Moinuddin Ahmed - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Moinuddin Ahmed
Pak. J. Bot, 2009
The experiment was designed to determine the allelopathic effects of three different weeds viz., ... more The experiment was designed to determine the allelopathic effects of three different weeds viz., Onion weed (Asphodelus tenuifolius Cavase), pill-bearing spurge/Asthma plant (Euphorbia hirta Linn) and Fumitory (Fumaria indica Haussk H.N.) on the growth of maize. The weed powders toxicity and their inhibitory effects on germination and growth of maize crop were observed. It was demonstrated that different weed species responded differently to the maize. It was observed that the Asphodelus tenuifolius and Fumaria indica inhibited % germination and germination index of maize. The growth parameters of maize did not show consistent effects by these weeds. During the present study, allelopathic effects were not revealed and more experiments are suggested before making any conclusion about the allelopathic characteristic considering these weed species.
Climate Dynamics, 2016
the past 438 years (AD 1575-2012). The reconstruction passes all statistical calibration and vali... more the past 438 years (AD 1575-2012). The reconstruction passes all statistical calibration and validation tests and represents 49 % of the temperature variance recorded over the 1955-2012 instrumental period. It shows a substantial warming accounting to about 1.12 °C since the mid-twentieth century, and 1.94 °C since the mid-nineteenth century, and agrees well with the Northern Hemisphere temperature reconstructions. These findings provide evidence that the Karakoram temperatures are in-phase, rather than out-ofphase, compared to hemispheric scales since the AD 1575. The synchronous temperature trends imply that the anomalous glacier behavior reported from the Karakoram may need further explanations beyond basic regional thermal anomaly.
Agronomy
Multivariate analysis was conducted to explore the moist temperate forests of the Shangla distric... more Multivariate analysis was conducted to explore the moist temperate forests of the Shangla district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The prime objective was to quantitatively describe and differentiate the vegetation groups and the factors that determine the boundaries and composition of plant communities in the Shangla district. This was achieved by sampling all common species in a complex vegetation mosaic coinciding with local gradients in topography and soil distribution. Ward’s clustering dendrogram demonstrated four significant vegetation clusters with respect to environmental effects. These four major groups of the tree vegetation were superimposed on the ordination plane: 1. Pinus wallichiana, the dominant group associated with Abies pindrow; 2. Abies pindrow and the Picea smithiana group; 3. Dominant Cedrus deodara associated with the Pinus wallichiana, Abies pindrow, Picea smithiana, and Quercus baloot group; 4. Pinus roxberghii pure group. The key controlling factors for each group we...
This investigation focuses on modeling the tree diameter distribution using Weibull function of t... more This investigation focuses on modeling the tree diameter distribution using Weibull function of three gymnosperm species, i.e. Picea smithiana, Pinus wallichiana and Juniperus excelsa dominating the forests of Central Karakoram National Park, Gilgit-Baltistan. Various workers have attempted to model the population structure of trees in their respective study areas. A number of probability distributions have been employed to find a good fit to the observed distributions. A number of recent studies have indicated the three parameter Weibull distribution as a possible model for describing the size class structure of trees. Thus, the Weibull model was selected to describe the diameter distribution of the three conifer tree species under study. The parameters for each tree distribution were estimated by a program CumFreq that employs the maximum likelihood method. The cumulative distributions of each tree species were tested against the fitted distribution. In all cases the Weibull distr...
Quantitative analysis of forest vegetation from highly disturbed sites around Murree Hills was co... more Quantitative analysis of forest vegetation from highly disturbed sites around Murree Hills was conducted. The study revealed that in most of the stands regeneration was poor and less individuals recorded in large sized classes which was due to heavy cutting in throughout the area causing enormous loss in vegetation cover. The findings showed that pine trees had lower density and basal area in the disturbed sites i.e. lowest density (78 plants/hac) observed in Khanaspur area which was comprised of Pinus wallichiana and Cedrus deodara community whereas the highest density recorded (156 plants/hac) located in Dunga gali comprised of Cedrus deodara and Pinus wallichiana community. The basal area was found lowest (4.18m²/hac) from Kaseri Town, Pariata consisted of pure Pinus wallichiana while highest recorded basal area was from Khanaspur showing 33.93m²/hac comprised of Pinus wallichiana and Quercus baloot community. These values were considerably lower than least disturbed sites and n...
