Classification of Plant Communities of Sialkot District Punjab, Pakistan

International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 9, Issue 3, March-2018 1645 ISSN 2229-5518

Classification of Plant Communities of Sialkot District Punjab, Pakistan & the Determination of Effects of Environmental Variables on their pattern of distribution Arifa Zereen, Sheikh Saeed Ahmad, Zaheer-Ud-Din Khan, Almas Jahan

Abstract— This study is an endeavor to study different plant communities of Sialkot District and the effect of environmental variables on their pattern of distribution. A total of fifty one species after twenty seven families were recorded from the study area. Plants were properly identified with the help of flora of Pakistan and available literature. For statistical analysis of the data multivariate techniques were employed. For classification of plant communities Two Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) program was used, which divided vegetation of the area into two major communities. First major community was further divided into two and second major community was divided into three sub communities. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) helped to develop correlation between species distribution pattern and environmental variables. Data used in CCA was based on water and soil samples chemical and physical analysis i.e., pH, EC, soil colour and soil water content. The results exhibited that different parameters of water tested were strongly influencing the grouping of species however soil pH also played significant role in plant distribution.

Key Words— Classification, Multivariate techniques, Soil, Vegetation, Water. ——————————  ——————————

1 INTRODUCTION District Sialkot is bounded by Jammu Kashmir on north, soil and found its significant influence on distribution of spe- Gujrat on northwest Gujranwala on west and Narowal on cies. Yousaf et al [4] utilized CCA to study the relationship south. Besides River Chenab that flows in the north of Sialkot, between selected soil parameters and vegetation along Rawal there are three seasonal Nalas namely Aik, Bher and Palkhu Dam Islamabad. Their results showed that Manganese and that pass through the district. Sialkot spreads over Piedmont Potassium were most effective nutrients determining vegeta- and adjoining plains of Deg, Tawi and Chenab rivers. The area tion distribution. is comprised of old river terrace, Subrecent and Recent flood- 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS plains and piedmont plainsIJSER irrigated by tube wells and sea- 2.1 Floristic Data sonal canals. Sialkot falls in sub-humid warm subtropical Sampling and data collection of vegetation was carried out at monsoon rain- region of Pakistan. The area has good agricul- flowering stage, during spring season. Forty quadrats of dif- tural potential and plays significant role in agronomic devel- ferent sizes viz., 1m2 for grasses, 5 m2 for shrubs and 10 m2 for opment of the country. trees following Braun-Blanquet approach were used. Sampled Present study was designed to record the flora of Si- plant species were identified by consulting Flora of Pakistan alkot district and determine the effects of soil and water pa- and Literature [9], [10], [11]. Percentage cover and frequency rameters on distribution of plant communities of the area by of vegetation were recorded [12]. applying multivariate techniques viz; TWINSPAN and CCA. 2.2 Soil and Water Sampling and Analysis For classifying and conserving the flora of an area on long Soil samples were collected from each quadrat and analyzed at term basis Biological assessment is required [1], [2]. For analy- Soil Survey of Punjab for its texture, colour, moisture content, sis of vegetation data TWINSPAN technique was applied [3]. pH and EC. Similarly water table depth, pH and EC were Yousaf et al [4] classified the herbaceous vegetation along recorded for water samples [13]. Rawal Dam into seven communities by employing 2.3 Multivariate Techniques TWINSPAN analysis. In another study carried along Simly The phytosociological statistics were analyzed by TWINSPAN Lake, TWINSPAN divided 21 species belonging to 19 families software that identified the major and sub plant communities into two main groups which were further divided into sub at the study site. CCA was used to establish floristic- groups [5]. environment relationship. Matrix sheets prepared in Microsoft CCA technique is a combination of Correspondence Analysis Excel were run in CANOCO and species scatter biplot graph and Regression Method [6]. Distribution of plant communities was obtained. is influenced by multiple of environmental factors, hence CANOCO program possesses the capacity to consider and manipulate these influences [7], [8]. Afzal et al [5] carried out research along Simly Lake, Islambad. They used CCA to study the relationship of floristic data with organic content of the IJSER © 2018 http://www.ijser.org International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 9, Issue 3, March-2018 1646 ISSN 2229-5518

