Distributional Pattern of Asteraceae Along a Spatial Gradient in Urban and Suburban Areas of Lahore City, Pakistan

Full Length Research Paper

Distributional pattern of Asteraceae along a spatial gradient in urban and suburban areas of Lahore City, Pakistan

Uzma Hanif*, Zaheer-ud-din Khan and Amin U. Khan

Department of Botany, Government College (GC) University, Lahore, Pakistan.

Accepted 30 April, 2012

Ecological significance of Asteraceae in response to common colonizers due to the fast pace of urbanization in Lahore District was determined. The species are natural colonizers in this area. In order to gauge the response, sites from both urban and suburban areas were selected. A total of 28 species under 22 genera of the family Asteraceae were collected and identified. The results reveal that members of Asteraceae have highest diversity in suburban having richness of 18 species, followed by urban having only four species. The diversity index indicates that highest diversity was in suburban and rural wastelands of Raiwind. In comparison with the previous record, only 60% species of Asteraceae previously reported were found, out of which 50% species were present in suburban and rural and only 10% in urban areas. It appears that decline in the species number was due to the excessive growth of population, urbanization, industrialization, and invasive exotics like Parthenium hysterophorus and Pantanema vestitum.

Key words: Urbanization, colonizers, diversity index, wastelands, exotics.

INTRODUCTION

Asteraceae (Compositae) is the richest vascular plant and distribution of species, and the structure and function family in the world, with 1600 to 1700 genera and 24,000 of communities and ecosystems. Rutter and Sheikh to 30,000 species (Funk et al., 2005). They are easily (1960) conducted a quantitative research on the distinguished by the florets grouped in capitula, and the vegetation of waste lands around Lahore in relation to fruit, a cypsela often with a pappus. Asteraceae taxa can soil conditions. They found a total of seven vegetation assume almost every life-form such as herbs, shrubs and types dominated by grasses in association with other most rare trees. They are found in every environment and families. They found a total of six Compositae species continent, except Antarctica (Funk et al., 2005). which were identified as Carthamus oxyacantha, Cnicus In Pakistan, they are well represented in both arvensis, Cotula hemispherica, Launaea nudicaulis, temperate, sub-temperate, grassland and wood Conyza ambigua and Echinops echinatus. Khan and grassland and in subtropical areas (Ghafoor, 2002). Rashid (1994) found that the landscape of Lahore was Many species in this family are troublesome weeds. Most once covered by dense thorn forest and the modern investigations on diversity are restricted to species landscape has developed as a result of the loss of richness while ignoring species evenness. original deciduous woodland, due to increasing Ecologists have made significant progress in describing urbanization and the deliberate invasion of the exotics. how biotic and abiotic factors can shape the abundance The present vegetation is the result of international introduction of invasive exotics like Prosopis juliflora and Broussonetia papyrifera, which have become completely naturalized and have eliminated native plants including *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. herbs, shrubs and trees. Ejaz (2002) examined the

304 Afr. J. Plant Sci.

Table 1. Selection of sites.

Site Spatial type* Areas covered

S1 Suburban colonies Burki, Defense and around Allama Iqbal International Airport.

S2 Rural (agriculture land) Wahga Boarder, Jallo Park and surroundings.

S3 Suburban natural Mohlan wall and Saghian around River Ravi.

S4 Urban parks and recreation sites Archaeological sites (Lahore Fort, Shalimar Garden, and Jahangir’s tomb).

S5 Suburban rural wastelands Raiwind and adjoining areas.

