A survey of some growth characteristics of Cerasus avium L. species regarding the cecological role of the height above the sea level in Ramsar managed forests

Cherry (Cerasus avium L.) is one of the valuable native and broadleaf species that are either scattered or exist as a small group in the northern forests of Iran. This research was carried out to investigate the effect of altitude from the sea level on some of the growth characteristics of cherry in different altitudinal layers. For this purpose, after seeing different forests in the series of 1 and 3 located in Nesaroud, Ramsar forests, 60 cherry trees of thicker than 20 cm in diameter were randomly identified due to the lack of suitable abundance in other altitudes of three altitudinal classes (200-400, 600-800, and 1200 -1400 m) above the sea level. In this study, some of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the given stands were measured and analyzed. The obtained results showed that the qualitative characteristic of diameter growth were significantly different at P≤0.05. It was also indicated that the amount of leaf flavonoids and the density of anthocyanin of Cerasus avium that create red color increased with an increase in the height from the sea level and the light intensity particularly the increase in the direct radiation of ultraviolet ray. The maximum density of flavonoids and anthocyanins are in the altitudes higher than 1200-1400 meter above the sea level.