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Pak. J. Bot., 44: 203-211, Special Issue May 2012.

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DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT FLORA OF THE SALT RANGE, PAKISTAN

TAHIRA NAWAZ¹, MANSOOR HAMEED^1*, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF¹, FAROOQ AHMAD¹, MUHAMMAD SAJID AQEEL AHMAD¹, MUMTAZ HUSSAIN¹, IFTIKHAR AHMAD², ADNAN YOUNIS³ AND KHAWAJA SHAFIQUE AHMAD¹

Abstract: The Salt Range (Pakistan) was thoroughly explored for the vegetation studies during 2008-10. Vegetation sampling was conducted by the quadrat method along a straight transect. The quadrats were laid at five ecologically distinct regions within the Salt Range, namely Kalabagh Game Reserve, the Soone Valley, Chumbi Surla Wildlife Sanctuary, Domeli Game Reserve and Lehri Jindi Forest. The species found in the Salt Range are important not only for humans, but also for native wildlife species and domestic animals. Over-exploitation of medicinally important plants and other economically important species, and high grazing pressure in the Salt Range are responsible for the destruction and degradation of the habitat. Thus resultantly, many species are locally endangered, or critically endangered and currently at the verge of extinction. It is, therefore, an urgent need to make some serious efforts in conserving the natural health of the Salt Range by evoking awareness in the local communities, to promote sustainable utilization of economic species and re-introduce endangered or threatened species in the area.

¹Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan

²Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan

³Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan

^*Corresponding author’s e-mail: hameedmansoor@yahoo.com