Exploring Patterns of Phytodiversity, Ethnobotany, Plant Geography and Vegetation in the Mountains of Miandam, Swat, Northern Pakistan
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EXPLORING PATTERNS OF PHYTODIVERSITY, ETHNOBOTANY, PLANT GEOGRAPHY AND VEGETATION IN THE MOUNTAINS OF MIANDAM, SWAT, NORTHERN PAKISTAN BY Naveed Akhtar M. Phil. Born in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Academic Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the Georg-August-University School of Science (GAUSS) under Faculty of Biology Program Biodiversity and Ecology Georg-August-University of Göttingen Göttingen, 2014 ZENTRUM FÜR BIODIVERSITÄT UND NACHHALTIGE LANDNUTZUNG SEKTION BIODIVERSITÄT, ÖKOLOGIE UND NATURSCHUTZ EXPLORING PATTERNS OF PHYTODIVERSITY, ETHNOBOTANY, PLANT GEOGRAPHY AND VEGETATION IN THE MOUNTAINS OF MIANDAM, SWAT, NORTHERN PAKISTAN Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultäten der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Vorgelegt von M.Phil. Naveed Akhtar aus Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Göttingen, 2014 WHEN WE ARE FIVE AND THE APPLES ARE FOUR MY MOTHER SAYS “I DO NOT LIKE APPLES” DEDICATED TO My Mother Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Erwin Bergmeier Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute ofPlant Sciences Department of Vegetation & Phytodiversity Analysis Georg-August-University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073, Göttingen, Germany Co-supervisor: Prof. Dr. Dirk Hölscher Department of Tropical Silviculture & Forest Ecology Georg-August-University of Göttingen Büsgenweg 1 37077, Göttingen, Germany Table of Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Zusammenfassung ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Summary ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 1 .................................................................................................................................................. 14 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Do mountains account for plant species diversity? ................................................................................... 14 Phytodiversity in Himalayan perspective .................................................................................................. 14 Computer based multivariate analyses of vegetation ................................................................................ 15 Ethnobotanical work in Pakistan ............................................................................................................... 15 Phytodiversity and vegetation analyses in Pakistan. ................................................................................. 16 Study area .................................................................................................................................................. 17 Geology of Swat ................................................................................................................................... 17 Miandam ............................................................................................................................................... 19 Basis of objectives of the present project .................................................................................................. 20 Objectives .................................................................................................................................................. 20 References ................................................................................................................................................. 21 CHAPTER 2 .................................................................................................................................................. 26 DIVERSITY AND USE OF ETHNO-MEDICINAL PLANTS IN THE REGION OF SWAT, NORTH PAKISTAN ................................................................................................................................................... 26 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................................... 27 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 28 Study area .................................................................................................................................................. 29 Methods ..................................................................................................................................................... 29 Results and discussion............................................................................................................................... 30 Plant diversity, use and applications ..................................................................................................... 30 Habitats and conservation of ethno-medicinal plants ........................................................................... 32 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 33 References ................................................................................................................................................. 44 CHAPTER 3 .................................................................................................................................................. 49 VEGETATION PATTERNS AND HUMAN IMPACT ALONG AN ELEVATION GRADIENT IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SWAT, NORTHERN PAKISTAN ................................................................................ 49 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................................... 50 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 51 Study Area ................................................................................................................................................. 52 Materials and methods .............................................................................................................................. 53 Data collection ...................................................................................................................................... 53 Data analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 54 Results ....................................................................................................................................................... 56 Diversity, classification and description of vegetation ......................................................................... 56 (1) Subalpine scrub of Betula utilis ...................................................................................................... 56 (2) Laurophyllous Quercus semecarpifolia forest ................................................................................ 60 (3) Subalpine Betula-Viburnum treeline scrub ..................................................................................... 60 (4) Alpine turf of Sibbaldia cuneata with Juniperus patches ............................................................... 60 (5) Coniferous forest of Abies pindrow and Geranium wallichianum .................................................. 61 (6) Picea smithiana mixed coniferous forest ........................................................................................ 61 (7) Woodland of Abies pindrow and Viburnum grandiflorum .............................................................. 62 (8) Subtropical groves of Ailanthus altissima ....................................................................................... 62 (9) Mixed forest of Quercus floribunda and Pinus wallichiana ........................................................... 63 (10) Woodland of Abies pindrow and Indigofera heterantha ............................................................... 63 (11) Woodland of Pinus wallichiana with Sorbaria tomentosa shrubbery .......................................... 64 (12) Woodland of Pinus wallichiana with Indigofera heterantha scrub .............................................. 64 Gradient analysis and altitudinal zonation ................................................................................................ 65 Discussion ................................................................................................................................................. 69 Comparison with other studies in wider surroundings ......................................................................... 69 Human impact ....................................................................................................................................... 72 References ................................................................................................................................................. 75 CHAPTER 4 .................................................................................................................................................