sampling in this range was based on systematic random method.  

Based on the investigations carried out at the Dehno Bardsir station as the habitat of Z. atriplicoides, the seed-eating moth from the Lepidoptera order, at the Dehno Bardsir and kohpanj Bardsir stations as the habitat of S. arabica, the Tranzscheliella iranica S. and Dehno Bardsir and Kohpanj Bardsir stations as habitats of A. aucheri and A. siberi, Gallfly from the family of Cecidomyiidae was isolated and identified with about 4% contamination, also from Yazdanabad Zarand region as a habitat of A. scoparia, wood-borer beetle capnodis tenebrionis with about 30% contamination and from Raviz area of Rafsanjan as a habitat of A. elaeagnifolia, mistletoe Loranthus grewinkii Boiss. & Buhse was detected with about 60% contamination. The population fluctuations of the pests of seed-eating moth, gallfly and wood-borer beetle in mountain almonds and the the stipa smut pathogen in the years of monitoring of damaging agents in the studied areas was almost constant and no particular fluctuation was observed in these agents population. However, the population of mistletoe as a semi-parasitic plant based on A. elaeagnifolia decreased in the studied area in 2019 and again in 2020, it was returned to the level of the previous years. The reason for the decrease in the population of L. grewinkii in 2019 was the pruning of the infested tree branches to the mistletoe plant.

Due to the unprincipled pruning, this semi-parasitic plant grew again from the previous contaminated places and reached the previous population level in the following year, according to the results of the seed-eating moth pests. The dormant Gallfly, and the stipa smut have a low population, and based on their population fluctuations in the studied years, they were in equilibrium with the host plants in their natural environment and do not have an overflowing state. Based on the results, the populations of C. tenebrionis and L. grewinkii are high in the host plants, causing severe damage and reducing the growth and reproduction of the host. It is necessary to continue detection pests and diseases in different regions in order to monitor the existing factors and the newfound factors to prevent their entry and spread.

In the spring and summer of 2021, stems and branches of Jand trees (Prosopis cineraria L.) with canker symptoms were collected from the forests of Sahara-Sandy region, Sistan, and Baluchestan province, Iran. Disease incidence was calculated by counting the number of infected trees and part of each tree, ranging from 70 to 100%. Stems and branches with canker symptoms and necrosis were incubated at room temperature in a moist chamber and Water-Agar 2%. After seven days' incubation, black conidia and conidiophores developed. A fungus belonging to the genus Alternaria was isolated from surface-sterilized samples. To identify isolates by morphological criteria, purified cultures were incubated at 23-25°C on Potato Carrot Agar (PCA) medium under 8/16 h light/ dark cycle photoperiod for 5-7 days (Simmons, 2007). Based on morphological characteristics such as colony color, sporulation pattern, sizes of primary and secondary conidiophores, conidia, and surface ornamentation of conidia, isolates were grouped into infectoria sections of Alternaria. On PDA after 7 days, colonies dark with gray aerial mycelia. Conidia were obclavate in long or short chains predominantly with longitudinal septa (Figure 2). The isolate was further identified by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd), and plasma membrane ATPase (ATPase) (White et al. 1990; Berbee et al., 1999). In phylogenetic tree is constructed for the Infectoriae section based on three gene regions (Poursafar et al. 2017; Marin-Felix et al., 2019), the S3BK isolate lied with Alternaria infectoria CBS 210.86, and A. frumenti CBS 119401 in the same clade.

In recent years, decreased rainfall and droughts have created wind erosion in Iran. Mighan desert is one of the critical centers of wind erosion in Markazi province. Nitraria schoberi L. is one of the most effective plants for stabilizing sand dunes. In recent years, Nitraria decline in the Mighan desert has been quite noticeable. It is necessary to establish investigations regarding the identification of causal agents in the decline of the Nitraria plant. To identify biotic and abiotic factors causing damage, Nitraria schoberi pests and diseases were assessed in the Mighan desert from 2018 to 2022. This research revealed that the most critical factor in the decline of Nitraria is the region's underground water decrease. Other factors such as pests (wood boring beetles, mice, true cicadas, and new emerging pests) and off-road driving damages are at the next level of importance.