S6 Urban roadsides and drains Sewage channel (between jail road and Mall road).

competitive abilities of the exotic plants and their results 74° 39′ E longitude with the elevation ranging from 211 to 213 m. It indicated that Parthenium hysterophorus L. is a better covers about 1772 square kilometers. The climate of Lahore is very competitor than the other species. It appeared that the healthy and salubrious and classified as sub-humid subtropical continental (Soil Survey Report, 2005). As a result of this, a general establishment of completion and the life cycle of the P. survey was conducted to select the sites for seasonal survey of the hysterophorus L. were the main features in out- area. The criterion was to select sites having growth of natural competing the dominants of Asteraceae in the wasteland stands/vegetation representative of the entire city. area of Lahore. Maria et al. (2007) studied the diversity The surveys started with the general description of the area. and distribution of the family Asteraceae along a rainfall This investigation was planned to observe the distribution of the species to determine the preference for habitat. The selected sites, gradient in Uganda. The distribution was high in dry marked as permanent sites were visited in summer, rainy and grassland habitats, and road side habitats have less winter seasons. The sites were selected along a spatial gradient number of species. Vegetation is highly affected by and denoted by three points, representing low, moderate and high climatic factors such as rainfall, temperature, levels of urbanization covering both urban and suburban areas evaporation, radiation and relative humidity. (Table 1). Primarily, the whole Lahore city was visited frequently, Lahore, the second largest and most urbanized city in though the research was restricted to the selected sites for the occurrence of the representative species. Fieldwork was carried out Pakistan (Amjad et al., 2005), also known as the Gardens during April 2006 to September 2009. It included the sampling of of Mughals or City of gardens (Kausar et al., 1990) was floristic data. The first data set consisted of subjectively or non considered as the best site for the introduction of many random (NR) sampling, that is, with already known patches of types of plants from all over the world. Many of the vegetation type. The representative patches of that vegetation type introduced plants have become a threat to the natural were marked in the field on the basis of the following criteria and vegetation (Khan and Rashid, 1994). The high diversity of pre-conditions: urban landscapes, resulting from variable land use 1. Plots had to be fairly easy to access, meaning that they were creates a great variety of ecological conditions for plants either located near roads or in the middle of large fields. (Gilbert, 1998). These characteristics make the urban 2. Plots were subjectively chosen so that only those plots were areas unique in their ecological and environmental selected which contain the members of the Asteraceae. conditions and ecological patterns within urban areas are 3. Braun-Blanquet’s approach used by Muller-Dombois and relatively consistent worldwide (Alberti et al., 2003; Ellenberg (1974) had been applied for the analysis of vegetation. Nomenclature of plants was based on Stewart (1978) and Ali and McKinney, 2006). Qaiser (1992 to 2007). The present study focuses on the density, frequency, The identified plants were pressed, dried, preserved and deposited diversity and occurrence of the members of Asteraceae in Dr. Sultan Ahmed Herbarium GCU, Lahore. Species diversity in the city of Lahore. We hoped to meet the objectives of was calculated after Brower and Jerrold (1977) as follows: the present work by doing the following procedures: ‘H’ = - ∑ pi log pi

1. Comparative study of Asteraceae family from the flor of Lahore by Kashyap and Joshi (1936). Experimental sites 2. Listing of new species introduced in Lahore District. 3. Knowing the status of the existing members of the The observational studies were carried out in the following selected concerned family. Since the ecological analysis is based sites: Each site was selected by keeping in mind spatial heterogeneity. on urban and suburban habitat, the result can help us in appreciating the impact in the two situations.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

MATERIALS AND METHODS After the ecological studies, results comprises important The area under investigation is located in Lahore District, Punjab, values (IV), Shannon diversity index and the distribution Pakistan. It lies between 31° 13′ to 31° 43′ N latitudes and 74° 00 to of families and their associates in relative sites.

