Quercus Brantii Lindl Research Articles

Comparison of Height Distribution Functions of Brant's Oak (Quercus Brantii Lindl) in Two Sites with Vegetative Forms Coppice with Standard and Standard with Coppice

Comparison of Height Distribution Functions of Brant's Oak (Quercus Brantii Lindl) in Two Sites with Vegetative Forms Coppice with Standard and Standard with Coppice

Climatic variables are more effective on the spatial distribution of oak forests than land use change across their historical range.

The current research is conducted to model the effect of climate change and land use change (LUC) on the geographical distribution of Quercus brantii Lindl. (QB) forests across their historical range. Forecasting was done based on six general circulation models under RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 future climate change scenarios for the future years 2050 and 2070. In order to model the species distribution, different modeling methods were used. The results indicated that, in general, climatic variables had a higher influence on the distribution of QB than land use-related attributes. The mean diurnal range (bio2), the precipitation seasonality (bio15), and the mean temperature of the driest quarter (bio9) were the main predictors in the distribution of QB forests, while land use variables were less important in oak species distribution. The GBM, MaxEnt, and RF had higher accuracy and performance in modeling species distribution. The outputs also showed that in the current climate circumstances, 97,608.81 km2 of the studied area has high desirability for the presence of QB, and by 2070, under the pessimistic scenario, 96.29% of these habitats will be lost under the concomitant effect of LUC and climate change. By using the results of this research, it is possible to predict and identify the effective factors in changing the habitat of this oak species with more certainty. Based on the insights obtained from the results of such studies, the protection and restoration planning of the habitat of this key species, which supports diverse species, will be provided more efficiently.

Sustainable biodiesel production from wild oak (Quercus brantii Lindl) oil as a novel and potential feedstock via highly efficient Co@CuO nanocatalyst: RSM optimization and CI engine assessment

The nanostructured Co@CuO heterogeneous catalyst was synthesized through the sol-gel route for biodiesel generation from Quercus brantii Lindl oil (QBLO) as a novel feedstock. The surface features of Co@CuO nanocatalysts were scrutinized using several approaches including XRD, FTIR, Raman, TGA, EDX/mapping, FESEM, TEM, and BET. The characterization outcomes illustrated that the Co element was successfully incorporated into the CuO structure. The response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD) were utilized to optimize transesterification variables. The highest biodiesel yield using prepared Co@CuO nanoparticle was obtained at 95.75% under optimum situations; methanol to QBLO ratio 10.08:1 mol/mol, reaction temperature: 59.73 °C, and nanocatalyst dosage: 2.88 wt%. The reusability appraisal displayed that the Co@CuO heterogeneous nanocatalyst can be exceptionally reused for 7 rounds (yield of 84.32%). Kinetic and thermodynamic analysis revealed that the transesterification reaction is first-order and endothermic. Moreover, the activation energy for biodiesel synthesis utilizing Co@CuO nanocatalyst was attained at 42.06 kJ mol−1. The compression ignition (CI) engine examination outcomes reveal that the rich oxygen quantity of biodiesel causes substantial improvements in performance and emission, mainly in the B20 blend (20% biodiesel+ 80% diesel). This research presents QBLO and Co@CuO nanocatalyst as a novel and potential incorporation for biodiesel production.

Study of Climate Change on the Structure and Decline of Persian Oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in Zagros Ecosystems (Case study: Forests of Gilan-e-Gharb County)

Study of Climate Change on the Structure and Decline of Persian Oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in Zagros Ecosystems (Case study: Forests of Gilan-e-Gharb County)

Species distribution models of Brant's oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.): The impact of spatial database on predicting the impacts of climate change

