The Effect of Forest Trees Group Cutting on Accumulation, Density and Temperature of Snow (Case Study: Kheiroud Forest Research Station) in Iran

Abstract

The tree cutting in the forests can affect different environmental aspects such as snow accumulation, density and temperature. This phenomenon was investigated in the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests (Namkhaneh seris, Kheiroud, Mazandaran province, Iran) from year 2001 up to 2005. A region with tree cutting was compared with region without any cutting (control). For measuring snow accumulation, 10 pickets in each region were installed and snow height was measured every 5 days. For determining the density, sampling was done with 500 cm 3 sampler from different snow depths every 5 days. Finally, snow temperature was measured at different depths with thermometer. The results indicate that the average of snow density in cutting region and control region are 0.178 gr/cm 3 and 0.151gr/cm 3 , respectively and there is not any significant difference between them. Also decreasing in canopy due to tree cutting has a significant relation with snow accumulation and its depth. Also, the average snow height in control region was 13.88 cm and after cutting increased to 21.15 cm. Snow temperature increasing is significantly related to the decreasing in canopy. Therefore, the average snow temperature in control region is-3.3°C , which decreases to-10.3°C by cutting the trees.