Hanif et al. 305 Diversity index and IVI of Asteraceae in selected sites of lahore District

7 species which were not present before, the poor soil, less amount of organic matter and inhibition of the grazers to 6 these protected areas. Urban road and drain sides also 5 showed the lowest diversity index because these slopes 4 Diversity Index usually had limited nutrient resources and toxic IVI chemicals. The drain water also delimited the growth of 3 the vegetation. The highest numbers of species were 2 observed in suburban colonial because in Burki, BRB

IVI and diversity index anddiversity IVI canal passes which provides continuous moisture to the 1 species; similarly there is defense of vacant plots where 0 these species that established themselves were present. S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 Suburban natural which is also a riparian site showed Selected sites 1.27 diversity index as given in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Relationship between diversity index and IVI of Asteraceae in selected sites of Lahore District. Common species

The common species were those which were present in three or more than three sites, although these common IV of Asteraceae species were not evenly distributed. So the name of each common species along with respective site had also been Asteraceae showed the maximum IV in the S1 site which mentioned. Among them P. hysterophorus in all six sites, is a suburban colony while S which is a rural waste land 5, Conyza ambigua in all six sites, Pulicaria crispa in S1 , S2, area in Lahore District having 6.0, was the second, and S5, Xanthium strumarium in S1 , S2, and S3, Eclipta acquiring the highest IV. S , S and S had almost the 2 3 4 alba in S1 , S5 and S6 Cnicus arvensis in S1 , S2, and S5, same IV of 5.7, 5.1 and 5.4, respectively. S which is an 6, Sonchus asper in all five sites, Launea nudicaulis in S1 , urban centre, showed the least IV. Similarities were S2, S4 S5 and S6, Chenopodium album in S1 , S2, S3 and apparent between the IV at different selected sites and S6 and Chenopodium murale in S2, S4 and S5 were the when the range of vegetation was observed, certain most common species (Table 3). features became more apparent as discussed in diversity (Figure 1). Distribution of families

Diversity of Asteraceae Burki site (S1)

The species diversity was calculated using Shannon The total numbers of the species found in this site were Winner diversity index (‘H’) for S1 , S2, S3, S4 , S5 and S6 17 having the highest diversity index in all. Along with sites. Species diversity varies between the sites as the common species, the other species found were species richness increases or decreases. Species Cichorium intybus, Pentanema vestitum, Pulicaria crispa , richness is the expression of numbers of species which is Eclipta alba, Artemisia scoparia, Echinops echinatus, actually the diversity of the area. Total numbers of plant Cousinea minuta, Silybum marianum, Sassura species were 28 belonging to 22 genera. The highest candiacns, Carthamus oxyacantha and Sonchus arvensis diversity was observed in suburban colonial site (S1) (Table 3). Along with Asteraceae and Chenopodiacea, having maximum diversity index of 2.74 while suburban nine associated species belonging to seven different rural waste areas of Raiwind had second highest diversity families were also found as co-dominants. These were index which was 1.75 with species richness of 16. Calotropis procera, Achyranthus aspera, Polygonum Although it was a saline area, the high diversity index plebejum, Withania somnifera, Melilotus parviflora, was due to the fact that the species were present usually Dicanthium annulatun and Cyanodon dactylon (Table 2). in patches and the vegetation was less dense as compared to suburban colonial site. Suburban agriculture, suburban natural, urban protected areas and The Wahga site (S2) urban road and drain side had almost the same diversity index of 1.36, 1.27, 1.14 and 0.98, respectively (Figure A total of 12 species were found. Along with common 1). species the other species of Asteraceae and The lowest diversity value in urban protected areas was Chenopodiaceae were Blumea membranacea, due to the protection of the site, which is important in Pseudognephalium luteo-album, Cotula hemispherica, encouraging the suppression of invasion by those Sassurea candicans and Sonchus oleracious (Table 3).

306 Afr. J. Plant Sci.

Table 2. A list of families and their species in association with Asteraceae and Chenopodiaceae in selected sites of Lahore District.

