Forest Research Division
has started to undertake research projects since the foundation of
Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (RIFR) in 1968.
Taking into account that Iran is a low forest cover country, the
primary activities were concentrated on adaptation and elimination
trials using 330 different fast growing exotic (needle-leaved and
broad-leaved) tree species and provenances in different ecological
regions of the country.
At the present time, considering the ecological regions, the
strategy of our studies is based on ecosystem approach. With new
trends in the country and the world, FRD is dealing with
sustainable forest management, close to nature silviculture,
rehabilitation of degraded forests areas by using different
reforestation methods as well as afforestation methods in
non-forested areas, in order to decrease the pressure on natural
forests and producing wood out of forest areas.
Subdivisions:
1- Forest Ecology and Forest Science
2- Forest Management and Biometry Research Group
3- Forest Plantation and Tree Breeding Research Group
4- Forest Soil Research Group
5- Socio-Economic Issues and Forest Utilization Research Division
Also in the international framework of forest research division, a
group called "Beech Research Group" is established and has
cooperation with IUFRO.
◊
Forest Ecology and Silviculture Research Group The
main strategy of this research group is based on close to nature Silviculture and treatment of forest trees and stands, taking into
account their natural structure and requirements.
Duties:
Investigations on the influence of ecological factors on presence
and growth of forest tree species;
Study on unique forest ecosystems;
Application of silvicultural systems and tending operations in
natural and man made forests.
Some
of undergoing and completed projects within this group are:
Site demands of forest tree species
on different ecological regions;
Role of ecological factors (light,
temperature, moisture etc.) on establishment and growth of
seedlings and tree species;
Study of seeding cycle in different
tree species;
Investigation on qualitative and
quantitative characteristics of natural regeneration under
different condition;
Structure of natural forest stands;
Application of even-aged and
uneven-aged methods in different forest stands;
Impact of silvicultural operations
(thinning, lightening) on the quantitative and qualitative
characteristics of natural and man-made stands (e.g. on beech,
maple, pine and spruce plantations);
Study of development stages on
natural undisturbed forest stands;
Impact of silvicultural operations in
coppice stands (western oak);
Influence of environmental and
genetic factors on the quantitative and qualitative
characteristics of oriental beech;
Studies on long-lived trees in
different parts of Iran;
Study the ecosystem of Mangrove
forests in South Iran.
Achievements:
Among activities of this group several reports, 3 books and more
than 30 articles in different scientific journals have been
published which includes forest and poplar research periodical,
journal of natural resources of Iran and research and Sazandegi
magazine.
◊
Forest Management and
Biometry Research Group Duties:
Study
and investigation on different forestry techniques in quantitative
production,
Investigation on the degree of
forestry projects accomplishment,
Evaluation of different forest
management techniques emphasizing on sustainable development and
role of local communities,
Habitation division and determining
their degree of desirability,
Using GIS technology in estimating
growing stock in forest,
Creating forest species capacity
tables and investigation of its application and precision,
Biometric studies in forest and
determining the growth of essential forest species,
Comparing evaluation methods in
forests and determining the best method based on precision and
cost,
Method optimization in forest data
collections,
Study and investigation on new data
collection methods in forest.
Typical
Research Projects:
Application of silvicultural
operation in even-aged and uneven-aged stands in order to achieve
appropriate regeneration in beech forests,
Allometric scaling of forest species
in north Iran,
Optimum and regular evaluation on
northern forest ecosystem by GIS,
Investigating upper boundary changes
of forest by GIS,
Forestry model projects in Vaz
research forest,
Establishing temporarily network
panels in forest,
Investigating geostatic method in
estimating growing stock in afforestation.
Achievements:
More than 10 papers and reports from the activities of this group
have been published in scientific journals such as "Forest and
Poplar Research Periodical", "Natural Resources of Iran Journal" and
other magazine.
◊
Forest Plantation and Tree Breeding
Research Group
The
main objective of Forest Plantation and Tree Breeding Group is
to develop the best methods and plans for conservation of soil
and water, rehabilitation of degraded forests, development of
forests and increasing wood production and other forest products
also sustainable use of forest genetic resources.