Pakistan Journal of Botany, 2020
Tree ring investigations at the high altitude mountains of the Karakoram-Himalaya, northern Pakis... more Tree ring investigations at the high altitude mountains of the Karakoram-Himalaya, northern Pakistan have received limited attention concerning the climate-tree growth relationship studies. To test the climate-growth relationship, we developed four tree-ring width (TRW) standard chronologies represented by Pinus wallichiana and Picea smithiana from four sites in the Bagrot (BGR), Astore (AST), Phaphorash (PPR), and Naltar (NLT) valleys in northern Pakistan, respectively. These chronologies spanned 585, 514, 330, and 470 years, respectively. The tree growth was sensitive to spring precipitation and summer temperature, such as AST and PPR chronologies were sensitive to summer temperature. TRW chronologies of BGR and NLT were sensitive to spring precipitation and drought. Principal Component 1 (PC1) chronology was sensitive to spring temperature and showed an overall weak correlation with Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). These multi-sites based study revealed variable climate-growth response, highlighting the heterogeneity in microclimate on a local scale.
Journal of Mountain Science, 2020
Environmental variables play a crucial role in shaping vegetation structure, mainly in mountainou... more Environmental variables play a crucial role in shaping vegetation structure, mainly in mountainous ecosystems. Different studies have attempted to identify the environment-vegetation relationship of Conifer Dominating Forests (CDF) worldwide. However, due to differences in local climate and soil composition, different environmental drivers can be found. By applying multivariate analysis techniques, this study investigated the vegetation-environment relationship of CDF of Indus Kohistan in northern Pakistan. Our results showed that CDF of Indus Kohistan are distributed in five distinct ecological groups, which are dominated by different trees and understory species. A total of 7 trees and 71 understory species were recorded from the sampling sites. Cedrus deodara was the leading species among four groups, having the highest importance value (IV), density and basal area. Group I was dominated by Pinus wallichiana with the
Jurnal Teknologi, 2016
In this study vegetation composition of understorey species of Malam Jabba forest is evaluated by... more In this study vegetation composition of understorey species of Malam Jabba forest is evaluated by multivariate analysis. Thirteen stands were quantitatively sampled by point centered quarter method. Environmental variables were recorded and correlate them with vegetation characteristic. In 13 stands 49 understory species were recorded. Multivariate techniques were employed to assess the vegetation groups and underlying group structure. Agglomerative Cluster analysis (Ward’s method) discloses four main groups of vegetation while Principle Component Analysis (PCA) clearly ordinate these groups on all three axes. The most common species distributed in all four groups were Adiantum capillus veneris, Adiantum venestum, Berberis lyceum, Chrysopogon aucheri, Oxalis corniculata, Pteris cretica and Trifolium repens while these species were observed in three groups i.e. Punica granatum and Plantago amplexicaulis. The Group 1 comprises on 23 species and the dominant species were Androsace rot...
Mangroves are woody plants that grow in tropical and sub tropical areas. The mangroves can exist ... more Mangroves are woody plants that grow in tropical and sub tropical areas. The mangroves can exist under wide range of salinity, tidal amplitude, wind and temperature, even in muddy and anaerobic soil condition. An experiment was conducted in the University Campus to know the establishment, survival and growth of seedlings of Avicennia marina based on planting observations in water logged and saline silty loam of Karachi. Growth and physiological responses were recorded at seedlings stages. The area of seeds, height, number of leaves, area of leaves and number of pneumatophores were recorded. Physical and chemical analyses of soil and water were also carried out in order to get better information. The result showed that due to availability of oxygen, mangroves did not hold up complexity to respire that's why could not exhibit pneumatophores. It is suggested that those areas which are fully saline and waterlogged and unable to support any other crop can be conserved by planting mangroves.
