EFFECT OF INDUS RIVER FLOODS ON DYNAMICS OF RIVERINE FLORA OF LOW RIPARIAN ZONE RAJA ZOQ-UL-ARFEEN 02-arid-42 Department of Forestry & Range Management Faculty of Forestry, Range Management & Wildlife Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi Pakistan 2015 i EFFECT OF INDUS RIVER FLOODS ON DYNAMICS OF RIVERINE FLORA OF LOW RIPARIAN ZONE by RAJA ZOQ-UL-ARFEEN (02-arid-42) A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry & Range Management Department of Forestry & Range Management Faculty of Forestry, Range Management & Wildlife Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi Pakistan 2015 ii CERTIFICATION I hereby undertake that this research is an original one and no part of this thesis falls under plagiarism. If found otherwise, at any stage, I will be responsible for the consequences. Student’s Name: Raja Zoq-ul-Arfeen_ Signature: ___________________ Registration No: _____02-arid-42______Date: ___________________ Certified that the contents and form of thesis entitled “Effect of Indus River Floods on Dynamics of Riverine Flora of Low Riparian Zone” submitted by Raja Zoq-ul-Arfeen have been found satisfactory for the requirement of the degree. Supervisor:___________________________ (Dr. Aamir Saleem) Member: _____________________________ (Prof. Dr. Sarwat N. Mirza) Member:___________________________ (Dr. Muhammad Akmal) Chairman: _______________________________ Dean: __________________________________ Director, Advanced Studies: _________________ iii "In the Name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful" iv WWHHIICCHH IISS IITT,, OOFF TTHHEE FFAAVVOORRSS OOFF YYOOUURR LLOORRDD,, TTHHAATT YYEE DDEENNYY.. (Al Quran, Surah Ar-Rehman) v DEDICATION I confer this meek endeavor, the corollary of their yawning heartfelt prayers and enduring tutelage to the my esteemed, laudable, affectionate, loving, caring and sweet Parent's, Brother, Sisters and Better Half whose love, As deep as the sea, As pure as unsullied lily and As constant as northern star and whose wholehearted prayers and advices, As precious as Brazilian diamonds have transformed my dreams into veracity. vi CONTENTS Page List of Figures xi List of Tables xv List of Acronyms xvi List of Appendices xvii Acknowledgement xix ABSTRACT xxii 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 8 2.1 RIPARIAN BIODIVERSITY 8 2.2 REGIONAL FLORA 11 2.3 PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL STUDIES 13 2.4 VEGETATION SAMPLING 15 2.5 FOREST INVENTORY 18 2.6 FLOOD DISTURBANCES 19 3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 25 3.1 STUDY AREA 25 3.1.1 Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary 25 3.1.2 Keti Shah Forest 26 3.2 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE 26 3.3 FLORTISTIC COMPOSITION, LIFE FORM AND PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL STUDIES 27 3.3.1 Floristic Composition 27 vii 3.3.2 Life Form (Biological Spectrum) 27 3.3.3 Phytosociological Studies 28 3.4 COMPARISON OF FLORAL DIVERSITY 30 3.4.1 Shannon Biodiversity Index 30 3.4.2 Species Richness 31 3.4.3 Equitability 31 3.4.4 Similarity Index 31 3.4.5 Simpson’s Index 31 3.4.6 SHE Analysis 32 3.4.7 Rank Abundance 32 3.4.8 Rarefaction 32 3.5 COMPARISON OF PRE-FLOODS AND POST-FLOODS STATE OF FLORAL DIVERSITY 33 3.6 EDAPHOLOGY OF EVALUATED AREAS 33 3.7 DATA ANALYSIS 33 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 35 4.1 FLORISTIC COMPOSITION 35 4.1.1 Plant Collection and Identification 35 4.1.2 Phenology 36 4.2 LIFE FORM 38 4.2.1 Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary 38 4.2.2 Keti Shah Forest 40 4.3 PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL STUDIES 40 4.3.1 Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary 42 viii 4.3.2 Keti Shah Forest 50 4.4 COMPARISON OF UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM FLORAL DIVERSITY 61 4.4.1 Shannon Diversity Index and Evenness 61 4.4.2 Simpson's Index 63 4.4.3 Richness or Margalef Index 64 4.4.4 Rank Abundance 65 4.4.5 Rarefaction 71 4.4.6 Cluster Analysis or Similarity Index 73 4.4.7 SHE Analysis 75 4.5 COMPARISON OF PRE-FLOODS AND POST-FLOODS FLORAL DIVERSITY 77 4.5.1 Pre-Flood Situation 77 4.5.2 Shannon Diversity Index and Evenness 82 4.5.3 Simpson's Index 84 4.5.4 Margalef Index 84 4.5.5 Rank Abundance 86 4.5.6 Rarefaction 86 4.5.7 Cluster Analysis or Similarity Index 90 4.5.8 SHE Analysis 94 4.6 EDAPHOLOGY 94 4.6.1 Soil Collection 94 4.6.2 Soil Analysis 96 4.6.3 Soil Analysis of Upstream Areas 96 ix 4.6.4 Soil Analysis of Downstream Areas 97 SUMMARY 100 LITERATURE CITED 102 APPENDICES 125 x List of Figures Figure No. Page 1 The Indus River system and the location of irrigation 