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Pak. J. Bot., 47(6): 2151-2160, 2015.

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SPECIES COMPOSITION AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF SUBTROPICAL FOREST STANDS IN WESTERN HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS OF KASHMIR

HAMAYUN SHAHEEN^*, NIDA MUSHTAQ MALIK AND MUHAMMAD EJAZ UL ISLAM DAR

Department of Botany, University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Pakistan

^*Corresponding author e-mail: hamayunmaldial@yahoo.com

Abstract: Lesser Himalayan subtropical forests have unique species composition due to diverse climatic and topographic factors which create numerous microhabitats. Phytosociological characteristics, structural attributes and biological spectrum of plant communities in the forests of Himalayan foothills in Kashmir were analyzed. A total of 65 species belonging to 26 plant families were recorded constituting 6 plant communities. Average value of diversity recorded for the communities was 2.44; species richness 4.01; whereas evenness was found to be 0.48. The species data indicated random distribution of species with a hump shaped diversity pattern directly correlated with increasing altitude. Themeda anathera was the dominant species with an importance value percentage of 14.7% followed by Pinus roxburghii (9.6%), Mallotus philippenensis (5.2%), Malvastrum coromandelianum (5.1%), Acacia modesta (5%), Olea ferruginea (3.8%) and Oxalis corniculata (3.2%). Vegetation was dominated by Therophytes (30%) and megaphanerophytes (23.3) with dominant leaf spectrum as leptophylls (31.6%). Thirty seven percent plants had medicinal values followed by 31% having fodder values where as 12% used as fuel. Principal component analyses and cluster analyses revealed the association of dominant species with specific sites due to prevailing environmental conditions. The distribution of species in ordination diagrams indicated a continuous change in species composition along the altitudinal gradient. Key stone tree species were subject to immense tree felling resulting in deteriorating changes in forest structure. Visual indicators showed over grazing at all the studied sites evident from the dominance of unpalatable species. Local forest stands demand immediate attention of policy makers as well as forest management so that local diversity and floristic richness could be conserved and rehabilitated.

Key words: Diversity, Biological spectrum, Subtropical forests, Aggregation, Multivariate analysis.