Pakistan Journal of Botany, 2019
Dendroecological investigations were carried out for different sites of Shangla District, using 3... more Dendroecological investigations were carried out for different sites of Shangla District, using 3 conifer tree species i.e. Pinus wallichiana, Abies pindrow and Cedrus deodara. Wood samples were subjected to dendrochronological processes, analyzed under microscope and measured on Velmax measuring system attached to a computer. Growth rate at every 10 years interval were determined and its variation in various dbh classes were investigated. The present findings showed that age and growth rate varies from species to species and site to site, even among the individuals of a single species growing in a same site. It was shown that growth rate decreased after 18 th century. It was observed that small dbh tree was not necessarily younger than large dbh trees. Present study shows that age increases roughly with increasing tree size but also agreed with previously workers that dbh is not a good indicator of age in multisized and multiaged population.
Journal of Vegetation Science, 1991
eration pattern, but also in the soils. In many places at lower elevations Pinus gerardiana has b... more eration pattern, but also in the soils. In many places at lower elevations Pinus gerardiana has been completely eliminated. During the last 25 yr these activities have been extended towards the zone lying between 2130 m and 2740 m. Widely distributed broad-leaved tree species which were reported by Champion, Seth & Khattak (1965) are now rare. If no management or conservation programme is initiated and the present rate of disturbance is maintained, this ecologically and commercially important species is likely to disappear altogether. The present study deals with the vegetation structure and dynamics of some Pinus gerardiana forests in a remote area of Balouchistan. The study area The study area forms part of the Suleiman Range and is situated northeast of Zhob City between 31° 20' and 31°5 0' N and 69° 40' and 70° E. The area is composed of irregular, rugged and steep ridges. The highest peak of the range is Takht-i-Suleiman (3414 m). Champion, Seth & Khattak (1965) and Rafi (1965) described the study area as dry temperate conifer forest. No meteorological data from the mountains are available, but they receive more precipitation than lower elevations (Rafi 1965). The meteorological station at Zhob City (1385 m), ca. 45 km from the Range, has a mean annual precipitation of 267 mm. Winter rain falls in February and March while monsoon rainfall occurs in July and August. Mean monthly temperature ranges from 12.6 °C (January) to 37.5 °C (July). About 2 m of snow falls from December to February on the mountains (Rafi 1965). The geological substrates include limestone and shales of Triassic to Jurassic age (Rafi 1965). Methods 42 stands containing Pinus gerardiana and two nearby stands with broad-leaved tree species were sam
Journal of Vegetation Science, 1990
- Population structure and dynamics of Juniperus excelsa - ... Population structure and dynamics ... more - Population structure and dynamics of Juniperus excelsa - ... Population structure and dynamics of Juniperus excelsa in ... Ahmed, Moinuddin1*, Shaukat, Syed Shahid2 & Buzdar, Abdul Hafeez3 ... 1Department of Botany, University of Auckland, Private Bag, Auckland, New Zealand; ...
World Applied Sciences …, 2010
Phytosociological study was conducted in pine forests throughout district Dir. Point centered qua... more Phytosociological study was conducted in pine forests throughout district Dir. Point centered quadrate method was used for sampling and twenty five pine forests were sampled between elevation ranges 1400-2672 meters above mean sea level. Phytosociological attributes (frequency, density, basal area, importance value) and absolute values (Density.ha and Basal area mha) were calculated for each species and the forest respectively. A total of six pine tree species belonging to 2 families and 5 genera were recorded from various stands at different altitudes, exposure and degree of slopes. Among the tree species Cedrus deodara (Roxb. Ex Lamb) G.Don was the dominant tree species recorded in fourteen stands followed by Pinus wallichiana A.B. Jackson which showed presence in eight stands. Abies pindrow Royle, and Picea smithiana (Wall.) Boiss were recorded from high elevation and occurred in three and six stands respectively. Lower elevation supports Pinus roxburghii Sargent forests while Taxus wallichiana (Zucc.) was rarely associated with deodar only in one stand. It was recorded that most of the forest stands exhibited open canopies due to the over exploitation of forests for timber purposes. Ten communities were recognized based on the importance values and floristic composition of the stands. Pinus wallichianaDeodar Community was the most widely distributed community of the study area.
