Determining the Minimum Plot Size to Study the Spatial Patterns of Manna Oak Trees (Quercus brantii Lindl.) though Using Ripley: s K- Function at Less-Disturbed Stands in Marivan Forests

Nowadays، the Zagros forests are being destroyed due to over pollarding and overgrazing of the trees. However، some less-disturbed and wild regions can be found in these forests that have not been destroyed due to being un-accessible or being a holy place. These regions can be used as a suitable standard for planning and managing the other forest areas. In this study، we investigated one of the indicator characteristics of the forest stands، i. e.، spatial patterns of trees، and determined the suitable plot size to study it. For this purpose، 3 one-hectare (100 m × 100 m) nested plots with areas of. 25،. 5، and. 75 of ha in less-disturbed stands were selected. Coordinates of all trees were determined using azimuth-distance method، and the spatial point pattern was analyzed through Ripleyls K- function for each nested plots، individually. The results showed that the spatial patterns of the trees in all nested plots، except for the. 25 ha، were clustered، and the minimum plot size to study the spatial patterns in such forest stands was. 5 hectare.