Investigating the correlation between environmental variables and species distribution should be performed using data acquired from appropriate spatial scales to meet adaptive management requirements in a changing environment. This research aimed to model the influence of climate change on the spatial distribution of Brant’s oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) via presence data acquired from local (Ilam province, western Iran), regional (Zagros ecoregion), and global (whole distribution extent of Brant’s oak) extents. To project the potential habitat of Brant's oak, general circulation models (CCSM4, HADGEM2-ES, BCC-CSM1–1 and GISS-E2-R) under the 2.6 and 8.5 representative concentration pathways (RCP) for 2050 and 2070 were used. To model the distribution of Brant’s oak, artificial neural network (ANN), random forest (RF), generalized linear model (GLM), and maximum entropy (MaxEnt) were compared. To validate the models, random-holdback cross-validation, whereby 80% of the data was randomly selected to calibrate the model and the remaining 20% was used to validate the models, was carried out. The results revealed that enhancing the modeling extent increased the accuracy of the model; hence, a model trained using the global dataset performed better than local and regional datasets. In all three geographical extents, RF and MaxEnt had the best performance in modeling the spatial distribution range of Brant’s oak. The main predictors of Brant’s oak distribution were different in local, regional, and global models. The mean temperature of driest quarter (bio9), at the local extent; precipitation of wettest month (bio13), at the regional extent; and temperature annual range (bio7), at the global extent were the most important climatic variables. The findings also indicated that the potential habitat of Brant’s oak will decline in the future under climate change scenarios (i.e., RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5) and across all three geographical extents compared to the current habitat. Using the findings of this study, it is possible to identify the suitable habitats of Brant's oak forests with more certainty and take measures to manage and protect them.

Comparison of variability in leaves and roots nutrient contents of Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in drought affected declining forests

Drought-induced crown dieback depends on plant nutrient status. This research examined the leaves and roots nutrients of Persian oak trees (Quercus brantii Lindl.) under the effects of drought and tree decline. The leaves and roots of oak trees were sampled randomly on the four main sides of their crown to analyze the N, P, K, Ca, and Mg. In healthy and declining trees, the N, P, and K content in the leaves was higher than in the roots, while the Ca content in the leaves was lower than in roots. The N and P in the roots of healthy trees had decreasing temporal changes, but these elements did not have significant temporal changes in the roots of declining trees. Leaf P showed decreasing temporal changes. The temporal decrease of root N and P and leaf P showed a negative effect of drought on Persian oak trees by reducing their ability to absorb water and nutrients and transfer them to their leaves. The higher concentration of elements in the leaves of oak trees, in addition to showing the decrease in the absorption of elements by the roots from the soil, can indicate a protective mechanism of oak trees against drought stress.

Adaptive mechanism in Quercus brantii Lindl. leaves under climatic differentiation: morphological and anatomical traits

Leaf traits, which vary across different climatic conditions, can reveal evolutionary changes within a species made to adapt to the environment. Leaf traits play major roles in a plant functions under varying climatic conditions. To examine adaptive modes and mechanisms applied by plants in different climates, we analyzed leaf morphology and anatomical structures in Quercus brantii in the Zagros forests, Western Iran. The plants adapted to the environmental differences with increased dry matter content in a Mediterranean climate, and increasing leaf length, specific leaf area, stomata length (SL), stomata width, stomatal density (SD), stomatal pore index (SPI), trichome length, and width in a sub-humid climate; trichome density was increased in a semi-arid climate. There were strong, positive correlations between SPI with SL and SD. Correlations for other leaf traits were weakly significant. Such morphological and anatomical plasticity probably leads to lower transpiration rates, control of internal temperature and water status, and improved photosynthetic capability under stressing conditions. These findings provide new insights into the adaptive strategies of plants to environmental changes at the morphological and anatomical levels.

