Phytosociology and Dendrochronological Study of Central Karakoram National Park, Northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan), Pakistan By ALAMDAR HUSSAIN Under the supervision of Professor Dr. Moinuddin Ahmed A thesis submitted to the Graduate Research Management Council in partial fulfillment for the degree of doctor of Philosophy 2013 Laboratory of Dendrochronology and Plant Ecology, Department of Botany, Federal Urdu University of Arts Science and Technology, Karachi-75300, Pakistan In the best name of Allah, Almighty, the most Beneficent, and the most Merciful “And use split the earth in fragments and produce there corn, and grapes and nutrition plants, and olives and dates and enclosed gardens dense with lofty trees, and fruits and fodder, for use and convenience to and your cattle” (Al-Quran, Part 30, Surah Abas 80, Ayat 25-32) I Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences & Technology Gulshan­E­Iqbal Karachi Department Of Botany CERTIFICATE Certified that Mr. Alamdar Hussain was enrolled for the program M.Phil leading to Ph.D. He has passed the required course work successfully and fulfilled all the criteria of Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the degree of doctorate. The dissertation titled “Phytosociology and Dendrochronological Study of Central Karakoram National Park, Northern Areas (Gilgit­ Baltistan), Pakistan” submitted by him is satisfactory and confide for the partial requirement of the award of Doctor of Philosophy degree. ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Chairperson Supervisor Department of Botany Prof. Dr. Moinuddin Ahmed (Foreign Professor) II III DEDICATION This thesis is lovingly dedicated to my respective parents, brothers, sisters, relatives and honorable teachers who have been my constant source of inspiration. They have given me the drive and discipline to tackle any task with enthusiasm and determination. Without their love and support this thesis would not have been made possible. IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all my greatest thanks to Almighty ALLAH for bestowing upon me the courage to face the complexities of life and complete this thesis successfully. I would like to gratefully acknowledge the enthusiastic supervision of Professor Dr. Moinuddin Ahmed (Foreign Professor) for the unforgettable supervision, useful comments, remarks and encouragement through out the learning process of this thesis. I have no word to explain his generosity and I proudly accept him as an ideal person for my whole life. Furthermore I would like to thank Professor Dr. S. Shahid Shaukat (Eminent Scholar) for introducing me to the statistical analysis as well for the support on multivariate analysis and valuable comments and suggestions on the manuscript. I am grateful to my best colleague and Research associate Mr. Muhammad Akbar, who has supported me throughout this work, both on the field and laboratory. I would be remiss if I did not mention Dr. Muhammad Faheem Siddiqui, Dr. Muhammad Uzair Khan, Dr. Kanwal Nazim, Dr. Muhammad Wahab and Dr. Nasrullah Khan, for their constant moral support as well as for useful information for the completion of the thesis. I wish to avail myself this opportunity to express a sense of gratitude and love to my friend and senior Dr. Toqeer Ahmed Rao for his generosity, support, valuable suggestion and encouragement during the completion of the thesis. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my father Gulam Jan and elder brother Dildar Hussain, who have been instrumental in the successful completion of this thesis. I can’t say thank them enough for their tremendous financial and moral support. I feel motivated and encouraged every time and without their encouragement and guidance this thesis would not have materialized and the reason why I am here. The guidance and support received from all the teaching and non-teaching members of Botany Department who contributed to this thesis in various ways. I am grateful for their constant support and help. I cannot forget to pay my thank to Laboratory staff members Mr. Azhar Ali Kazmi, Mr. Mirza Waqar Ali Baig, Mr. Abdul Basit and Mr. Muhammad Fahad for their support and love. I am very thankful to Mr. Ahsan (GIS laboratory supervisor) for his support and cooperation in mapping and other facilities. V My thanks and appreciations also go to my class fellows Mr. Faisal Hussain, Hina Zafar, Fariha Naz, Farzana Usman, Muhammad Usama Zafar, Jawaria Sultana, Shaheena Arshad, Tuba Tahir and people who have willingly helped me out with their abilities for their support and love during the completion of this thesis. It is my pleasure to acknowledge my elder sister Miss. Shaheen Abbas (Assistant Professor) and brother Muhammad Ilyas for their encouragement support and love. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Sher Wali (Assistant Professor KIU) for his help in identification of plant specimens. I take an immense pleasure in thanking Mr. Muhammad Ismail (Forest Conservator Gilgit-region), Mr. Syed Yasir Abbas Rizvi (Ecologist, CKNP), Mr. Babar Khan (WWF Head, Gilgit) for their guidance and support during field work. I am deeply indebted to Seerat Hussain, my cousin Ashiq Hussain, Arif Hussain, Sajid Ali, Kamran Haider, Muzahir Hussain with family, for their love hospitality and support in the field. Last but not the least I cannot express my gratitude to my mother in words, whose unconditional love and prayers have been my greatest strength. Without any doubt the most astonishingly patience women I have ever seen. The constant love and support of my younger sister Sajida Batool is also sincerely acknowledged. I cannot forget my brothers Imdad Hussain, Sakhawat Hussain and Sajid Hussain for their unconditional support and love throughout my life. Alamdar Hussain VI TABLE OF CONTENTS Certificate……………………………………………………………………………… I Thesis similarity index result………………………………………………………….. II Dedication……………………………………………………………………………... III Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………….. IV Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………… VI List of tables…………………………………………………………………………… XV List of figures………………………………………………………………………….. XVII Abstract in Urdu……………………………………………………………………….. 1 Abstract………………………………………………………………………………... 3 General introduction…………………………………………………………………... 5 Aims and objectives…………………………………………………………………… 6 CHAPTER 1 DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA 1.1-Geography of Gilgit-Baltistan…………………………………………………….. 7 1.2-Karakorum Mountainous Range…………………………………………………... 8 1.3-Geology of Gilgit- Baltistan………………………………………………………. 9 1.4-Economic structure of Gilgit-Baltistan……………………………………………. 10 1.5-Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP)……………………………………….. 11 1.6-Management of Central Karakoram National Park……………………………….. 11 1.7-Climate of Gilgit-Baltistan………………………………………………………... 12 1.8-Ecological Zonation……………………………………………………………….. 15 1.8.2-Montane Dry Temperate Coniferous forests……………………………………. 15 1.8.3- Montane Dry Temperate Broadleaved forests………………………………….. 15 1.8.4- Sub-Alpine forests……………………………………………………………… 15 1.8.5-Northern Dry Scrub……………………………………………………………... 16 1.9-Land used in Gilgit-Baltistan……………………………………………………… 17 1.10-Medicinal Plants…………………………………………………………………. 17 1.11-Wildlife…………………………………………………………………………... 20 1.12-Water Resources…………………………………………………………………. 20 1.13-Forest Cover in Gilgit-Baltistan…………………………………………………. 21 1.13.1-Protected forests………………………………………………………… 21 VII 1.13.2-Private Forests…………………………………………………………... 22 1.14-Polices and legislation…………………………………………………………… 23 1.15-Problems and issues……………………………………………………………… 23 PART-1 ECOLOGY CHAPTER 2 REVIWE OF LITERATURE 2.1-Introduction……………………………………………………………………….. 26 2.2-Literature review …………………………………………………………………. 26 CHAPTER 3 STRUCTURE AND FUTURE TREND OF THE VEGETATION OF CKNP 3.1- Introduction………………………………………………………………………. 36 3.2-Materials and Methods……………………………………………………………. 38 3.2.1-Size class structure……………………………………………………………… 38 3.2.2-Weibull distribution…………………………………………………………….. 38 3.3-Results…………………………………………………………………………….. 40 3.3.1-Vegetation description and size class structure of each stand……………….. 40 A.FORESTED AREA 3.3.1.1-Stand No 1-Bagrot……………………………………………………… 40 3.3.1.2-Stand No 2-Haramosh…………………………………………………... 40 3.3.1.3-Stand No 3-Hopar………………………………………………………. 41 3.3.1.4-Stand No 4-Stak -1……………………………………………………… 41 3.3.1.5-Stand No 5-Stak -2……………………………………………………… 41 3.3.1.6-Stand No 6-Rakaposhi-1………………………………………………... 42 3.3.1.7-Stand No 6-Rakaposhi-1………………………………………………... 42 3.3.1.8-Stand No 8-Rakaposhi-3……………………………………………….. 42 3.3.1.9-Stand No 9 Rakaposhi- 4……………………………………………….. 43 B.NON-FORESTED AREA 3.3.1.10-Stand No 10-Bagrot…………………………………………………… 43 3.3.1.11-Stand No 11-Hopar……………………………………………………. 44 3.3.1.12-Stand No 12-Stak 1……………………………………………………. 44 3.3.1.13-Stand No 13-Stak-2……………………………………………………. 44 3.3.1.14-Stand No 14-Stak 3……………………………………………………. 45 VIII 3.3.1.15-Stand No 15-Thally 1………………………………………………….. 45 3.3.1.16-Stand No 16-Thally 2………………………………………………….. 46 3.3.1.17-Stand No 17-Kowardo………………………………………………… 46 3.3.1.18-Stand No 18-Arandu-1………………………………………………… 46 3.3.1.19-Stand No 19-Arandu- 2……………………………………………… 47 3.3.1.20-Stand No 20-Arandu- 3……………………………………………… 47 3.3.1.21-Stand No 21 Shigar 1………………………………………………….. 48 3.3.1.22-Stand No 22-Shigar 2………………………………………………….. 48 3.3.1.23-Stand No 23-Shimshal- 1-1…………………………………………… 48 3.3.1.24-Stand No 24-Shimshal- 1-2…………………………………………… 49 3.3.1.25-Stand No 25-Shimshal- 2-1…………………………………………… 49 3.3.1.26-Stand No 26-Shimshal- 2-2…………………………………………… 50 3.3.1.27-Stand No 27-Braldu -1-1……………………………………………… 50 3.3.1.28-Stand