er. Anethum graveolens, Trifolium resupinatum and Sonchus arvensis were also part of this sub community. Major Community 2: Portulaca oleracea - Ranunculus muricatus The major community 2 labeled as Portulaca oleracea - Ranunculus muricatus due to the highest presence of these species in the area was further divided into three sub- communi- 3. Results ties namely Portulaca oleracea-Withania somnifera, Ranunculus Statistical Analysis of Floristic Data by TWINSPAN muricatus- Morus alba and Coronopus didymus- Vicia sativa

2.1 Portulaca oleracea - Withania somnifera

TWINSPIN analysis of floristic data of Sialkot depicted that

this was largest sub community. This community showed its

existence throughout the study site of Fakiranwali Bajwa vil-

lage of Tehsil Pasrur on the edges of cultivated fields and

waste lands. This sub- community encompassed eighteen spe- Fig. 1. Flow chart the of methodology cies. Major factor responsible in existence of these species to-

gether seemed to be the similarity of habitat requirements. The

dominant species of the sub- community were Acacia nilotica, Fifty one species after twenty seven families were recorded by Conyza bonariensis, Chenopodium album, Lathyrus aphaca, Eu- studding forty quadrats in different sites of Sialkot study area. phorbia prostrate, Phalaris minor, Polypogon monspeliensis and At first level of analysis this program divided the vegetation Lolium temulentum. of the area into two major communities which were subse- 2.2 Ranunculus muricatus - Morus alba quently divided into smaller or sub communities. All the This sub community mostly occupied agricultural fields, communities were named after leading dominant species. waste lands and road sides in Basi wala village of Tehsil Cynodon dactylon -Solanum nigrum Major Community 1: Pasrur. This group was recorded from thirty quadrats and % This major community, Cynodon dactylon -Solanum nigrum was age frequency values of dominating species were high i.e., named so because of greatest presence of these species in the Ranunculus muricatus 46 % and Morus alba 31 %. area and was further divided into two sub- communities 2.3 Coronopus didymus - Vicia sativa namely Cynodon dactylon-Convolvulus arvensis and Parthenium This small community was recorded out of twenty eight quad- hysterophorus -Amaranthus viridis rats studied at Mianwali Bangla Town of Tehsil Daska. Wheat 1.1 Cynodon dactylon -Convolvulus arvensis was being cultivated in the fields of sampling area. Perhaps This sub community was recorded from margins of agricul- similar ecological requirements made Coronopus didymus and tural fields, uncultivated pieces of lands and road sides in a Vicia sativa to grow together. village of Tehsil Pasrur namedIJSER Basiwala. This group was

found in thirty two qutadrats. The most important species

Cynodon dactylon exhibited good frequency value of 45 % and

Convolvulus arvensis 35 %. Members of this sub community

showed their appearance throughout the study area. The sub-

community was comprised of fourteen species.

1.2 Parthenium hysterophorus -Amaranthus viridis The dominant species of this community were Parthenium

hysterophorus and Amaranthus viridis. This community was

located on the Pasrur to Gujranwala road. Both species were

growing frequently on disturbed habitats such as road side,

trampled and over grazed patches of land, crop fields and

waste lands etc. Similar ecological amplitude and microclimat-

ic conditions requirements made these species to grow togeth-

———————————————— • Arifa Zereen, Associate Professor of Botany, University of Education Bank Road Campus, Lahore Pakistan, PH-03334339697. E-mail: [email protected] • Sheikh Saeed Ahmad, Associate Professor of Botany in Fatima JinnahWomenUniversity, Rawalpindi, Pakistan • Zaheer-Ud-Din Khan, Professor of Botany, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan • Almas Jahan, Lecturer, University of Education Bank Road Campus, Lahore Pakistan IJSER © 2018 http://www.ijser.org International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 9, Issue 3, March-2018 1647 ISSN 2229-5518

