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STATUS OF PLANT DIVERSITY AT KUFRI (SOONE VALLEY) PUNJAB, PAKISTAN AND PREVAILING THREATS THEREIN

KAFEEL AHMAD¹*, ZAFAR IQBAL KHAN¹, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF², MUMTAZ HUSSAIN², MUHAMMAD IBRAHIM³ AND EHSAN ELAHI VALEEM⁴

Abstract: To examine the species composition in the Soone Valley, Punjab, Pakistan, the Kufri site was selected on the basis of some ecological attributes i.e., topography, soil type and the nature of prevailing disturbances. Data regarding the composition of plant diversity revealed that among the woody leguminous plants Acacia modesta was the most commonly occurring species. Propsopis juliflora occurred very commonly and formed mono-species stands, while Dalbergia sissoo was absent altogether. Among the herbaceous weedy legumes Medicago polymorpha and Melilotus indica were commonly found during the winter seasons. At higher altitudes Olea ferruginea formed a good association with Acacia modesta. Throughout the examined site, Dodonaea viscosa and Justicia adhatoda occurred very abundantly, because both species had resistance for grazing and fuel needs. Cutting of woody plants and shrubs for fuel purposes and their lopping for grazing the domestic animals are the two major threats to the entire local vegetation in this valley. Accidental fires caused by careless honey hunters also, sometimes become uncontrollable and wipe out most of the vegetation to a large extent.

¹Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.

²Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad -38040, Pakistan.

³University College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.

⁴Department of Botany, Govt. Degree Sci. & Com. College Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Block VII, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi-75300, Pakistan.

*Corresponding author: kafeeluaf@yahoo.com