Structure analysis of oak forest‏ ‏stands using neighborhood-based indices (case study: ‎Chaharzebar and Barzeh forests, Kermanshah Province)‎

In this study, the structure of Zagros forest stands was analyzed using neighborhood-based indices such as Clark and Evans, uniform angle, mingling, diversity of dimensions, diversity of combined structure, and distance to the nearest neighbor in two one-hectare (unprotected) sample plots in Chaharzebar and Barzeh forest areas (as a sample of the majority of Kermanshah province's forests). Clark and Evans index values of 0.87 and 0.88 for quadrupeds and ridges, respectively, and uniform angles of 0.51 and 0.5, respectively, revealed a spatial distribution pattern in both hilly areas and a species distribution pattern in random quadrants and the Barzeh region. The average mingling index values of 0.13 and 0.005 revealed that the Barzeh region had substantially lower species mixing than the Chaharzebar region. In addition, the mean diameters of differentiation indices with values of 0.55 and 0.38, and height differentiation with values of 0.2 and 0.19, were determined for Chaharzebar and Barzeh, respectively, indicating a minor height difference and the diametric superiority of Chaharzebar trees over Barzeh. In general, the structure of the forest in the analyzed regions has been significantly altered, and the findings of the hybrid diversity index revealed a low level of biological, species, and dimensional variety in the two studied forest stands.