Present state and future trend of pine forests of Malam Jabba, Swat district, Pakistan explored. ... more Present state and future trend of pine forests of Malam Jabba, Swat district, Pakistan explored. We focused on vegetation composition, structure, diversity and forests dynamics. Thirteen stands were sampled by Point Centered Quarter method. Among all stands four monospecific forests of Pinus wallichiana attained highest density ha-1 except in one stand where Picea smithiana attained 401 trees ha-1. Unlike density, the basal area m2 ha-1 of these stands varies stand to stand. Based on floristic composition and importance value index, five different communities viz Pinus wallichiana-Picea smithiana; Picea smithiana-Pinus wallichiana; Abies pindrow-Pinus wallichiana; Pinus wallichiana-Abies pindrow; Abies pindrow-Picea smithiana and 4 monospecific forests of Pinus wallichiana were recognized. Size class structure of forests showed marked influence of anthropogenic disturbance because not a single stand showed ideal regeneration pattern (inverse J shape distribution). Future of these fo...
Pak. J. Bot, 2009
A phytosociological study of Pinus roxburghii was undertaken in Lesser Himalayan and Hindu Kush r... more A phytosociological study of Pinus roxburghii was undertaken in Lesser Himalayan and Hindu Kush range of Pakistan during summer 2005. Thirteen stands were sampled at five different locations i.e., Mansehra, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Swat and Lower Dir ranging from 750-1700 meters elevation. P. roxburghii was forming pure vegetation in 12 stands but in one location, it was associated with some angiospermic tree species. Quantitative attributes viz. relative density, relative frequency and relative basal area and absolute values were calculated. Circular plots were used to assess the vegetation association on the forest floor. Pine seedlings were recorded in nine stands. The common angiospermic species were found in association with Chir pine like Dodonaea viscosa, Punica granatum, Erodium cicutarium, Medicago denticulate and Vicia sativa. The most rare species encountered were Ailanthus altissima, Daphne mucronata, Melia azedirach, Potentilla nepalensis, Urtica dioica and Olea ferruginea. It was also observed that the studied forests are unstable and degraded and would be vanished if not maintained properly.
Pak. J. Bot, 2009
The experiment was designed to determine the allelopathic effects of three different weeds viz., ... more The experiment was designed to determine the allelopathic effects of three different weeds viz., Onion weed (Asphodelus tenuifolius Cavase), pill-bearing spurge/Asthma plant (Euphorbia hirta Linn) and Fumitory (Fumaria indica Haussk H.N.) on the growth of maize. The weed powders toxicity and their inhibitory effects on germination and growth of maize crop were observed. It was demonstrated that different weed species responded differently to the maize. It was observed that the Asphodelus tenuifolius and Fumaria indica inhibited % germination and germination index of maize. The growth parameters of maize did not show consistent effects by these weeds. During the present study, allelopathic effects were not revealed and more experiments are suggested before making any conclusion about the allelopathic characteristic considering these weed species.
Climate Dynamics, 2016
the past 438 years (AD 1575-2012). The reconstruction passes all statistical calibration and vali... more the past 438 years (AD 1575-2012). The reconstruction passes all statistical calibration and validation tests and represents 49 % of the temperature variance recorded over the 1955-2012 instrumental period. It shows a substantial warming accounting to about 1.12 °C since the mid-twentieth century, and 1.94 °C since the mid-nineteenth century, and agrees well with the Northern Hemisphere temperature reconstructions. These findings provide evidence that the Karakoram temperatures are in-phase, rather than out-ofphase, compared to hemispheric scales since the AD 1575. The synchronous temperature trends imply that the anomalous glacier behavior reported from the Karakoram may need further explanations beyond basic regional thermal anomaly.
