Dynamic interchange between floristic composition and industrial pollution: an ecological perspective

UJALA EJAZ; SHUJAUL MULK KHAN; ABDULLAH; SADIA JEHANGIR; NOOR HUSSAIN CHANDIO; QURAT-UL-AIN; RABIA AFZA; ZARRIN FATIMA RIZVI; NOREEN KHALID

doi:10.30848/PJB2024-6(29)

The distribution of plants over the earth's surface is not even or random but follows a particular geographical pattern. The variation in the floristic composition of plants can be attributed to various environmental factors. The current study was conducted in Sialkot, Pakistan, a prominent industrial hub of the country, to assess the impact of industrial pollution on floristic composition. Vegetation was sampled using standard quantitative ecological techniques. A total of 150 quadrats were established across three sites based on pollution gradient. The soil samples from each quadrat were examined using standard laboratory techniques to assess various physicochemical parameters and the concentration of heavy metals. The collected data were analyzed using PCORD and CANOCO software. Our findings indicate that this region exhibits a diverse range of plants from twenty-eight phytogeographic regions, highlighting its rich biodiversity. The most dominant phytogeographic elements were Cosmopolitan (13.3%), followed by Tropical (10.7%) in contrast, the least dominant ones were Western Himalayan, Sub-cosmopolitan, SinoJapanese, sub-Himalayan, Indo-Chinese, etc., each represented by one member. Poaceae was the dominant family represented by 19 species (13%), followed by Asteraceae 18 (13%). We observed that floristic diversity decreased as we moved from a less polluted area to a more polluted area. In addition, local residents of the region dispose of cow dung and other household waste along the study region. This adds organic matter and heavy pollutants, coupled with industrial waste, to the environment and has a crucial impact on the distribution of phytogeographic elements in this region. Therefore, we believe industrial pollution has a remarkable role in the distribution of phytogeographic elements. It is suggested that Irano-Turanian and Tropical elements distributed in our study should be protected because of their narrow geographic range.