PJB-2010-245
IMPACT OF SALINITY ON SPECIES ASSOCIATION AND PHYTOSOCIOLOGY OF HALOPHYTIC PLANT COMMUNITIES IN THE CHOLISTAN DESERT, PAKISTAN
NARGIS NAZ1, MANSOOR HAMEED1*, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF13, MUHAMMAD ARSHAD2 AND M. SAJID AQEEL AHMAD1
Abstract
Five distinct habitats in the Cholistan desert were explored for phytoecological attributes and species association. Community structure and distributional pattern of the species was mainly dependent on the salinity gradient. Relatively more salt tolerant species viz., Sporobolus ioclados with Aeluropus lagopoides, Haloxylon recurvum and Suaeda fruticosa were the dominant components of highly saline sites, whereas, moderately saline habitats supported less tolerant species Fagonia indica, Cymbopogon jwarancusa and Ochthochloa compressa. The distributional pattern of individual species was affected by the salinity level of the habitats. The association of the species was dependent on the degree of salinity tolerance of individual species. Relatively high salt tolerant species like A. lagopoides, S. ioclados, S. fruticosa, and H. recurvum, showed a broad range of association as compared to the moderately salt tolerant species.
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