Tending the young Oak Coppice in the coppice of lorestan in order sprouts to reduction

Due to human interferences, Oak (Quercus brantii var. persica) forests of Lorestan province have changed from High forest to coppice form, so that the coppice form is seldom seem in the region. This condition has caused decrease of soil fertility status and in crease the rate of water erosion. Reversing the direction (changing oak forests from coppice to High forest), if possible, is a good way of increasing sustainability of forest ecosystems. For this purpose, a 4 years experiment was carried out in oak forests of chegeni region (Lorestan province) since 2003. the experiment consisted of 4 treatments (different methods of shoot cutting). The treatments were increasing cutting (18, 22, 28 and 32 percaut of shoots were cut during 4 years), decreasing cutting (32, 28, 22 and 18 percent of shoots were cut during 4 years), traditional treatment (cutting all the shoots except one) and check (control) treatment (without any cutting of shoots). The area of each treatment was 0.5-1 hectar of uniform oak coppice forest on gently sloping lands which can be changed to arable lands through forest cutting. For each cutting treatment, 100 coppice shoots were selected randomly. Quantitative and Quantitative characteristics of coppices were dermined after treating the different rale of cutting in the first year of experiment. Soil physiochemical properties were also determined into the understorey and outside it. The same characteristics of coppices and soil were determined again after 4 years. «Spss» softwere was used for statistical analysis and mean comparison of data. Results showed that from the view point of crown height increment, the traditional treatment (with 164.6 cm) is prefered to other treatments. The mean height increment of decreasing cutting treatment is more (52.1 cm) than other treatments. The mean diameter increment of these two treatments is nearly equal (1.3-1.4cm) and more than other treatments. From the view point of seedling condition and litter are the traditional and control (check) treatments were regulary prefered to other treatments. The effects of treatments on the soil properties could not be evaluated because of very low duration of experiment.