Protection of forests, rangelands and other natural ecosystems in Iran is facing challenges and currently the natural areas of the country are not in favorable conditions. Some of the problems and mega global challenges that affect various natural areas in the world. This group of challenges include climate change, desertification, land degradation, global warming, deficiency of fresh water and increasing demand for energy. The second group of challenges that are specific to Iran at the national level and have affected the natural environments include lakes drying up, land subsidence, salinity and alkalinity of underground water, desertification and consequently the particulate matter air pollution. Also, the breakdown of the natural hydrology systems of the watersheds and changes in the usage of the natural areas are two man-made super challenges affecting the natural environments of Iran. In this article, the major challenges related to Iran's natural areas and the relevant national and regional challenges at the level of natural ecosystems are discussed. Finally, in order to deal with the challenges raised, the necessary solutions to protect and support Iran's natural areas as better as possible are presented. This includes paying attention to these challenges as one of the basic requirements for applying and implementing ecosystem-based management in the natural areas.

Box tree moth Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859) is one of the most important monophagous pests. This pest feeds on the leaves and bark of the Box trees stem and in some cases causes the death of the trees. In order to pest monitoring in 2017, 160 Delta pheromone traps and to investigate the possibility of pest control by pheromone traps in 2018, 600 funnel pheromone traps were installed in 450 hectare boxwood forest of Cheshmeh - Bulbul (Bandar-e-Gaz, Golestan Province). Also, 2 light traps and 4 pheromone- light sticky traps with photocell lamps were installed in the studied area. The results showed three flight peaks for box tree moth as well as the best time for chemical control and use the pheromone traps were determined. Our results also indicated the effectiveness of funnel-pheromone traps in reducing the damage of box tree moths. A significant difference between the number of boxwood moths trapped in pheromones with and without pheromones (P-value <0.05) was obvious, so that the combination of light traps with pheromones increases their efficiency.

The box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859), is one of the major destructive pests that feed on the leaves, shoots, and bark of a tree branch of various Buxus species. In the course of this survey, the life cycle, life span, number of larval stages, overwintering, and natural enemies of the box tree moth was studied in Hyrcanian forests (northern Iran). The laboratory experiments were carried out at a temperature of 25±1ºC, 70±10% relative humidity, and a photo phase 16 light: 8 dark hours. The average duration of eggs, larvae, pre-pupae, pupae, as well as females and males longevity were 5.09±0.04, 23.15±0.17, 1.04±0.02, 7.80±0.05, 15.31±0.73 and 12.92 ± 0.71 days, respectively. As an important pest newly introduced in northern Iran, the Box tree moth completes three generations per year. The results of this study may be useful for improving pest management strategies.

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) as biological control agents of pests offer an environmentally safe alternative. Advances in mass-production and formulation technology of EPNs, the discovery of numerous efficacious isolates, and the desirability of reducing pesticide usage have resulted in a surge of scientific and commercial interest in these nematodes. This paper will review the successful use of EPNs for the control of insect pests above ground in the world. So, the efficacy of two native isolates of EPNs was evaluated against Cydalima perspectalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in laboratory conditions. The lethal concentration 50 (LC50) values of the Steinernema borjomiense and Oscheius myriophilus were 60.16 and 74.53 IJs/larva-1 on fifth instar larvae of C. perspectalis, respectively, after 48 hours at 25 °C and 60% relative humidity. These results revealed the good potential of EPNs in the biological control of C. perspectalis. In the field of biological pest control using EPNs in the country, in addition to the need for breakthroughs in the identification of EPNs isolates with high pathogenicity as well as formulation technology, the use of EPNs will need to be furthered through education, major changes in insecticides use pattern, legislative and further restrictions on chemical pesticides by organizations.

It is necessary to study the structure of natural masses to understand the evolutionary stages and dynamic process in unmanaged forests to apply methods in sync with nature. The ecological importance of the deadwood has led to the increasing collection of information about them and their consideration in management plans. Numerous organisms are active in the deadwoods in forests, among which insects have the highest number of species. Given that the conservation of biodiversity is essential for sustainable development, in this direction, recognizing the species diversity of forest complex ecosystems is very momentous. To identify species diversity of saproxylic Diptera in Hyrcanian forests, sampling was performed using pan traps during 2017-2018 in Gilan, Golestan, and Mazandaran provinces. In all, 71 species belonging to 22 families of saproxylic Diptera were collected and identified from Hyrcanian forests, among which two new species were described, and 20 species were reported for the first time from Iran. The result showed that the species diversity of saproxilic diptera in unmanaged forests is higher than in managed ones, which reveals the necessity of protecting these forests.

