Author(s): Bahar Mammadova | Elman Iskender | Sabina Jafarzadeh | Leyla
Mustafayeva | Gulnar Mesimzade
Published: Apr 15 2026
Keywords:
Eastern Zangezur; forest phytocoenosis; biogroup method; stand density; biometric
indicators; intra-specific competition; Azerbaijan
ABSTRACT
Forest stand density and spatial distribution are fundamental determinants of ecosystem structure
and productivity; however, their dynamics in artificially established biogroup plantations in the
South Caucasus remain insufficiently studied. This study investigates the structural characteristics
of forest phytocoenoses established using the biogroup method in the Zangilan district of the
Eastern Zangezur region during the 2024–2025 field research period. Three sample plots (each 1
ha) were established, and the forest phytocoenosis was examined based on biometric indicators of
trees in central rows, trees in edge rows, and ground vegetation cover. The number of biogroups
per hectare ranged from 210 to 240, with maximum stand density (up to 5,000 plants/ha) recorded
in 13–15-year-old stands. In the central parts of the biogroups, 25-year-old trees had a mean stem
diameter of 8.7 cm and a mean height of 7.9 m. Tree mortality was most intensive during the first
decade of growth. Maximum standard deviation for diameter was recorded in 25-year-old stands
(δ = 2.9 cm); minimum deviation was observed in 5-year-old biogroups (δ = 1.0 cm). Coefficients of
variation for diameter (41–43%) exceeded those for height (30–33%), indicating greater variability in
radial than in vertical growth. These findings confirm that intra-specific competition is most intense
in younger biogroups and provide a scientific basis for optimising stand density in sustainable forest
management of the Eastern Zangezur region.