Agronomy
Multivariate analysis was conducted to explore the moist temperate forests of the Shangla distric... more Multivariate analysis was conducted to explore the moist temperate forests of the Shangla district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The prime objective was to quantitatively describe and differentiate the vegetation groups and the factors that determine the boundaries and composition of plant communities in the Shangla district. This was achieved by sampling all common species in a complex vegetation mosaic coinciding with local gradients in topography and soil distribution. Ward’s clustering dendrogram demonstrated four significant vegetation clusters with respect to environmental effects. These four major groups of the tree vegetation were superimposed on the ordination plane: 1. Pinus wallichiana, the dominant group associated with Abies pindrow; 2. Abies pindrow and the Picea smithiana group; 3. Dominant Cedrus deodara associated with the Pinus wallichiana, Abies pindrow, Picea smithiana, and Quercus baloot group; 4. Pinus roxberghii pure group. The key controlling factors for each group we...
This investigation focuses on modeling the tree diameter distribution using Weibull function of t... more This investigation focuses on modeling the tree diameter distribution using Weibull function of three gymnosperm species, i.e. Picea smithiana, Pinus wallichiana and Juniperus excelsa dominating the forests of Central Karakoram National Park, Gilgit-Baltistan. Various workers have attempted to model the population structure of trees in their respective study areas. A number of probability distributions have been employed to find a good fit to the observed distributions. A number of recent studies have indicated the three parameter Weibull distribution as a possible model for describing the size class structure of trees. Thus, the Weibull model was selected to describe the diameter distribution of the three conifer tree species under study. The parameters for each tree distribution were estimated by a program CumFreq that employs the maximum likelihood method. The cumulative distributions of each tree species were tested against the fitted distribution. In all cases the Weibull distr...
Quantitative analysis of forest vegetation from highly disturbed sites around Murree Hills was co... more Quantitative analysis of forest vegetation from highly disturbed sites around Murree Hills was conducted. The study revealed that in most of the stands regeneration was poor and less individuals recorded in large sized classes which was due to heavy cutting in throughout the area causing enormous loss in vegetation cover. The findings showed that pine trees had lower density and basal area in the disturbed sites i.e. lowest density (78 plants/hac) observed in Khanaspur area which was comprised of Pinus wallichiana and Cedrus deodara community whereas the highest density recorded (156 plants/hac) located in Dunga gali comprised of Cedrus deodara and Pinus wallichiana community. The basal area was found lowest (4.18m²/hac) from Kaseri Town, Pariata consisted of pure Pinus wallichiana while highest recorded basal area was from Khanaspur showing 33.93m²/hac comprised of Pinus wallichiana and Quercus baloot community. These values were considerably lower than least disturbed sites and n...
Pakistan Journal of Botany, 2020
Tree ring investigations at the high altitude mountains of the Karakoram-Himalaya, northern Pakis... more Tree ring investigations at the high altitude mountains of the Karakoram-Himalaya, northern Pakistan have received limited attention concerning the climate-tree growth relationship studies. To test the climate-growth relationship, we developed four tree-ring width (TRW) standard chronologies represented by Pinus wallichiana and Picea smithiana from four sites in the Bagrot (BGR), Astore (AST), Phaphorash (PPR), and Naltar (NLT) valleys in northern Pakistan, respectively. These chronologies spanned 585, 514, 330, and 470 years, respectively. The tree growth was sensitive to spring precipitation and summer temperature, such as AST and PPR chronologies were sensitive to summer temperature. TRW chronologies of BGR and NLT were sensitive to spring precipitation and drought. Principal Component 1 (PC1) chronology was sensitive to spring temperature and showed an overall weak correlation with Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). These multi-sites based study revealed variable climate-growth response, highlighting the heterogeneity in microclimate on a local scale.
