Back to Contents

FREE FULL TEXT PDF

POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COASTAL HALOPHYTE ARTHROCNEMUM MACROSTACHYUM

BILQUEES GUL AND M. AJMAL KHAN

Abstract: Seed bank and morphological characteristics of Arthrocnemum macrostachyum population along an inundation gradient are described. The seed density increased substantially from lower marsh (2987 seed m^-2) to upper marsh (141,509 seed m^-2) The seed bank contained only dominant species in the lower marsh, however, the number of species in the seed bank increased towards the upper marsh. A. macrostachyum constituted about 97 % of the seed bank. Density and height of plants were higher in the middle marsh. Plant cover and number of branches were lowest in lower marsh and increased substantially in next zone, with no significant differences among other zones. Dry weight accumulation was highest in lower-middle marsh.

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