Adaptive plasticity of morphological and anatomical traits of Brant’s oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) leaves under different climates and elevation gradients

The morphological and anatomical characteristics of leaves are sensitive and adaptable to environmental changes. Determining eco-physiological patterns of leaf characteristics along elevational gradients allows for a better understanding and prediction of how plants might respond to climate change. In this work, the ecological adaptation mechanisms related to morphological and anatomical characteristics of Brant’s oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) leaves were studied at three elevation classes (low, middle, and high) in two different Mediterranean and subhumid climates in Zagros forests in western Iran. There were no significant changes in leaf length, although the leaf-specific area was higher at low and middle elevations in subhumid climates. In addition, stomata length, width, density, and stomatal pore index were higher in the upper elevations of subhumid climate than in the Mediterranean climate. At low and middle elevations, dry matter content was higher at sites from the Mediterranean climate. The results of plasticity indices showed that individuals of Q. brantii from middle-elevation sites exhibited greater plasticity than those from low and high-elevation sites. Overall, Q. brantii, the dominant oak species in Zagros forests, appears to respond to elevational and environmental changes, suggesting that leaves can adapt to these changes through morphological and anatomical traits. These results provide new insights into the environmental adaptation strategies of plants at the morphological and anatomical levels against climate change.

Modeling Climate Change Effects on the Distribution of Oak Forests with Machine Learning

The present study models the effect of climate change on the distribution of Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in the Zagros forests, located in the west of Iran. The modeling is conducted under the current and future climatic conditions by fitting the machine learning method of the Bayesian additive regression tree (BART). For the anticipation of the potential habitats for the Persian oak, two general circulation models (GCMs) of CCSM4 and HADGEM2-ES under the representative concentration pathways (RCPs) of 2.6 and 8.5 for 2050 and 2070 are used. The mean temperature (MT) of the wettest quarter (bio8), solar radiation, slope and precipitation of the wettest month (bio13) are respectively reported as the most important variables in the modeling. The results indicate that the suitable habitat of Persian oak will significantly decrease in the future under both climate change scenarios as much as 75.06% by 2070. The proposed study brings insight into the current condition and further projects the future conditions of the local forests for proper management and protection of endangered ecosystems.

Synergistic use of biochar and the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in mitigating drought stress on oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) seedlings

The successful early establishment of seedlings is a challenging step for the management of forests in semi-arid regions, such as in the oak (Q. brantii) forests in western Iran. To address this challenge, we tested the separate and combined effects of different biofertilizers: we evaluated the influence of the application of biochar and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on the growth of oak seedlings subjected to water stress in controlled conditions. Two acorns were sown in a total of 216 pots distributed according to the following treatments: 3 water treatments (100, 75 and 50 % of field capacity), 4 biochar treatments (0, 1, 2 and 3 % of soil weight), 2 PGPR treatments (absence or presence) in 9 replicates. Biochar was derived from mistletoe (Loranthus europaeus), a widespread hemi-parasite plant in the studied oak forests. After emergence, a total of 20 ecophysiological, morphological and growth traits were measured on oak seedlings. We found that the interaction between irrigation, biochar and PGPR significantly influenced the ecophysiological attributes of the seedlings. Comparing application to non-application of PGPR, we found that chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate and biomass of shoots were respectively increased by 21, 50 and 19 % in the absence of water stress and by 54, 14 and 18 % under severe water stress conditions. Moderate biochar concentrations improved seedling growth and ecophysiological responses whereas the highest concentration of biochar had a detrimental effect. A PLS path model revealed the direct and indirect relationships between the treatments, the seedling morpho-physiological traits and the final variable of interest (total dry biomass). The model explained 78 % of the total variance and showed that the root growth indices (path coefficient = 0.665) had a significant direct effect on oak dry matter whereas this effect was reduced with shoot growth indices. We found that the use of moderate levels of biochar alone or in combination with PGPR can benefit oak seedling development in water-limited conditions but further studies are still needed to test the effectiveness and applicability of these treatments in field conditions.

