PJB-2011-197
CANONICAL CORRESPONDENCE ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIPS OF ROADSIDE VEGETATION TO ITS EDAPHIC FACTORS: A CASE STUDY OF LAHORE-ISLAMABAD MOTORWAY (M-2)
SHEIKH SAEED AHMAD*
Abstract
A survey of roadside vegetation and soils along Lahore-Islamabad motorway (M-2) was undertaken and the data were subjected to Canonical Correspondence Analysis to investigate the vegetation structure and its relationships to the selected edaphic variables. In addition, the patterns of plant species distribution in the whole study area and its different regions were also determined. CCA ordination was performed on a matrix containing % age cover value for all species (n = 227 species) on 397 sampled plots. This relationship was determined by ordination analysis. The environmental variables selected for analysis were organic matter, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, total nitrogen and trace elements like lead, zinc, nickel, cadmium, chromium and iron. In CCA analysis of all the quadrats, chromium, zinc, lead, nickel, sodium and potassium were the most important variables influencing the quadrats distribution. The study also provides basic information for the implementation of conservation oriented planning and management to preserve and improve the road verges of M-2.
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