Vladimir Tomov

Department of parks and landscape construction, University of Forestry, 10 Kliment Ohridski
Blvd., 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: vladimirtomov@ltu.bg

Four-year-old container Norway maple seedlings were forced in a glasshouse and were shaded.
Etiolation of the shoots, as well as banding their base with black electric tape, was used in
order to increase the rooting ability of the softwood cuttings. IBA as a 0.8 % powder was used for
root stimulation. Both methods and the combination of them resulted in high percentage of rooted
cuttings, but those which were only etiolated stroke faster and developed a better rooting system.
Further research with mature genotypes can be included in future studies.

Vahid Etemad (1) and Kiomars Sefidi (2)*

1. Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. E-mail: Etemad@ut.ac.ir
2. Faculty of Agriculture and Natural resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
*E-mail: kiomarssefidi@gmail.com

Mast-seeding behaviour of tree species has a key role in regeneration of plant populations.
Seed production data were collected from 360 sampling plots to identify environmental factors
influencing beech masting in the old-growth beech stands in the north of Iran. The mean seed
number per m2 was 4687 ± 164 in the study sites. Seed production significantly correlated with
tree diameter, height and crown diameter. In relation to the site properties the highest seeding
recorded was close to the parent in the lower altitude and north facing slopes. The canonical
correspondence analysis revealed that seed production correlated with first canonical axis, reflecting
the soil nutrition including N, C, Cu, Ca, Fe, and Br. Results revealed that beech masting
is affected by the amount of organic C, P, Fe, and Ca content of soil. Seed production varied from
tree to tree, and site to site, and quantitative analyses in relation to both environmental factors
and seed tree dimension showed a highly complex interplay of factors dictating seed production
across the forest stands.

Gradimir Gruychev

Department of Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry, University of Forestry, 10 Kliment
Ohridski Blvd., 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: gradi.val@gmail.com

The distribution and density of Coypu were researched in the downstream of the Maritsa
River. Twenty-four new localities were found, twenty of them are situated along the Maritsa River.
Three more new localities were found in ponds near the researched area. The average density
was 3.4±2.3 (0-8 ind./9.6 km) - 0.35 ind./km. The average size of the social groups was 1.6±0.9
(1-4 ind.; n=42) from the Maritsa River and 2.4±0.99 (1-4 ind.; n=12) in the other three new localities
in the ponds. An invasion of Coypu in the downstream of the Maritsa River is observed.