3 barrages and dams 4.1.2 (a) Plant phenology from different seasons in Taunsa 39 Wildlife Sanctuary. (b) Plant phenology from different seasons in Keti Shah Forest 4.2.1 Plant Life Forms of the Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary in pre 41 and post-monsoon season 4.2.2 Plant life forms of Keti Shah Forest in pre and post- 41 monsoon seasons 4.3.1.1.1 Frequency and relative frequency of plant species in pre- 44 monsoon season of Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary 4.3.1.1.2 Density and relative density of plant species in pre- 44 monsoon season of Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary 4.3.1.1.3 Cover and relative cover of plant species in pre-monsoon 46 season of Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary 4.3.1.1.4 Importance value and summed dominance ratio of plant 46 species in pre-monsoon season of Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary 4.3.1.2.1 Frequency and relative frequency of plant species in post- 48 monsoon season of Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary 4.3.1.2.2 Density and relative density of plant species in post- 48 xi monsoon season of Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary 4.3.1.2.3 Cover and relative cover of plant species in post-monsoon 51 season of Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary 4.3.1.2.4 Importance value and summed dominance ratio of plant 51 species in post-monsoon season of Taunsa Wildlife Sanctuary 4.3.2.1.1 Frequency and relative frequency of plant species in pre- 53 monsoon season of Keti Shah Forest 4.3.2.1.2 Density and relative density of plant species in pre- 53 monsoon season of Keti Shah Forest 4.3.2.1.3 Cover and relative cover of plant species in pre-monsoon 55 season of Keti Shah Forest 4.3.2.1.4 Importance value and summed dominance ratio of plant 55 species in pre-monsoon season of Keti Shah Forest 4.3.2.2.1 Frequency and relative frequency of plant species in post- 57 monsoon season of Keti Shah Forest 4.3.2.2.2 Density and relative density of plant species in post- 57 monsoon season of Keti Shah Forest 4.3.2.2.3 Cover and relative cover of plant species in post-monsoon 59 season of Keti Shah Forest 4.3.2.2.4 Importance value and summed dominance ratio of plant 59 species in post-monsoon season of Keti Shah Forest 4.4.1 Shannon Index for floral diversity in upstream and 62 downstream areas xii 4.4.2 Simpson's Index for floral diversity in upstream and 66 downstream areas 4.4.3 Margalef index for floral diversity in upstream and 66 downstream areas 4.4.4 (a) Rank abudance of floral diversity in upstream areas (b) 69 Rank abudance of floral diversity in downstream areas 70 during pre and post-monsoon seasons 4.4.5 Rarefaction of specie diversity in upstream and downstream 72 areas 4.4.6 Bray - Curtis cluster dendrogram showing specie similarity 74 index in upstream and downstream areas 4.4.7 SHE analysis of plant species in pre and post-monsoon 76 seasons. (a) Upstream and (b) Downstream 4.5.2 Pre-Flood and Post-Flood Shannon Index Values of 85 Upstream and Downstream Areas 4.5.3 Pre-Flood and Post-Flood Simpson’s Index of Upstream 85 and Downstream Areas 4.5.4 Pre-Flood and Post-Flood Margalef Index of upstream and 87 downstream areas 4.5.5 Rank Abudance of Upstream and Downstream flooded 88 areas. (a) Taunsa Pre and Post-Flooded areas. (b) Keti Shah 89 Pre and Post-Flooded areas 4.5.6 Rarefaction or Estimated Richness of Upstream and 92 Downstream Pre and Post-Flooded Areas xiii 4.5.7 Bray - Curtis Cluster Dendrogram Showing Specie 92 Similarity Index in Upstream and Downstream Flooded Areas 4.5.8 SHE Analysis of Plant Species in Pre and Post-Flood areas. 95 (a) Upstream and (b) Downstream xiv List of Tables Table No. Page 4.4.1 Shannon Index for floral diversity in upstream and downstream 62 areas. 4.4.2 Simpson's diversity Simpson's Index for floral diversity in 67 upstream and downstream areas 4.4.6 Bray - Curtis cluster analysis showing species similarity index 74 in upstream and downstream areas 4.5.1a Taunsa Pre-Flood Vegetation: The data was obtained from 78 WWF-Pakistan report. 4.5.1b Keti Shah Pre-Flood Vegetation: The data was obtained from 81 WWF-Pakistan report 4.5.1c Pre-Flood and Post-Flood Plant Families and Species Number 83 4.5.2 Pre-Flood and Post-Flood Shannon Index Values and Evenness 83 of Upstream and Downstream Areas 4.5.7 Pre Flood and Post Flood Cluster Analysis in Upstream and 93 Downstream Flooded Areas 4.6.3 Soil anlysis of upstream areas (a) pre-monsoon season (b) post- 98 monsoon season. 4.6.4 Soil anlysis of downstream areas (a) pre-monsoon season (b) 99 post-monsoon season.