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SURVIVORSHIP PATTERNS OF SOME DESERT PLANTS

SEEMI AZIZ AND M. AJMAL KHAN

Abstract: Survivorship pattern of some common summer annuals and perennials showed quite varied mortality patterns which can be tentatively grouped, according to Deevey system of classification. Annuals like Indigofera cordifolia and I. hochesttetri showed a gradual decrease in number of plants after initial lengthy recruitment period and appeared close to type II Deevey curve. However, annuals like Eragrostis ciliaris, Aristida mutabilis, Cynodon dactylon and Tephrosia strigosa showed little mortality at the early phase of life cycle and high mortality at the time of flowering and fruiting following type I Deevey curve. Perennials like Blepharis sindica, Senna holosericea, and Corchorus depressus initially showed a higher level of mortality leaving only few seedlings to continue their life cycle thus following type 3 Deevey curve.

Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.