Investigating the damage of porcupine (Hystrix indica) to host trees and its control in Sefidkouh Protected area, Doureh Chegeni city, Lorestan province, Iran

Porcupine (Hystrix indica) is the largest rodent found in Iran and causes a lot of damage to protected areas and forest plantations every year.

investigation of the environment and damage to trees in Sefidkouh forest of Doureh Chegini city of Lorestan province was performed using transect method and marking damaged trees between 2011-2015, which finally, damage to damaged trees with different criteria and characteristics were determined. Also, three conventional methods of fencing, hedging and crimping were used to control the porcupine damage.

The study of porcupine damage to trees showed that it had an increasing trend during the years under study and among the existing tree species (Persian oak, fig and almond) only oak trees were damaged. The highest damage of porcupine was observed in spring on trees with a diameter class of 25-50 cm. Also, the most damage to tree trunks was observed at a height class of 40-60 cm, and the thickness of the bark of tree trunks fed by porcupine was between the two classes of <1 cm and 1-1.5 cm. Among the direct and indirect damages caused by porcupine, peeling the tree has caused the most damage to the stems.The results of Spearman correlation between the variables of degree of damage with tree form, diameter class, bark thickness, time of damage showed a positive and significant relationship between the degree of damage caused by porcupine to Quercus brantii trees with diameter class, time of damage and there was negative and significant relationship between the degree of damage with the thickness of the bark and the form of the tree. The results of mechanical control of the porcupine had significant difference in the three methods of hedge fencing and crimping, so that the fencing method was effective in controlling this rodent.

Porcupine causes damage to oak trees, especially in the protected areas of Zagros forests due to the conservation and protection conditions of these forests and mechanical control methods are effective in controlling the damage of this rodent.