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Karami A, Sefidi K, Feghhi J. 2014 . Landscape ecology as a new interdisciplinary science, concepts, theories and methods provides for evaluation and management of land. Quantification of landscape patterns has key role in the interpretation and modeling of spatial and chronically variation of land uses. This study carried out in the Zagros vegetative region in the west of Iran to quantify structure and spatial pattern of land uses and forest fragmentation in the Zagros Mountains region. The mosaic analysis method was used for quantifying landscape metrics. Totally 2783 land use patches were recorded in the study area. The most of the patches were agricultural area and the lowest number of patches recorded for rivers. Diversity indices analysis showed agricultural land use has highest diversity in comparing with other land uses. Rangeland use has distributed in the central region of the study area. Despite the high density agriculture and rangeland a lot of potentials there are two conversions this land as a sustainable ecosystem (forests, agriculture integrated, and rangelands), that can be by applying as an appropriate method in management and control policies and converting artificial land uses to the natural or semi natural land uses according to the advantages of such land uses in view of sustainability. We conclude that fragmentation of natural land uses such forest and rangelands should be reducing and maintain large patches of natural vegetation to sustainable land management in this region. . Structure and spatial pattern of land uses patches in the Zagros Mountains region in the west of

Undoubtedly, the regeneration and sustainability of forests are the most important aspects of sustainable forest management. The present study was conducted in Patam district, located in Kheyroud forest, Iran, and the regular regeneration of various plant species was evaluated in the region. The study of the regeneration was randomly regularly carried out by using a grid of 150 × 200 m and the sample plot with the area of 1.0 R (radius 1.8 m), provided by centre for sample plot. The highest rate of regeneration (seedlings) was observed in Carpinus betulus (50%), Acer insigne (23%), Fagus orientalis (10%), afforestation (6.2%), Acer cappadocicum (6%), Parrotia persica (2.8%), and Diospyros lotus (2%), respectively. In addition, 74 and 26% of the seedlings had height less than and more than 50 cm, respectively. Therefore, the studied region has proper conditions for regeneration in terms of the soil and mother trees. However, the number of the seedlings with height more than 50 cm is not above the normal range. In the studied region, regeneration coverage level, herbaceous species coverage level, and coverage level without sample plots were calculated to be 52, 41, and 7%, respectively. Considering the low rate of natural regeneration compared to similar forests and the habitat of the studied forest, the main causes in this regard could be the lack of mother trees, animal grazing, and the density of the forest floor vegetation. Therefore, the elimination of animal grazing and plantation operations are necessary for the improvement of regeneration.

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