EFFECTS OF EDAPHIC AND PHYSIOGNOMIC FACTORS ON SPECIES DIVERSITY, DISTRIBUTION AND COMPOSITION IN RESERVED FOREST OF SATHAN GALI (MANSEHRA), PAKISTAN.

Autor: IQBAL, Z., ALAM, J., ALI, N., MEHMOOD, A., MAJID, A., KHAN, K. R., SHAH, A. H., FAROOQ, M., ISHTIAQ, M., MUSHTAQ, W., BHATTI, K. H.
Předmět:
Zdroj: Applied Ecology & Environmental Research; 2018, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p1085-1100, 16p
Abstrakt: Forests have pivotal role in life sustenance of indigenous people of the area and economy of any country at mass level. Forest health, diversity and richness depends various environmental parameters. In this study, impact of edaphic and physiographic factors on plant communities of reserved forest of Sathan Gali (Mansehra), Pakistan is analyzed. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of plant species were studied dividing the area into 13 stands on physiognomic features. In this analysis 136 plant species of 58 families were classified into four prominent plant communities through TWINSPAN approach. The family index depicted that Asteraceae was dominant among 58 families. Biological spectrum (BS) expressed Therophytes as the dominant plants with 27.34% species, while leaf size spectrum (LSS) classification showed Mesophytes having 25.83% species contribution. Importance value index (IVI) analysis proved that Pinus wallichiana had highest value (351.69) followed by Fragaria nubicola (62.88). In analysis, maximum species diversity (MSD) was found in Pinus-Pteris-Sarcococca community (0.102) while species richness (SR) was in Pinus-Digitaria-Sarcococca community (1.87) whereas maximum species maturity (MSM) was found in Pinus-Cedrus-Vibernum community (65.74). In two statistical analyses; it was found that DCA ordination of reserved forest indicated that the maximum gradient length was 3.32 for axis 1 and 2.57 for axis II while CCA ordination revealed that the maximum eigenvalue was 0.49 for axis 1 and 0.40 for axis II. Among environmental variables the maximum positive strength and impact on composition of community was recorded for altitude and phosphorous (P) while maximum negative strength was recorded for barometric pressure and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index