The Effect of Different Levels of Decline on Leaf and Seed Morphological Characteristics of Quercus brantii Lindl. in the Zagros forests - Kermanshah Province

The Effect of Different Levels of Decline on Leaf and Seed Morphological Characteristics of Quercus brantii Lindl. in the Zagros forests - Kermanshah Province

Tree-ring-based seasonal temperature reconstructions and ecological implications of recent warming on oak forest health in the Zagros Mountains, Iran

Abrupt changes in temperature have especially strong impacts on fragile ecosystems located in semi-arid regions. In this study, we analyzed tree-ring widths (TRW) of Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens var. horizontalis) in the Zagros Mountains, Iran. Furthermore, we separately measured earlywood width (EWW) and latewood width (LWW) of Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) to examine if intra-annual resolution of tree-ring parameters of Q. brantii tree rings can be used as high-resolution paleoclimate proxies. Climate-growth relationships revealed that mean monthly maximum temperatures (Tmax) are a dominant factor determining radial tree growth and negatively affect both oak and cypress in the Zagros Mountains. Accordingly, we reconstructed two different seasonal windows of past Tmax variability, namely, January–March and June–August over the periods 1860–2015 and 1560–2015, respectively. Regime shift detection identified twelve warm and nine cold significant regime shifts in our summer Tmax reconstructions. The longest hot summer period occurred in the twentieth century, and two warm regime shifts occurred in 1999 and 2008. The highest values of the warm summer regime shift index occurred in 2008, which coincided with fungal pathogen attacks and insect outbreak of the oak leaf roller moth (Tortrix viridana L.) in the Zagros oak woodlands. Interestingly, we found common warm and cold periods in historic climate variability between the summer and winter Tmax reconstructions. Warm and cold regime shifts occurred simultaneously from 1955 to 2015, and significant regional warm summer and winter regime shifts have occurred between 2008 and 2015. The winter and summer Tmax reconstructions show high spatial correlations with large areas in West Asia, North Africa, and the eastern Mediterranean region. Our results strengthen initial studies on past climate variability in Iran and contribute to an enhanced understanding of past temperature variability in West Asia.

Viability Loss of Recalcitrant Brant’s Oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) Acorns during Overwintering

Viability Loss of Recalcitrant Brant’s Oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) Acorns during Overwintering

The effect of dust particles on the wettability of some native plants in Zagros Mountains, Iran

In recent years, in addition to pollution from cars, factories and other polluting devices, the country of Iran has been the destination of dust that have entered from Iraq and Saudi Arabia and caused pollution of the climate. In this research, the wettability of some native plants in Zagros Mountains has been investigated experimentally by measuring the contact angle. Sampling of oak trees of Quercus brantii Lindl. species was carried out around Khorramabad city, Nozhian waterfall, Chegheni city, and recreation area of Shoorab forest park. Forty samples of oak leaves, red mulberries of Morus rubra L. species and white mulberries of Morus alba L. species were randomly selected and the contact angle of the water drop on them was measured using a contact angle goniometer and also separately measured by Image J software. Under the influence of the dust, it was observed that the contact angle of the leaf area was completely eliminated, but the contact angle of the abaxial leaf surface had not changed; this change in the contact angle seem to be due to the loss of acylic cyst of the oak leaf caused by the disruption of the photosynthesis operation. Oak trees absorb contaminants. This problem eliminates leaf pores and dry leaves. Also, results show that the oak leaves are hydrophobic and have good resistance to drought. However, the presence of a lot of dust causes water droplets to spread completely on the oak leaves, thus reducing watering to the roots. As a result, dust reduces the resistance and resilience of oak trees against drought. Present study is very important for protection and monitoring of forest health and prevention of the reduction of plant species diversity.

The Effect of Spray Solution of Nutrition Elements on the amount of Macro Elements on Healthy and Drought Oak Trees (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in Monj Region of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province

The Effect of Spray Solution of Nutrition Elements on the amount of Macro Elements on Healthy and Drought Oak Trees (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in Monj Region of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province

Sulfur and Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils and Various Organs of Oak Trees (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in Zagros Forests: the Effect of a Gas Refinery

Sulfur and Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils and Various Organs of Oak Trees (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in Zagros Forests: the Effect of a Gas Refinery

Loranthus europaeus Jacq. infection alters leaves morphology and physiology of Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.)