Duties:
Determination
of best methods on collection time and storage of seeds and
necessary treatment for planting,
Investigation on best methods of
seedling production in nursery and plantation in forest area,
Investigation on adaptability and
introducing various species at different ecological situations,
Investigation on endemic and exotic
provenances,
Site preparation methods for
plantation,
Determination of the best
plantation systems,
Investigation on agro-silvo-pastural
systems,
Water and fertilizer requirements
of trees,
Determination of principals for
selection management of seed production area and stands,
Impact of biotic and a-biotic
stress on resistance and tolerance of forest tree populations
species,
Development of superior varieties
(by progeny tests, hybridization and etc.),
Establishments of seed orchards,
Evaluation, conservation and
advancement of genetic variability on forest trees by in situ
and ex situ conservation methods.
Projects:
Investigation on adaptability of
various species (almost 300 species and provenances) at
different ecological regions.
National project of the pioneer
afforestation in south of Iran.
Establishment of seed orchard (Ash
and Lime in northern Iran).
Plantation trials with
multi-purposes tree species.
Impact of afforestation on
restoration of damaged forest ecosystems by Kuwait burning oil
wells.
Application of swage in forest
plantation.
Impact of different light and
hormonal treatments on sexual and asexual regeneration of
juniper.
Genetic diversity and
differentiation of oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky)
populations as the basis for development of silvicultural and
gene conservation strategy in Iran.
Gene flow among Oriental beech (Fagus
orientalis Lipsky) populations.
Effects of genetic characteristics
on form of beech tree.
Achievements:
In
this group many reports and more than 20 papers in scientific
journals and magazines have been published.
◊
Forest Soil Research
Group
The Forest Soil Research Group is
responsible for conducting all research programs which are anyway
related to forest soils.
Duties:
Investigation
on forest soil types identification and mapping
Investigation on relationship between
soil and forest types and their interactions
Investigation on the effects of soil
properties (texture, moisture, compaction,…) on establishment of
forest trees seedlings
Investigation on soil biology of
forest lands
Investigating the effects of forest
plantation on soil properties
Investigation on nutrition demands of
different forest tree species
Investigation on forest nursery soil
requirements (productivity and physical-chemical properties).
Projects:
Identification and mapping soil types
of Vaz Forest
Nutritional demands of Caspian forest
nurseries
Effects of different Eucalypt species
on ground vegetation and soil physical, chemical and productivity
properties.
Achievements:
Among all activities of this group
there are many reports and more than 10 articles published in
scientific- research magazines including the Quarterly Iranian
Journal of Forest and Polar Research (IJFPR).
◊
Socio-Economic Issues
and Forest Utilization Research Division
Duties:
Investigation
and study social and economical structure and their role in
natural resources destruction,
Investigating various methods of
human cooperation in conservation issue,
Utilization and development of forest
resources,
Investigating the effects of
livestock and human invasion on forest vegetation structure and
transformations,
Investigation on the fuel wood
replacing method and its effect with other energy sources,
Economical investigation of different
techniques of seed and seedling production and plantation in site,
Investigation on the improvement
techniques of forest trees utilization,
Investigation on best utilization
methods in natural and man made forests,
Investigating damages caused by
silvicultural methods,
Investigation and determining the best utilization methods in
silviculture,
Investigating the turnover in
utilization systems and selecting appropriate system in various
condition,
Study the technical issues in road
construction and appropriate methods for conservation and side
roads stabilization.
Projects:
Investigation on current methods and
determining the most economical way of seed collection, seedling
production and transformation to sites of essential broadleaved
species in northern forests.
Designing Socio-economical pattern of
Vaz research forest.
Determining effective factors on
implementing natural resources projects in Research Institute of
Forest and Rangelands.
Investigating the effects of managing
forest livestock decline program and clonizing forest inhabitants
in sustainable development of Abrize Astrachay basin.
Investigating effective parameters in
Zagros natural resources management.
Soil survey for wood transport by GIS
system in Vaz research forest.
Research project on natural resources
optimum management in Caspian Sea watershed area.
Investigating potential facilities in
order to develop interior villages in Vaz research forest focusing
on pressure decrease on natural resources lands.
A study on road transportation
network of forest products and selecting proper machinery in Vaz
research forest
The
main strategy of this research group is based on close to nature Silviculture and treatment of forest trees and stands, taking into
account their natural structure and requirements. 
Study
and investigation on different forestry techniques in quantitative
production,
Typical
Research Projects:
Determination
of best methods on collection time and storage of seeds and
necessary treatment for planting,
Projects:
Investigation
on forest soil types identification and mapping
Projects:
Investigation
and study social and economical structure and their role in
natural resources destruction,
Projects: