PJB-2022-468
Analyzing anthropogenic determinants of vegetation distributions pattern in high-elevation forests of the Himalayas
Shiekh Marifatul Haq, Fayaz A. Lone, Muhammad Waheed, Manzer H. Siddiqui, Fahim Arshad and Rainer W. Bussmann
Abstract
Concise efforts are required to manage forest ecosystems to achieve the global goals envisioned for the UN Decade (2021–2030) of Ecosystem Restoration targets. Among various global drivers of forest degradation, anthropogenic stresses may contribute to the long-persisting impact on vegetation dynamics and are one of the major impediments to the successful restoration of forest ecosystems at the local and regional scales. The research was focused on elucidating how anthropogenic disturbances influenced the forest composition, diversity, and phytosociological attributes of high-elevation forests of the Himalayas. Based on the intensity of anthropogenic stress and location, three differently disturbed sites i.e., Severely Disturbed (SD), Moderately Disturbed (MD), and Low Disturbed (LD) forest sites were selected. A random sampling method was used to record the vegetation parameters of the forest stands. Multivariate PAST software ver. 3.14 was employed to observe the relationship between ecological variables and plant communities. The results showed significant differences in vegetation composition between the forest types. Data collected revealed that composition, diversity, and phytosociological attributes (basal area) were decreased with the increase of anthropogenic stress. SD forest sites exhibited (3.1) times more deforestation rate than MD site (2.08) and declined with decreasing disturbance levels. Anthropogenic stress affected vegetation patterns and associations among plant communities, according to the Principal Component Analysis ordination. The study's findings generated empirical data that could be used to guide the restoration of degraded ecosystems to meet global goals as well as the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration targets (2021–2030) for forest management and the sustainable development of mountainous regions
To Cite this article:
Haq, S.M., F.A. Lone, M. Waheed, M.H. Siddiqui, F. Arshad and R.W. Bussmann. 2024. Analyzing anthropogenic determinants of vegetation distributions pattern in high-elevation forests of the Himalayas. Pak. J. Bot., 56(4): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2024-4(42)
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