Khan et al.: A first ever detailed ecological exploration of the Western Himalayan forests of Sudhan Gali and Ganga Summit, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan - 15477 - A FIRST EVER DETAILED ECOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF THE WESTERN HIMALAYAN FORESTS OF SUDHAN GALI AND GANGA SUMMIT, AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR, PAKISTAN KHAN, A. M.1,2* – QURESHI, R.2 – SAQIB, Z.3 – MUNIR, M.4 – SHAHEEN, H.5 – HABIB, T.5 – DAR, M. E. U. I.5 – FATIMAH, H.6 – AFZA, R.7 – HUSSAIN, M. A.8 1Department of Botany, Govt. Hashmat Ali Islamia Degree College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan 2Department of Botany, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan 3Department of Environmental Science, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan 4Department of Botany, University of Animal & Plant Sciences, Ravi Campus, Pattoki, Punjab, Pakistan 5Department of Botany, University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Pakistan 6Department of Biology & Environmental Science, Allama Iqbal Open University, H-8 Islamabad, Pakistan 7Department of Botany, Hazara University Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan 8Department of Biotechnology, Mirpur University of Science & Technology, 10250 Mirpur, AJK, Pakistan *Corresponding author e-mail:
[email protected]; phone: +92-33-3521-7235 (Received 22nd Jul 2019; accepted 16th Oct 2019) Abstract. The baseline ecological exploratory studies of floristically rich areas like the western Himalaya are very important to determine the diversity variations. Based on research gaps detected in ecological literature of the western Himalayan forests of Sudhan Gali and Ganga summit, the study area is revisited. Plots data was collected during 2016, and advanced multivariate statistical tools were used to analyze it. Some of multivariate tools including permutation test, indicator species analysis and variation partitioning (partial CCA) were used for the first time in the area.