S/N Family Species name Site 1 Acyranthes aspera L. S , S , S , S Amaranthaceae 1 2 3 6 2 Amaranthus viridis L. S2, S4, S6

3 Asclepiadaceae Calotropis procera (Ait.) Ait. f S1, S2, S4, S6

4 Caryophyllaceae Stellaria media (L.) Vill. S2, S3, S5

5 Cyperaceae Cyperus rotundus L. S2

6 Nyctaginaceae Boerhavia diffusa L. S2, S4

7 Oxalidaceae Oxalis corniculata L. S2, S6

8 Cenchrus biflorus Roxb. S1, S2, S3

9 Polypogon monospeliensis (L.) Desf. S5

10 Poaceae Dicanthium annulatum (Forssk.) Stapf. S6

11 Phalaris minor Retz. S5, S2

12 Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf. S2, S3, S5

13 - Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6

14 Polygonaceae Polygonum plebejum R.Br. S1, S3, S5

15 Polygonaceae Rumex dentatus L. S2, S3, S5

16 Primulaceae Phyla nudiflora S3

17 Solanaceae Withania somnifera S1, S5, S6

Along with Asteraceae, nine different species belonging the highest diversity. Along with common species the to eight families were also present. These were species which were found were Ageratum conyzoides, Achyranthus aspera, Calotropis procera, Amaranthus Blumea lacera, Laggera aurita, Eclipta alba, Crepis viridus, Dicanthium annulatum, Oxalis corniculata, japonica, Sonchus arvensis, Chenopodium ambrosoides Boerhavia diffusa, Withania somnifera, Cyprus rotundus (Table 3). Along with nine associated species, eight and Rumex dentates (Table 2). different families were also found. These were Polygonum plebejum, Rumex dentatus, Polypogon monosplensis, Phalaris minor, Ranunculus scleratus, Mohlanwall site (S3) Melilotus parviflora, Desmostachya bipinnata, Anagalis arvensis and Dicanthium annulatum (Table 2). In S3 site, seven species were found. Along with common species other species of Asteraceae were Ageratum conyzoides, Gnephalium polycanton (Table 3). Along with The Gymkhana road and drain site (S6) Asteraceae, seven associated species of six different families were found. These were Achyranthus aspera, Four species were found only in this site and also Polygonum plebejum, Dicanthium annulatum, Rumex showed poor diversity, but spatial heterogeneity was dentatus, Phyla nodiflora, Withania somnifera and observed among the species. This site included all the Desmostachya bipinnata (Table 2). common species (Table 3). Other than common species, the five associated species belonging to five families

were found. These were Calotropis procera, Acyranthus Archaeological site (S ) 4 aspera, Amaranthus viridus, Stelaria media, Oxalis

corniculata, Withania somnifera, Cenchrus biflorus and In S site, seven species were found. The members of 4 Cyanodon dactylon (Table 2). Asteraceae which were investigated were Conyza stricta and Vernonia cinera (Table 3). Along with Asteraceae, four subassociates belonging to four different families Comparison with Kashyap’s work were found. These were Calotropis procera, Amaranthus viridis, Cynodon dactylon and Boerhavia diffusa (Table 2). The present study focused on six different sites of Lahore District. The comparison with the Lahore District flora by Raiwind site (S5) Kashyap showed that Asteraceae was divided into 15 different tribes and 191 genera. Tribe Anthemideae was In S5 site, 12 species were found. This site also showed divided among 22 species: Arctoteae had two genera;

Hanif et al. 307

Table 3. List showing the presence or absence of Asteraceae in selected sites of Lahore District.

