PJB-2019-316
FLORISTIC INVENTRY AND ECOLOGICAL ATRIBUTES OF VEGETATION OF ARANG VALLEY, DISTRICT BAJAUR, PAKISTAN
Aminul Haq
Abstract
The present study was conducted to document the floristic composition and ecological characteristics of the plants of Arang valley, District Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, during 2014-2016. A total of 218 plant species belonging to 83 families were recorded. Of these, 187 (85.8%) were dicots, 27 (12.4%) monocots, 2 (1.38%) pteridophytes and only 1(0.46%) gymnosperm. Leading families were Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Poaceae and Papilonaceae comprising of 24, 17, 16 and 14 species respectively. The dominant life forms were therophytes (43.6%), hemicryptophytes (14.7%) nanophanerophytes (12.8%) and geophytes (11.9%). Mesophanerophytes (11.0%) and chamaephytes (5.96%) were the coexisting life form. The higher number of therophytes, hemicryptophytes and nanophanerophytes reflects the xeric nature of the vegetation. According to leaf size, the vegetation consisted of microphylls (33.9%), nanophylls (28.9%) and mesophyll (25.7%). Leptophylls (9.63%) and macrophylls (0.92 %) were least common. Cuscuta reflexa was the only aphyllous species collected. Habit wise the vegetation consisted predominantly of herbs (66.5%), followed by shrubs (13.8%) and trees (11.0%). Based on life cycle plants were mostly annuals (49.5%) or perennial (48.6%) while biennial were rare (1.83%). The study revealed that the vegetation was declining due to both biotic and abiotic stress.
To Cite this article:
Download