Leafy mistletoes are semi-parasitic plants that have negative impacts on their hosts, but there is inadequate knowledge about the impacts of Loranthus europaeus Jacq. on Persian oak trees (Quercus brantii Lindl.). This study examined the impacts of L. europaeus Jacq. on morphological and physiological characteristics of Persian oak tree leaves in western Iran. A forested area infested with L. europaeus Jacq. was selected to study. Five infected and five healthy Persian oak trees were selected. Leaf samples were collected from the southern side of infected and healthy tree crowns to quantify and compare the leaf area, leaf weight, and concentrations of leaf minerals. The area and weight of leaves and the amount of leaf K, P, and Ca in healthy trees were statistically more than in infected trees. Leaf N, Mg, Mn, Zn, and Fe contents were not significantly different between healthy and infected trees. The higher amount of leaf area and weight in healthy trees suggested that they had a better growing status, which increased their leaf size and weight. The higher concentrations of K and P in healthy trees indicated their greater growth and resistance to stresses such as mistletoe. Thus, mistletoe causes physiological disorders and decreased growth in oak trees.

Using tree-ring width and earlywood vessel features to study the decline of Quercus brantii Lindl in Zagros forests of Iran

Using tree-ring width and earlywood vessel features to study the decline of Quercus brantii Lindl in Zagros forests of Iran

Regional Drought Conditions Control Quercus brantii Lindl. Growth within Contrasting Forest Stands in the Central Zagros Mountains, Iran

The magnitude and duration of ongoing global warming affects tree growth, especially in semi-arid forest landscapes, which are typically dominated by a few adapted tree species. We investigated the effect of climatic control on the tree growth of Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.), which is a dominant species in the Central Zagros Mountains of western Iran. A total of 48 stem discs was analyzed from trees at three sites, differing in local site and stand conditions (1326 to 1704 m a.s.l.), as well as the level and type of human impact (high human intervention for the silvopastoral site, moderate for the agroforestry site, and low for the forest site). We used principal component analysis (PCA) to investigate the common climatic signals of precipitation, air temperature, and drought (represented by SPEI 1 to 48 months) across the site chronologies. PC1 explains 83% of the total variance, indicating a dominant common growth response to regional climatic conditions that is independent of the local environmental conditions (i.e., forest stand density and land-use type). Growth–climate response analyses revealed that the radial growth of Q. brantii is positively affected by water availability during the growing season (r = 0.39, p < 0.01). Precipitation during April and May has played an ever-important role in oak growth in recent decades. Our study provides evidence that hydroclimatic conditions control tree-ring formation in this region, dominating the effects of topography and human impact. This finding highlights the great potential for combining historical oak samples and living trees from different forest stands in order to generate multi-centennial tree-ring-based hydroclimate reconstructions.

Drought Effects on Morpho-Physiological and Biochemical Traits in Persian Oak and Black Poplar Seedlings

In many arid and semi-arid regions, increasing water scarcity pushes woody species to their physiological limits, making strong drought resistance essential for adaptive forest management. Here, we examined morpho-physiological and biochemical drought responses of the forestry-relevant Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) and black poplar (Populus nigra L.). In a 120-day greenhouse pot experiment, seedlings were subjected to three watering regimes (FC100, FC60, and FC30, indicating percentages of field capacity). Under FC100 conditions, all biomass measures and the total and specific leaf area of oak were significantly greater compared to those of poplar. FC60-exposed poplar seedlings exhibited strong declines in relative water content (RWC; −33%) and carotenoids (−46%) and a surge in electrolyte leakage (EL; +51%), while these parameters did not change significantly in oak. Although both species showed 80% EL under FC30 conditions, poplar suffered more severe drought damage than oak as evidenced by a 65% lower survival, stronger reductions in RWC and total chlorophyll, as well as stronger increases in oxidative stress markers. Accordingly, poplar seedlings displayed a drought-related 56% decline in quality index while only statistically insignificant reductions occurred in oak seedlings. The superior drought resistance of oak seedlings implies economically more viable nursery production and better seedling establishment, suggesting a shift towards Persian oak-dominated forestry in its natural range under future climate projections.