The effect of hardwood group cutting on accumulation, density and temperature of snow (Case study: Kheyrud forest research station)

Tree cutting can affect different aspects of forests. To investigate the changes on snow accumulation, density and temperature due to tree cutting in the forest, two forestry regions were selected, one control and the other the cutting region. For measuring snow accumulation, 10 pickets in cut area and 10 pickets in control area were installed and snow height was measured every 5 days. For determining the density, a snow profile was dug and sampling was done with 500 cm3 sampler from different depths every 5 days. Finally snow temperature was measured in different depths with thermometer. The results indicate that the average of snow density in cutting region and control region are 0.178gr/cm3 and 0.151gr/cm3, respectively and there isnt any significant difference between them. Also decreasing in canopy due to tree cutting has a significant relation with snow accumulation and its depth, which increases and they all together result more snow accumulation. So average of snow height in control region was 13.88cm and after cutting increased to 21.15cm. Snow temperature increasing is significantly related to the decreases in canopy. Therefore the average of snow temperature in control region is -3.3°C which decreases to -10.3°C by cutting the trees.