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THE HUDIARA DRAIN WASTEWATER EFFECT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF SURROUNDING HERBACEOUS VEGETATION

F.R. SHAH^1*, N. AHMAD¹, D.M. ZAHID², K.R. MASOOD³  AND S.S. AHMAD⁴,

Abstract: In this study, phytosociological survey using Braun-Blanquet’s approach was undertaken to investigate the Hudiara drain wastewater influence on the surrounding vegetation. A total of 99 quadrats were laid to identify the plant species and altogether 66 species were recorded. Multivariate analysis of vegetation data (using CANOCO 4.5. software) classified the vegetation into two major communities including Cynodon dactylon, Boerhaavia diffusa, Parthenium hysterphorus and Xanthium strumarium groups. The presence of these species designated the area as waste land strongly supporting the growth of such species. The pattern of floral diversity was also not uniform and exhibited considerable variation. Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed that the distribution of vegetation has correlation with environmental variables, but their role in the grouping of species remained non significant. However, soil EC played some role in the grouping of Stellaria media and Fagonia cretic. Similarly, some species viz., Ricinus communis, Boerhaavia diffusa and Phragmites karka showed a correlation with Fe and Cr respectively, suggesting Phragmites karka as a suitable candidate for chromium contaminated sites.

¹Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Pakistan.

²University College of Agriculture, B.Z. University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan, Email: dinmuhammadzahid@bzu.edu.pk

³Department of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Pakistan.

⁴Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University,

Rawalpindi, 46000, Pakistan.

*Corresponding author E-mail: fazalshah1@yahoo.com