PJB-2025-55
Ecological Patterns and Environmental Drivers of Vegetation in Central Karakoram National Park, Gilgit-Baltistan
Alamdar Hussain
Abstract
Thirty-two stands of mix vegetation (nine gymnospermic forest and twenty-three angiospermic (bushes) forests) were quantitatively described from Central Karakoram National Park, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan using the Point Centered Quarter method. Vegetation composition and group structure relative to environmental gradients (elevation and slope) were analyze by Multivariate techniques, including Ward’s cluster analysis and DECORANA ordination. Ward’s cluster analysis shown four groups and one isolated stand: Group I, dominated by conifers; Group II, by angiosperms; Group III, by a mix of angiosperms; Group IV, also by angiosperms although with different species composition; and the isolated stand, with its own composition. Hippophae rhamnoides, Picea smithiana, and Rosa webbiana, were recognized as climax communities. Ribes orientale, Berberis lyceum and Tamarix indica were related with Hippophae rhamnoides and Rosa webbiana, however, Juniperus excelsa and Pinus wallichiana were associated with Picea smithiana. Some rare species, including Juniperus communis, Ribes alpeter Artemesia brevefolium and Urtica dioica, were also reported. Understory vegetation was divided into six groups, with Rosa webbiana and Hippophae rhamnoides being the most common. DCA ordination showed noteworthy correlation between axis I and slope, conductivity and total dissolved salt, indicating the influence of these variables on vegetation distribution. The study highlights vegetation similarities and the impact of natural and environmental disturbances on forested and non-forested areas.
To Cite this article:
Under Review
We Welcome Latest Research Articles In Field Of Botany The Pakistan Journal of Botany is an international journal .... Read More
