DIMENSION AND COMPOSITION OF PLANT LIFE IN TEHSIL TAKHT-E-NASRATI, DISTRICT KARAK, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHAWA, PAKISTAN

Abstract

DIMENSION AND COMPOSITION OF PLANT LIFE IN TEHSIL TAKHT-E- NASRATI, DISTRICT KARAK, KHYBER PAKHTUN KHAWA, PAKISTAN By Musharaf Khan The present study was designed to assess plant life structure and resources of Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, District Karak, Khyber Pakhtun Khawa, Pakistan with respect to local people and their livestock exercise since in the investigated area no such work was done before. The study revealed that investigated area had 161 plant species belonging to 136 genera and 57 families. There are 7 families of monocotyledons having 21 genera and 25 species. Dicotyledons had 50 families, 115 genera and 136 species. Overall Poaceae was the dominant family with 17 species followed by Asteraceae had 13 species. Phenological data showed that 94 plants were found in flowering condition in spring which included 19 (11.8%) tree, 11 (6.83%) shrubs, 61 (37.9%) herbs and 3 (1.86%) parasites. In summer, 28 plants including 1 (0.62%) tree, 3 (1.86%) shrubs, 21 (13%) herbs and 3 (1.86%) grasses. In winter, 27 plants including 2 (1.24%) trees, 5 (3.11%) shrubs, 17 (10.6%) herbs and 3 (1.86%) grasses while 12 plants had through out the year included 4 (2.48%) shrubs, 5 (3.11%) herbs and 3 (1.86%) grasses. The biological spectrum revealed that therophytes was dominated by 77 plants species (47.83%) followed by hemicryptophytes (30 spp., 18.63%), megaphanerophytes (17 spp., 10.6%), nanophanerophytes (16 spp., 9.94%), chamaephytes (11 spp., 6.83%), microphanerophytes (4 spp, 2.48 %), parasite (3 spp, 1.86%) and geophytes (03 spp., 1.86%). The leaf size spectrum dominated by microphylls (85 spp. 52.8%) followed by nanophylls (32 spp. 19.9%), mesophylls (17 spp. 10.6 %), leptophylls (15 spp. 9.32%) and megaphylls (12 spp. 7.45%). Through ethnobotanical profile it was reported that the locals used 118 (73.3%) species as folk medicinal plants, 114 (70.8 %) fodder species, 47 (26.7 %) fuel species, 16 (9.94 %) timber woods, 23 (14.3 %) vegetable species, 50 (31.06 %) veterinary use plants, 90 (55.9 %) honey bee species. The 33 (20.5 %) fruit plants species and 17 (10.6 %) species were used for making agricultural tools, 19 (11.8 %) species were used for fencing field borders and 18 (11.18%) were used for making furniture. It was a different ecological study of the investigated area. Quantitative and qualitative description of diverse plant communities at different altitude had provided some basic information about phytodiversity, plant life structure and climatic combination. The investigated area was divided on the basis of altitude i.e. stand 1 (340 – 399 m), stand 2 (400 - 499 m), stand 3 (500 - 599 m) and stand 4 (600-700 m). Community structures in diverse sites were taken into spring, summer and winter. In each season 22 plant communities were established at various sites on the basis of important value from each plant strata i.e. tree, shrub and herb. In spring aspect, 66 plant species, summer (46 spp.) and in winter 72 plant species were recorded in different plant communities. All plant communities showed heterogeneity in all seasons. With increasing altitude heterogeneity occurred in most of the communities. In plain and hilly area, the highest value was originated of class B i.e. 7.35 and 7.09 respectively. The highest value of species diversity (3.097) and equitability value (0.957) was found in spring while the highest value of species richness (5.752) was found in winter. Communities had high percentage of maturity index value in summer. In summer and winter total 12 plant communities showed similarity above 65% while winter show no similarity above 65% between communities. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis marked out distinct 4 groups association in spring i.e. Prosopis-Fagonia-Saccharum association, Zizyphus-Saccharum-Acacia association, Fagonia-Zizyphus-Eragrostis association, Aerua-Acacia-Cymbopogon association, in summer, 5 association i.e. Cenchrus- Saccharum-Prosopis association, Cenchrus-Eragrostis-Calligonum association, Zizyphus-Cenchrus-Eragrostis association, Rhazya-Fagonia-Cymbopogon association and Aerua-Boerhavia-Zizyphus association and in winter, 4 association i.e. Cenchrus-Saccharum-Prosopis association, Cenchrus-Zizyphus-Saccharum association, Cenchrus-Zizyphus-Cymbopogon association and Aerua-Zizyphus-Acacia association by different level, cycling and similarity of communities. The herb biomass was high 730 Kg.hec-1 during spring at stand 1 (340 – 399 m). The grass biomass was high 173 Kg.hec-1 during summer at stand 3 (400-499 m). The total herbs mean biomass was high during spring (536.30 Kg.hec-1) while the grasses had (129.9 Kg.hec-1) during summer. The total average herbaceous biomass was high at stand 1 (262.58 Kg.hec-1) and total mean and average biomass of research area was 223.23 Kg.hec-1. The overall average total shrub biomass was 741.58 Kg. hec-1. The total shrub biomass in different area was diverse from 13.47 Kg. hec-1 to 2665.12 Kg. hec-1. As a whole the shrub biomass was high in winter while low in summer. The people of area rely on animals for their livelihood. The major plants are grazed in the investigated area. Of the 161 recorded species, 29 species (18.01 %) were non palatable, 32 spp. (19.88 %) highly palatable, 43 spp. (26.71 %) mostly palatable, 34 spp. (21.12 %) less palatable and 23 spp. (14.29 %) were rarely palatable. 10 plant species were studied for phytochemical screening i.e. alkalid, carbohydrate, saponins, anthraquinone, flavonoid, steroids and tannins in three phenological stages. In mineral analysis 3 macro mineral such as sodium, potassium and calcium and 7 micro mineral like zinc, copper, manganese, chromium, nickel, cadmium and lead were analyzed in the 10 selected forage species in three phenological stages. Ten selected forage species were analyzed for proximate analysis like moisture, ash, fiber, carbohydrate, protein, fat and energy in three phenological stages. The conservation status of trees and shrubs on the basis of IUCN criteria showed that of the 45 plant species 20 (44.44 %) plant species were vulnerable, 16 (35.56 %) rare, 7 (15.56 %) endangered and 2 (4.44 %) plant species were infrequent. The current investigation highlighted that the area had great potential of plant life resources and biodiversity. It is concluded that natural habitats are crushing at dreadful speed which results in alteration of wild plant life habitat. It needs all achievable assessment for protection and sustainable exploitation of plant life.