S/N Plant name Family/tribe name S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 1 Ageratum conyzoides L. Eupatorieae - - + + + - 2 Artemisia scoparia Waldst Anthemideae + - - - - - 3 Blumea lacera DC Inuleae - + - - - - 4 B. memberanacea DC Inuleae - + - - + - 5 Carthamus oxyacantha Bieb. Cardueae + - - - - - 6 Carthamus tinctorius Bieb. Cardueae - + - - - - 7 Cichorium intybus L. Lactuceae - - - + - - 8 Cnicus argycaranthus Hoffm. - + - - - - 9 Cnicus arvensis Hoffm. + - - - + - 10 Conyza ambigua DC. Astereae + + + + + + 11 C. stricta Willd. Astereae - - - + - - 12 Cousinia minuta Boiss Cardueae - + - - - - 13 Cotula hemisphaerica (Roxb) Wall.ex Benth & Hook. F. Anthemideae - + - - - - 14 Crepis japonica Benth. Lactuceae - - - - + - 15 Echinops echinatus DC. Cardueae - + - - - - 16 Eclipta alba Hassk. Heliantheae + + - - - + 17 Gnaphalium polycanton L. Gnaphalieae - - + - - - 18 Laggera aurita Schultz-Bip Pluchee - - - - + - 19 Launia nudicaulis L. Lactuceae + + - + + + 20 Parthenium hysterophorus L. Heliantheae + + + + + + 21 Pentanema vestitum Wall. ex. DC. Inuleae + - + - - - 22 Pseudognaphalium luteo-album Lub. Gnaphalieae - + + - - - 23 Pulicaria undulata (L) C.A. Meyer Inuleae + + - - + - 24 Sassurea candicans Clarke Cardueae + + - - - - 25 Silybum marianum Gaertn. Cardueae + - - - - - 26 Sonchus arvensis L. Lactuceae + - - - + - 27 S. asper Hill. Lactuceae + + + + + + 28 S. oleraceous L. Lactuceae - + - - - - 29 Vernonia cinerea Less. Vernonieae - - - + - - 30 Xanthium strumarium L. Heliantheae + + + - - -

Astereae, 17 genera; Calenduleae, two genera; nutrients and BRB canal is passing through the area, Cardueae, 37 genera; Eupatorieae, three genera; which continuously provides moisture. These results are Gnaphalieae, 13 genera; Heliantheae, 21 genera; in conformity with that of Ricklefs and Schluter (1993) Helenieae, four genera; Inuleae, 13 genera; Lactuceae, who recognized that peaks of diversity occur at 36 genera; Mutisieae, four genera; Plucheeae, five intermediate levels of nutrient resources. genera; Senecioneae, nine genera and Vernonieae, only Species richness (9) found in S4 site which is an three genera. As a whole, the family Asteraceae was archaeological site was lower than that of other sites. V. distributed in Lahore in 10 different tribes, 23 genera and cinera Less. and Conyza stricta Willd. were present only 29 species. in this site. This may be due to the protection of the site, Kashyap and Joshi (1936) reported that Compositae which is important in encouraging the suppression of had 34 genera distributed among 47 different species. invasion by those species which were not present before. Tribes were absent in Kashyap and Joshi’s (1936) study. This was also reported by Hatough et al. (1986). S1 site He simply divided the species into their respective contained the highest species richness and diversity (17 genera. species, H = 3.1). The study areas received uneven The results of the present investigation have provided rainfall and phytogeographically fall in sub-humid sufficient information for assessing the impact of subtropical region (Anonymous, 2005). This transition urbanization on the removal of indigenous species. results in high and low rainfall, allowing some areas to Maximum diversity and richness was observed in S1 site have high specie richness and some with low species because the soil of this area has moderate amount of richness. These results are in accordance with Maria et

