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ALTITUDINAL VARIATION IN THE CONTENT OF PROTEIN, PROLINE, SUGAR AND ABSCISIC ACID (ABA) IN THE ALPINE HERBS FROM HUNZA VALLEY, PAKISTAN

ASGHARI BANO^1*, ABDUL REHMAN¹ AND MATTHIAS WINIGER²

Abstract: Leaves of four herbaceous alpine plant species were collected during summer, 2002 from two different altitudes viz., 3,000–3,500 m a.s.l. from the east-facing slope of Ultar pasture of Hunza valley, Pakistan to determine the protein, proline, sugar and abscisic acid (ABA) contents of leaves. The average maximum temperature recorded during the months of July and August varied from 22ºC to 24ºC and minimum temperatures varied between 11ºC to 13ºC, whereas average maximum humidity varied from 39-35% and minimum varied from 19 to 21% respectively. Soils of Ultar are acidic. At the altitude of 3,000 m a.s.l. Galium aparine L. showed the maximum endogenous ABA; Onobrychis dealbata Stocks., showed the highest sugar and protein content, whereas Polygonum alpinum All., exhibited maximum proline. All the plant species showed a general trend for increased accumulation of protein, sugar, proline and free endogenous ABA in leaves at high altitude. The extent of increase appears to be determined by the basal level of the above mentioned biochemical contents and is necessary for survival of that species at high altitude.
 

¹Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

²Institute of Geography, University of Bonn, Germany