In recent years, boxwood dieback has become one of the essential concerns of practitioners and managers of the natural resources of the country. To control the expansion of the factors contributing to the dieback of box trees, the early detection and preparation of distribution maps are required. Assessment data can play an important role in this regard. The combination of high-resolution and low-spectrum panchromatic images with low resolution is used for evaluating the extent of destruction. Also, spectral and textural features are considered simultaneously in images extracted from Landsat 8 satellite. Finally, by extracting effective features from the candidate description space with the help of genetic algorithm and using the appropriate classification in the form of simultaneous application of fuzzy clustering and maximum similarity classification of area resulted in good accuracy in 2014-2018. The coefficients obtained from the models confirm their model validation for future estimates and the possibility it usage to assess the extent of the affected areas and the evolution of progress for all regions.

Iran is located in a strategic region with vast forests and rangelands. To protect natural resources, it is necessary to pay attention to the monitoring methods of pests and diseases in the forests and rangelands as the most important assets of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent biological hazards by continuously monitoring natural resources. There are different and practical methods in monitoring pests and diseases, the most important of which include field, using the country's executive networks, having a comprehensive information network for reporting, database, remote sensing, molecular methods, and the use of light and pheromone traps. The present study investigates the most effective monitoring methods of emerging and reemerging pests and diseases of forests and rangelands.

Hormozgan province has an area of more than five million hectares of forests and rangelands. Saharo-sindian and Irano-Toranian plants are distributed in Hormozgan province naturally. To identify and study the harmful factors of forest and rangeland pests, samplings have been visited several times during 2015-2020. These studies included pest collection, prognosis, prevention, and control, as well as identification of order, family, genus, and species. The samples of pests were identified applying the CTAB method and COI amplified. Further analyses were done, including DNA genomic extraction and using SSR markers, including LCO1490 and HCO 2198 primers. Nine species of pests were collected and identified in Hormozgan agricultural research and natural resources and education center. The important pests identified included Thiacidas postica Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Streblote helpsi (Holloway) (Lasiocampidae: Lepidoptera), Schistocerca gregaria (Forskal) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), Hystrix leucura (Sykes) (Rodentia: Hystridae), The longhorn beetle of the family Cerambycidae, xylophagous beetle of the family Buprestidae, Nysius cymoides (Spinola) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), Vanessa carduie (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). There are three new emerging pests causing severe damage to the forests, including Streblote helpsi Holloway (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), a beetle from Cerambicidae, and an un-identified bark borer on Prosopis cineraria. The purpose of this study was to identify the most important pests of forests and rangeland in Hormozgan province with emphasis on new emerging pests to manage and control these pests.

Most of the forests in the arid regions of Iran are located in the Iran-Turani ecological region. Ecosystems of arid and semi-arid regions due to their physical and environmental features are strongly affected by the constituents of the ecosystem. Therefore, plants in this area due to high resistance to heat and temperature fluctuations, salinity, and drought play a significant role in the protection of the soil and animals. Some important and effective challenges in forestry in desert areas include selecting the appropriate species and adapted to the conditions of the region, using the maximum variety of species, planting host plants in the centers of pest and disease, health, and the quality of seedlings and shrubs, application of beneficial soil microorganisms, paying attention to the longevity of trees and shrubs in annual afforestation, implementation of intelligent pest and plant disease monitoring, and continuous and effective communication between different organizations. Considering that forest protection is one of the important indicators of sustainable development of any country, thus the protection and restoration of them are vital and important. The cooperation and participation of the people, governments, and executive institutions are essential to maintain ecological balance and ensure the future.

Insects are one of the most important biomass components in a forest ecosystem and estimating their species richness is very important which can provide a suitable perspective for assessing the biodiversity of forest ecosystems. The present study has compared three methods of collecting some beetles in one of the northern beech forests of Iran (Golestan Province). For this purpose, 12 plots were selected, and beside direct sampling, one window and two pitfall traps were installed in each plot. Based on the results of three sampling methods, a total of 3341 specimens from 226 species were collected of Coleoptera order, including 635 specimens in direct sampling, 694 specimens in the pitfall traps and 2012 specimens in the window traps. Species richness in the window traps increased at a higher rate in comparison to the other methods. The results of non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) showed that the species composition in each sampling methods is significantly different. Considering the Venn diagram of 226 identified species, out of a total of 3341 specimens, 22 species were common in the three sampling methods but 93, 39 and 23 species were caught only in the window trap, pitfall trap and direct sampling, respectively. In the present study, Scraptia sp. from the family Scraptiidae was recognized as an undescribed species in window trap. Additionally, the indicator species of pitfall traps, direct sampling and window traps with highest index value of 0.7544, 0.5000, and 0.7500 were Geotrupes spiniger (Scarabaeidae), Uleiota planata (Silvanidae) and Megathous menentriesi (Elateridae), respectively