308 Afr. J. Plant Sci.

al. (2007) who reported that high and low rainfall alters General Ecology, Wmc. Brown company publishers, pp. 239-298. the species composition but the species diversity is more Ejaz SV (2002). An Investigation into the Competitive Abilities of An Exotic Plant (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) in Comparison with or less similar along the rainfall gradient. Indiginous Colonizers Palnts, in the Suburbs of Lahore. M.Phil, Study area, Lahore, is the second largest city of Thesis Botany Department, Government College University, Lahore. Pakistan where urbanization is taking place at a striking Funk VA, Baye RJ, Keeley S, Chan R, Watson L, Gemeinholzer B, rate with inadequate development of the requisite Schilling E, Panero JL, Baldwin BG, Garcia-Jagas N, Jansen A (2005). Everywhere but Antarctica; Using a super tree to understand infrastructure. Such anthropogenic activities give rise to the diversity and distribution of the Compositae, Biol. Skr., 55: 343- the congestion, pollution and commuting time issues 374. (Amjad et al., 2005). Previous data indicated that Ghafoor A (2002). Anthemideae in Flora of Pakistan. (edit. Ali SI & invasion by exotic plants both deliberately and naturally Qaiser M No. 207. Jointly published by Department of Botany, University of Karachi and Missouri Botanical Press, Missouri modified the natural landscape of Lahore (Khan and Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Rashid, 1994; Ejaz, 2002). Gilbert OL (1989). The Ecology of Urban habitats. Chapman and Hall . Low diversity and floristic poorness of S4 and S6 London. showed its status and the degree of disturbances like the Hatough AM Al- Eisawi DM, Disi AM (1986). The effect of conservation on wildlife in Jordan. Environ. Conserv., 13(4): 331-335. protection of the site and construction of roads Kashyap SR, Joshi AC (1936). Lahore District Flora, Department of respectively, which is important in encouraging the Botany, University of the Punjab. suppression of invasion by those species which were not Kausar S, Brand M, Wescoat JL (1990) Shalamar Garden Lahore: Land present before. This is also reported by Hatough et al. scape Form and Meaning, Karachi, Elite Publishers, p. 42 Khan AU, Rashid A (1994). Treds of Displacement of native species by (1986). invasives exotics in Lahore, A case Study. Biol., 4 (1&2): 11-20. Two new species not mentioned in Lahore District flora, Maria M, Mucunguzi P, Lye KA (2007). Diversity and distribution of Parthenium hysteropohorus and Pantanema vestitum Asteraceae along a rainfall gradient in Uganda, Afr. J. Ecol., 45: 52- were also reported. P. hysteropohorus is a recent 56. Mckinney ML (2006). Urbanization as a major cause of biotic introduction in the sub-continent native of Mexico and homogenization. Biological Conserv., 127: 247-260. Central America (Navie et al., 1996). In Pakistan too, it is Muller-Dombois D, Ellenberg H (1974). Aims and Method of Vegetation a recent introduction, as it was not included in flora of Ecology. Wiley International Edition. Punjab given by Parker (1956), common plant of waste Navie SC, Mcfadyen RE, Panetta FD, Adkins SW (1996). The biology of Australian weeds-27, Parthenium hysterophorus L. Plant Prot. places, road sides, cultivated ground, degraded soil, Quart., 11: 76-88. along water canal, railway track and recently cropped Parker PN (1956). Forest Flora for the Punja with Hazara and Dilhi. 3rd areas. The reason for the rapid spread is due to strong ed. Superintendent Government Printing, West Pakistan. competitive power, thereby having an ability to out- Ricklefs RE, Schluter D (1993). Species diversity in ecological communities. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, USA. compete indigenous flora. The plant becomes a menace Salinity tolerant plants, 1: 403-422. by exercising invasive qualities and spreading rapidly Rutter AJ, Sheikh KH (1962). A survey of vegetation of waste lands (Ejaz, 2002) as compared with flora. Site S3 possesses round Lahore in relation to soil conditions, Biologia, 8(2): 91-121 abundance and diversity of the vegetation which was Stewart R (1978). Flora of West Pakistan. An Annotated Catalogue of Vascular Plants of West Pakistan and Kashmir. (Eds.): E Nasir and severely affected and the area along River Ravi was SI Ali. Fakhri Printing Press, Karachi, Pakistan. changed into derelict habitat which had less vegetation. It is concluded that many factors like urbanization, invasive plants, changes in land use and also the irrigation system cumulatively alter the natural vegetation. Therefore, effective planning to combat the problems should be done to provide more greener area, low temperature heat island and the suppression of invasion. This would ultimately improve the ecosystem structure and function.

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