Permaculture: Smart Growth Strategies for Juniper Forest

Permaculture creates an integrated system by incorporating those parameters which are often viewed as separate entities such as smart growth, low-impact development, habitat protection, complete streets, and other initiatives. Its gives better planning options and give policies a line of coherence and directions which provides basis for the real concept of sustainability. Presently in Pakistan, forest management policies suffer from a number of drawbacks and especially the Juniper forests in Pakistan are under constant pressure due to natural as well as anthropogenic pressures. To conserve the Juniper Forest Ecosystem a proposed Smart Growth Strategies based on Permaculture’s principles are designed to protect the Ziarat Juniper Forest that offers an unequivocal vision and strategy to gain valid sustainability in forest management.

Phytocenoses Involved With Juniperus foetidissima Willd. on the Territory of Paradash in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic

The article presents the role and phytocenological features of the Foetid Juniper (Juniperus foetidissima Willd.) species in the sparse juniper forest of Paradash Massif in the Julfa District. According to the used literature and our researches, plants with bare seeds in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic are represented by 2 Divisions, 2 Classes, 3 Orders, 3 Families, 7 Genera and 13 Species, 7 of which are related to the cultural flora. According to research in sparse juniper forests in the Paradash Massif, there were not found Species belongin to Pinaceae Adans. Family, but 2 Species of Juniperus L. Genera of Cupressaceae S. F. Gray Family, and only one species named Ephedra procera Fisch. et C. A. Mey. Belonging to the Ephedraceae Dumort family was determined. The dominant Species of the tree tier is Juniperus foetidissima Willd., and the subdominant Species is Pyrus salicifolia Pall. — whenever Juniperus polycarpos C. Koch, together with the willow-leafed pear are multi-fruited Species of Juniper. Counting of the height indicators according to the steps and determination of the trunk diameter of the Juniper tree on the territory of Paradash were given in the counting tables. All formations and associations of phytocenoses in a rocky biotope were discovered and presented.

Socioeconomic Development in Balochistan

Balochistan has witnessed rapid social change since the 1970s. These changes were augmented by the national and international political situation. The traditional, tribal, and largely pastoral nomadic society of Balochistan gradually transformed into a modernizing agrarian society. On 1st July 1970, when ‘One Unit' was dissolved, Balochistan gained the status of a province and the bureaucratic expansion required educated work force. Thus, the Government of Pakistan expanded educational facilities in Balochistan, but this expansion continued at a very slow pace. Unfortunately, Balochistan is still the most backward province in terms of socioeconomic development in Pakistan. Though, it is the largest province in Pakistan, almost 44% of Pakistan's total area. It also possesses one of the largest blocks of juniper forests in the world. Along with it, Balochistan is rich in biodiversity and possess natural resources in abundance, like copper, gold, lead, zinc, iron, coal, and marble. This article focuses on the various factors affecting the socioeconomic development in Balochistan.

Comparative Characteristics of the Greek Juniper (Juniperus excelsa Beieb.) Populations in the Southeastern Crimea

Population studies of a relic Mediterranean species Juniperus excelsa Bieb. in the southeastern Crimea were conducted. We laid out test plots in such sites of the region: Semidvorje (a natural landmark of local significance); Kanaka (a botanical reserve of national significance); Novy Svet (a botanical reserve of national significance); Kiziltash (a natural landmark having no any conservation status); Karadag (a state nature reserve). The density of Greek juniper populations is approximately similar, varying within 400–500 plants/ha. We have estimated age structure, age index and regeneration index of studied populations. They are dominated by normal left-sided age spectra. It has been established that the current level of recreational load does not pose a threat to the existence of juniper communities: the intensity of natural regeneration is rather high. However, the threats for juniper forests may be a reduction their area due to the construction of new resort facilities and their infrastructure, as well as illegal tree cutting.

Efficiency of sector sampling for estimating juniper forest attributes vs. fixed area plot

Juniper forests grow in mountain areas and many difficulties are encountered in their sampling. Sector sampling as an unbiased and cost-effective method was tested for the sampling of a 12.5-ha juniper forest. To begin with, a point-map of trees was created and 50 quadrats were determined systematically. Fixed area plots were measured within these 50 × 50 m quadrats. In each quadrat, eight sectors with 45° angle were determined. One-sector and two-sector scenarios randomly besides four-sector scenario systematically were conducted. Accuracy and precision of sampling methods were compared. Also, statistical analysis was conducted to compare sector sampling scenarios with fixed area plot (FAP) and real data. Results showed that four-sector scenario estimates were close to FAP method in precision and accuracy. Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference between sector sampling scenarios and FAP and in real data. But in correlation analysis only the four-sector scenario could compete with FAP method. Regarding consumed time and sampling error simultaneously, the efficiency of sector sampling was higher than that of FAP method for estimating density and close to FAP method for estimating crown cover. It can be concluded that in laborious situations such as in juniper forests, sector sampling can be competitive with FAP method with noticeable parsimony. But more study is still needed to decrease sampling error and optimize sector angle with the purpose of cost saving.