Journal of Mountain Science, 2020
Environmental variables play a crucial role in shaping vegetation structure, mainly in mountainou... more Environmental variables play a crucial role in shaping vegetation structure, mainly in mountainous ecosystems. Different studies have attempted to identify the environment-vegetation relationship of Conifer Dominating Forests (CDF) worldwide. However, due to differences in local climate and soil composition, different environmental drivers can be found. By applying multivariate analysis techniques, this study investigated the vegetation-environment relationship of CDF of Indus Kohistan in northern Pakistan. Our results showed that CDF of Indus Kohistan are distributed in five distinct ecological groups, which are dominated by different trees and understory species. A total of 7 trees and 71 understory species were recorded from the sampling sites. Cedrus deodara was the leading species among four groups, having the highest importance value (IV), density and basal area. Group I was dominated by Pinus wallichiana with the
Jurnal Teknologi, 2016
In this study vegetation composition of understorey species of Malam Jabba forest is evaluated by... more In this study vegetation composition of understorey species of Malam Jabba forest is evaluated by multivariate analysis. Thirteen stands were quantitatively sampled by point centered quarter method. Environmental variables were recorded and correlate them with vegetation characteristic. In 13 stands 49 understory species were recorded. Multivariate techniques were employed to assess the vegetation groups and underlying group structure. Agglomerative Cluster analysis (Ward’s method) discloses four main groups of vegetation while Principle Component Analysis (PCA) clearly ordinate these groups on all three axes. The most common species distributed in all four groups were Adiantum capillus veneris, Adiantum venestum, Berberis lyceum, Chrysopogon aucheri, Oxalis corniculata, Pteris cretica and Trifolium repens while these species were observed in three groups i.e. Punica granatum and Plantago amplexicaulis. The Group 1 comprises on 23 species and the dominant species were Androsace rot...
Mangroves are woody plants that grow in tropical and sub tropical areas. The mangroves can exist ... more Mangroves are woody plants that grow in tropical and sub tropical areas. The mangroves can exist under wide range of salinity, tidal amplitude, wind and temperature, even in muddy and anaerobic soil condition. An experiment was conducted in the University Campus to know the establishment, survival and growth of seedlings of Avicennia marina based on planting observations in water logged and saline silty loam of Karachi. Growth and physiological responses were recorded at seedlings stages. The area of seeds, height, number of leaves, area of leaves and number of pneumatophores were recorded. Physical and chemical analyses of soil and water were also carried out in order to get better information. The result showed that due to availability of oxygen, mangroves did not hold up complexity to respire that's why could not exhibit pneumatophores. It is suggested that those areas which are fully saline and waterlogged and unable to support any other crop can be conserved by planting mangroves.
Pakistan Journal of Botany, 2019
Dendroecological investigations were carried out for different sites of Shangla District, using 3... more Dendroecological investigations were carried out for different sites of Shangla District, using 3 conifer tree species i.e. Pinus wallichiana, Abies pindrow and Cedrus deodara. Wood samples were subjected to dendrochronological processes, analyzed under microscope and measured on Velmax measuring system attached to a computer. Growth rate at every 10 years interval were determined and its variation in various dbh classes were investigated. The present findings showed that age and growth rate varies from species to species and site to site, even among the individuals of a single species growing in a same site. It was shown that growth rate decreased after 18 th century. It was observed that small dbh tree was not necessarily younger than large dbh trees. Present study shows that age increases roughly with increasing tree size but also agreed with previously workers that dbh is not a good indicator of age in multisized and multiaged population.
Journal of Vegetation Science, 1991
eration pattern, but also in the soils. In many places at lower elevations Pinus gerardiana has b... more eration pattern, but also in the soils. In many places at lower elevations Pinus gerardiana has been completely eliminated. During the last 25 yr these activities have been extended towards the zone lying between 2130 m and 2740 m. Widely distributed broad-leaved tree species which were reported by Champion, Seth & Khattak (1965) are now rare. If no management or conservation programme is initiated and the present rate of disturbance is maintained, this ecologically and commercially important species is likely to disappear altogether. The present study deals with the vegetation structure and dynamics of some Pinus gerardiana forests in a remote area of Balouchistan. The study area The study area forms part of the Suleiman Range and is situated northeast of Zhob City between 31° 20' and 31°5 0' N and 69° 40' and 70° E. The area is composed of irregular, rugged and steep ridges. The highest peak of the range is Takht-i-Suleiman (3414 m). Champion, Seth & Khattak (1965) and Rafi (1965) described the study area as dry temperate conifer forest. No meteorological data from the mountains are available, but they receive more precipitation than lower elevations (Rafi 1965). The meteorological station at Zhob City (1385 m), ca. 45 km from the Range, has a mean annual precipitation of 267 mm. Winter rain falls in February and March while monsoon rainfall occurs in July and August. Mean monthly temperature ranges from 12.6 °C (January) to 37.5 °C (July). About 2 m of snow falls from December to February on the mountains (Rafi 1965). The geological substrates include limestone and shales of Triassic to Jurassic age (Rafi 1965). Methods 42 stands containing Pinus gerardiana and two nearby stands with broad-leaved tree species were sam
Journal of Vegetation Science, 1990
- Population structure and dynamics of Juniperus excelsa - ... Population structure and dynamics ... more - Population structure and dynamics of Juniperus excelsa - ... Population structure and dynamics of Juniperus excelsa in ... Ahmed, Moinuddin1*, Shaukat, Syed Shahid2 & Buzdar, Abdul Hafeez3 ... 1Department of Botany, University of Auckland, Private Bag, Auckland, New Zealand; ...
