Application of Modern Technologies for Saving Hycanian Forest

According to FRWO’s website, Eighteenth session of Sustainable Management of Hycanian Forest Working Group chaired by Khosrow Shahbazi, Acting Head of FRWO was held at FRWO Headquarters on Saturday with the agenda of application of modern technologies in natural resources management and progress report of Buxus Rescue Plan.

In this meeting, Dr. Shahbazi referring to human resource shortage in FRWO stressed the need for application of modern technologies to address challenges in forest sector due to its vital ecosystem functions.

He said: “We are facing with challenges in protecting the Hyrcanian forests, including forest fires, pest and diseases and illegal logging that among other factors disrupt forest management system in the region.” He added that the application of modern technologies in the fields of early warning and monitoring systems must be developed as a part of our management system in the Hyrcanian forests.

In the meeting, a progress report of Buxus Rescue Plan (BRP) implementation was presented including site selection, application of fungicides in pilot areas, vitality and health of defoliated trees in Golestan, Mazandaran and Guilan provinces and physical progress of gene bank establishment. The report also added that the application of fungicides approved by the Institute of Plant Protection has proved effective in vitality and germination process of box-trees in the pilot areas. 

Abbasali Nobakht, Deputy for Forestry Affairs, also thanked the close collaboration of research institutes and said that FRWO is taking all measures to save box-trees in the region.

Nebokht added that for this purpose, a buxus seed center is established at the Claude Amol station to produce elite species for plantation operation in selected sites.