PJB-2019-66
Floristic, frequency and vegetatio-biological spectra of Murree-Kotli Sattian-Kahuta National Park, Pakistan
Wasim Ahmed, Rahmatullah Qureshi and Muhammad Arshad
Abstract
Present study was aimed at documenting floristic, frequency and vegetatio-biological spectra of the vascular plants distributed in 246 sampling sites of the Murree-Kotli Sattian-Kahuta National Park, Punjab, Pakistan. The study area is situated at the latitude value of 33º21′ to 34º01ʹ N and longitude value of 73º11ʹ to 73°38ʹ E in the Rawalpindi, and comprised of total land area of 934 Km2. In all, 352 plant species distributed across 150 genera and 82 families were recorded from the 246 sampling stations. The flora included 330 natives (93.75%), followed by weeds (14 spp., 3.98%), cultivated & naturalized (3 spp., 0.85% each) as well as endemic and introduced (1 sp., 0.28% each). According to floristic life form spectra, therophytes were dominated in the area (31.25%), followed by hemicryptophytes (28.13) and nanophanerophytes (11.36), while the frequency spectra revealed the domination of hemicryptophytes (32.07%), followed by nanophanerophytes (21.62%) and therophytes (20.77%). Hemicryptophytes were the leading class in the vegetation spectra (32.07%), followed by nanophanerophytes (21.25%), therophytes (20.77%) and macrophanerophytes (13.48%). Homogeneity analysis exhibited a significant difference between floristic and vegetation life form (X2 = 17.26, p<0.05). The proportion of hemicryptophyte increased from floristic to vegetation spectrum; whereas therophytes decreased from floristic to vegetation spectra. This study concludes that floristic life-form spectra showed clearer picture than that of Raunkiaer's classification and correctly explained the existing climatic conditions of the studied area. Besides, it is suggested that the vegetation spectrum requires the meticulous physiognomy coupled with ecological factors if worked in smaller areas to be deliberated
To Cite this article:
Ahmed, W., R. Qureshi and M. Arshad. 2019. Floristic, frequency and vegetatio-biological spectra of Murree-Kotli Sattian-Kahuta National Park, Pakistan. Pak. J. Bot., 51(2): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2019-2(20)
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