Increasing need for wood and on the other hand declining wood resources have caused desire for afforestation with fast–growing species such as poplars, but poplar species usually are susceptible to drought. Ectomycorrhizal fungi can improve the water status of host plants and increase plant survival and growth under drought conditions. The precise mechanism of this function is still not clear, but amino acid metabolism has been reported to play an important role in plant tolerance to drought stress. In this study seedlings of Populus caspica were propagated through tissue culture and their symbiosis with Pisolithus arhizus was carried out to evaluate the plantlets resistance to drought in acclimatization process. It was found that establishment of this symbiosis enhanced seedling height, biomass of root, shoot and leaves, photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance and leaf chlorophyll. Determination of amino acids in ectomycorrhizal and non–ectomycorrhizal roots of P. caspica plantlets (in both drought and irrigation conditions) showed that generally, the concentration of most amino acids increased in ectomycorrhizal root systems, which proved amino acids are the most important assimilation and nitrogen transfer forms in ectomycorrhizal tissue. Significant accumulation of many amino acids such as asparagine, glutamine, glutamic acid, histidine, tyrosine, threonine, alanine and methionine in ectomycorrhizal roots under stress conditions (compared to the ectomycorrhizal roots under irrigation and the control roots) was found, thus it can conclude that tolerance of ectomycorrhizal roots to drought stress is closely associated with their accumulation of free amino acids. Arginine, citrulline and aspartic acid accumulated in non–inoculated P. caspica root systems under irrigation conditions (compared to the mycorrhizal root systems), which confirmed the use of these amino acids in some metabolic pathways in the mycorrhizal root systems. Implications of these changes in the functioning of the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis are discussed.

Rapid population growth has increased the need for agricultural and food products and paved the way for the development of agricultural activities. Due to the limited land for cultivation, the increasing need for food will be possible only by achieving maximum productivity per unit area and increasing crop quality. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides as well as irrigation are among the effective methods to increase the productivity of agricultural products, among which, the use of chemical fertilizers has always been one of the most important priorities in improving the agricultural activities of producers. Farmers consider the use of these chemical inputs to increase crop yield, improve soil fertility and increase their income. Recent studies have shown that excessive and untimely use of fertilizers has several adverse effects on the environment and human health. These effects include leaching and displacement of compounds in different soil layers, groundwater and surface water pollution, accumulation of heavy metals and nitrates, increased wetland feed, air pollution and accumulation of nitrogen gases, sulfur and greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and extinction. He noted the ozone layer and the acidification of rain and the accumulation of chemicals in plant, animal and human tissues. The purpose of this study is to identify the environmental and biological effects of improper use of chemical fertilizers and to provide a practical solution to reduce consumption and environmental pollution.

Decaying trees are a rich source of saproxylic insects in the forests, particularly Coleoptera, which are not only an important part of biodiversity in the forests but also play an important role in the carbon cycle. Among the saproxylic insects, Coleoptera, with a great diversity and species abundance, are very important. Given that biodiversity conservation is indispensable for sustainable development, thus it is very important to recognize the diversity of forest complex ecosystems. In order to identify the species of saproxylic beetles in the beech Gilan forests (Asalem and Shafarood), sampling was done using pitfall traps and window traps during the years 2017-2018 in managed and unmanaged (reserve) parts of forests. In this study, 20 species belonging to nine families of saproxylic beetles were identified. The species diversity of saproxylic beetles in unmanaged forests was more than managed ones. Also, it was found that species abundance was highest in June and July, and the population peak of these beetles was in June, indicating the best time for studying saproxylic beetles’ communities.

The efficacy of sex pheromone traps for detection of Cydalima perspectalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera Crambidae) was assessed in 2017 in Cheshmeh-Bolbol Box Reservoir (Golestan province, Iran). Monitoring was done from May to September and three flight peaks were determined. No significant difference was observed between colors as well as heights of installing pheromone Traps for capturing C. perspectalis. The results confirmed the efficiency of pheromone traps in decreasing damages of Box tree moth. Also, best time for chemical and pheromone control was assessed.