Pregermination Treatment and Germination Characteristics of Oriental Beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) in the Caspian Region

Oriental beech is one of the most important tree species in the Caspian region that regeneratesnaturally.Seed pretreatment plays an important role in beech reforestation .For this reason the seeds ofthree different provenances; Gilan (Asalem), Nowshahr (Makarood), Gorgan (Cheshmeh gholgholy),across the Caspian region, were collected and after viability test (TTC) placed under cold stratification(for 8-19 weeks) to overcome dormancy. The results have shown that pregermination treatments haddesirable effects on seed germination. There were significant variations between three origins anddifferent treatment duration and germination characterstics. The Nowshahr and Gilan origins showedmore similarity.