Performance of planted maple In Western Guilan Province, Iran

The success of planted Acer velutinum was investigated in western Guilan Province, Iran. This region had been reforested in 1985.The study was carried out in the autumn of 2003 using the full callipering method. The goal of this paper is to review the maple plantation, in order to present a background that is useful for an ecological evaluation of the maple plantations in Iranian forests. Some quantity and quality factors about bole and crown were evaluated. The resistance of maple to difficult conditions including irregular cutting, and fire and full sun make this species highly valuable for plantations. This study showed that, after a period of 21 years, maple is suitable for plantations on the Caspian Sea flat area and the slopes of the Alborz Mountains, and can financially compete with other endemic and exotic species