Biplot Graph of Species and Environmental Var- for measuring and monitoring biodiversity”. Smithsonian press, Washington iables for Sialkot D.C. pp. 280, 2000. In the CCA figure, out of 51 species, most of the species were [2] B. Shahbaz, T. Ali, and A.Q. Suleri, “ A critical analysis of forest poli- grouped in the center of the figure depicting being influenced cies of Pakistan: Implications for sustainable livelihoods. Mitigation by water table, water content, EC and pH. Among these pa- and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change”. 12(4): pp. 441-453, rameters pH of water performed considerable role in assem- 2007. blage of Calotropis procera, Commelina benghalensis, Sonchus [3] R. Graveson, “The Classification of the vegetation of Saint Lucia FCG arvensis, Atriplex crassifolia, and Solanum surattense. Though (Finnish Consultancy Group) International Ltd”. Helsinki, Finland, role of Water content and EC could not be diminished but, 2009. most of species gathered at left side of biplot showed a greater [4] A. Yousaf, R. Shabbir, A. Jabeen, S. Erum, and S.S. Ahmad, “Linkage between herbaceous vegetation and soil characteristics along Rawal influence of water and soil pH upon their distribution. Species Dam Islamabad”. J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. 16 (1): pp.18-27, 2016. located near to water content arrow specified that their water [5] I. Afzal, A. Jabeen, M. Nawaz, and S.S. Ahmad, “Vegetation classifi- content requirements were same e.g., Dalbergia sissoo, Trifolium cation and its response to soil organic matter along Simly Lake using alexandrinum, Lathyrus aphaca and Phalaris minor. Same applies ordination technique”. Int. J. Sci. & Eng. Res., Volume 5, Issue 11,pp. on water EC and water table parameters. 1286-1289, 2014. [6] C.J.F.T. Braak, “Canonical correspondence analysis: a new eigenvector technique for multivariate direct gradient analysis”. Ecol. 67: 1167-79, 1986. [7] M. Kent, and P. Coker, “Vegetation description and analysis”. 2nd ed. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, 1995. [8] D.M. Kashian, B.V. Barnes, and W.S.Walker, “Ecological species groups of land form- level ecosystems dominated by Jack Pine in northern Lower Michigan, USA”. Plant Ecol. 166: pp.75-91, 2003. [9] E. Nasir, and S.I. Ali, “Flora of Pakistan”. No. 1-190. National Herbar- ium, PARC, Islamabad and Department of Botany, University of Ka- rachi, Pakistan, 1970-89. [10] S.I. Ali, and Y.J. Nasir, “Flora of Pakistan”. Nos. 191-193. Department of Botany, University of Karachi and National Herbarium, PARC, Islamabad, 1990- 92. [11] S.I. Ali, and M. Qaiser, “Flora of Pakistan”. Nos. 194-208. Department of Botany, University of Karachi and National Herbarium, PARC, Islamabad, 1992- 2010. [12] M. Kent, and P. Coker, “Vegetation description and anal- IJSERysis”. 1st ed. Bilhaven Press, London, 1992. [13] S.E. Allen, “Chemical analysis of ecological materials”. Blackwell scientific publications; Oxford (London).pp.565, 1974.

4 CONCLUSION

The study concluded that the area was under heavy biotic and abiotic pressure. Low rate of regeneration and overexploita- tion of economically and medicinally important plants has considerably reduced their number. Conservation of wild flora can best be achieved after proper time of sustainable harvest- ing, which is possible with the participation of local communities.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors wish to thank local people of the area for their cooperation in providing useful information about the area. Thanks are also due to soil survey of Punjab for providing laboratory facilities for the analysis of soil and water samples.

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