World Applied Sciences …, 2010
Phytosociological study was conducted in pine forests throughout district Dir. Point centered qua... more Phytosociological study was conducted in pine forests throughout district Dir. Point centered quadrate method was used for sampling and twenty five pine forests were sampled between elevation ranges 1400-2672 meters above mean sea level. Phytosociological attributes (frequency, density, basal area, importance value) and absolute values (Density.ha and Basal area mha) were calculated for each species and the forest respectively. A total of six pine tree species belonging to 2 families and 5 genera were recorded from various stands at different altitudes, exposure and degree of slopes. Among the tree species Cedrus deodara (Roxb. Ex Lamb) G.Don was the dominant tree species recorded in fourteen stands followed by Pinus wallichiana A.B. Jackson which showed presence in eight stands. Abies pindrow Royle, and Picea smithiana (Wall.) Boiss were recorded from high elevation and occurred in three and six stands respectively. Lower elevation supports Pinus roxburghii Sargent forests while Taxus wallichiana (Zucc.) was rarely associated with deodar only in one stand. It was recorded that most of the forest stands exhibited open canopies due to the over exploitation of forests for timber purposes. Ten communities were recognized based on the importance values and floristic composition of the stands. Pinus wallichianaDeodar Community was the most widely distributed community of the study area.
Present state and future trend of pine forests of Malam Jabba, Swat district, Pakistan explored. ... more Present state and future trend of pine forests of Malam Jabba, Swat district, Pakistan explored. We focused on vegetation composition, structure, diversity and forests dynamics. Thirteen stands were sampled by Point Centered Quarter method. Among all stands four monospecific forests of Pinus wallichiana attained highest density ha-1 except in one stand where Picea smithiana attained 401 trees ha-1. Unlike density, the basal area m2 ha-1 of these stands varies stand to stand. Based on floristic composition and importance value index, five different communities viz Pinus wallichiana-Picea smithiana; Picea smithiana-Pinus wallichiana; Abies pindrow-Pinus wallichiana; Pinus wallichiana-Abies pindrow; Abies pindrow-Picea smithiana and 4 monospecific forests of Pinus wallichiana were recognized. Size class structure of forests showed marked influence of anthropogenic disturbance because not a single stand showed ideal regeneration pattern (inverse J shape distribution). Future of these fo...
Pak. J. Bot, 2009
A phytosociological study of Pinus roxburghii was undertaken in Lesser Himalayan and Hindu Kush r... more A phytosociological study of Pinus roxburghii was undertaken in Lesser Himalayan and Hindu Kush range of Pakistan during summer 2005. Thirteen stands were sampled at five different locations i.e., Mansehra, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Swat and Lower Dir ranging from 750-1700 meters elevation. P. roxburghii was forming pure vegetation in 12 stands but in one location, it was associated with some angiospermic tree species. Quantitative attributes viz. relative density, relative frequency and relative basal area and absolute values were calculated. Circular plots were used to assess the vegetation association on the forest floor. Pine seedlings were recorded in nine stands. The common angiospermic species were found in association with Chir pine like Dodonaea viscosa, Punica granatum, Erodium cicutarium, Medicago denticulate and Vicia sativa. The most rare species encountered were Ailanthus altissima, Daphne mucronata, Melia azedirach, Potentilla nepalensis, Urtica dioica and Olea ferruginea. It was also observed that the studied forests are unstable and degraded and would be vanished if not maintained properly.