Vegetation classification of the margalla foothills, islamabad under the influence of edaphic factors and anthropogenic activities using modern ecological tools | [Pakistan Journal of Botany • 2021]

Author(s):

1. MAJID IQBAL: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan; Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2. SHUJAUL MULK KHAN: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan; Member Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Islamabad

3. ZEESHAN AHMAD: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan

4. MURTAZA HUSSAIN: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan

5. SYED NASAR SHAH: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan

6. SAQIB KAMRAN: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan

7. FAZAL MANAN: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan

8. ZAHOOR UL HAQ: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan; Department of Botany, SBBU Sharingal Dir, Pakistan

9. SAIF ULLAH: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract:

The Margalla Hills falls in moist subtropical ecosystem with rich floristic diversity. Frequent field trips were conducted to record the floristic and ecological characteristics of vegetation. A total of 360 quadrats were laid down along 12 transects (8 on dry and 4 on the foothills' wet sites). Quadrat size was kept 10 x 10 m2, 5 x 5 m2 and 1x1 m2 for trees, shrubs and herbs, respectively. Phytosociological attributes were determined for each plant species. Cluster, Two-way Cluster and Indicator Species Analyses of PCORD Version 5 were used to classify potential Landscape types and their respective indicators. Canonical Corresponding Analyses (CCA) and Detrented Corresponding Analyses (DCA) analyses were applied using CANOCO software to determine the significant effect of various environmental and edaphic variables on indicator species distribution patterns. Preliminary, a total of 187 plant species were recorded belong to 57 families. The topmost dominant families were Poaceae (27 species), followed by Leguminosae (17 species), Lamiaceae (11 species) and Moraceae (8 species). Therophytes (40%) followed by Phanerophytes (28%) were the region's dominant life forms. Microphylls leaf form was dominant (38%), followed by Mesophylls (30%). Six landscape types were identified after the Cluster Analysis with Sorenson distance measurements in the region. Environmental gradient analyses showed that the low potassium concentration, higher electrical conductivity, moderate organic matter, clay loam soil condition, anthropogenic activities, and grazing pressures significantly affect plant species distribution, composition, abundance, and different landscape type formation and their respective indicators.

Page(s): 1831-1843

DOI: 10.30848/PJB2021-5(22)

Published: Journal: Pakistan Journal of Botany, Volume: 53, Issue: 5, Year: 2021

Keywords:

Anthropogenic activities , Subtropical vegetation , Landscape , Indicators , Life form , Leaf spectra , Margalla foothill , Edaphic factors

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