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STUDIES ALONG AN ALTITUDINAL GRADIENT IN MONOTHECA BUXIFOLIA (Falc.) A.D, FOREST, DISTRICT LOWER DIR, PAKISTAN

NASRULLAH KHAN^*, MOINUDDIN AHMED, MUHAMMAD WAHAB, MUHAMMAD AJAIB² AND SYED SADRUDDIN HUSSAIN

Abstract: The present paper is about the species composition, diversity, equitability, richness and concentration of dominance of tree species along an altitudinal gradient of District Dir Lower Hindukush range of Pakistan. A total of 15 stands in Monotheca buxifolia (Falc.) A.D forests were analyzed at an elevation of 1370m to 1670m asl. The vegetation analysis showed that a total of six tree species existed and Monotheca buxifolia emerged as dominant tree species on all locations with IVI ranging between 62% to 100%. Olea ferruginea and Acacia modesta were reported in four stands as a second dominant species. At two locations Quercus baloot and Punica granatum were associated species with 14% and 35% of importance value respectively. Ficus palmata was notably found as a rare species in the study area. The total density ranged between 110 tree/ha^-1 to 304 tree/ha^-1. Species diversity was ranged 0 to 0.36 and maximum diversity was reported at the elevation of 1370m and 1555m asl. Concentration of dominance and equitability values in some stands 1 to 1.70 were relatively high due to the presence of single species in the forests. 

Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Dendrochronology, Department of Botany, Federal Urdu University Gulshan-e-Iqbal Campus, Karachi-75300, Pakistan

²Department of Botany, GC University of Lahore, Pakistan