Investigation on the damages of Juniper Dwarf Mistletoe ( Arceuthobium oxycedri (DC.) M.Bieb) in Forests of Semnan province and it's control methods

Iran's leafy forests are very rare and valuable in terms of environment and promenade. Juniperus is one of the native Needles inhabitants of Iran, which occupies more than one million hectares in Iran's mountainous forests while some bases are about 2000 years old. During the last two decades, Arthousebius oxycedri is one of the most important factors for drying Juniperus trees in Alborz habitats. This species is semi-parasite on the branches causing the physiological imbalance and after a few years the entire tree is overwhelmed and eventually causes it to die. According to reports in infected areas, 25 to 30% of the Juniperus trees have been affected by this parasite and 1 to 3% has completely dried up. In this regard, various control methods are considered, which one of them is the removal of the parasite before its seeding stage.