EDAPHIC FACTORS AS MAJOR DETERMINANTS OF PLANT DISTRIBUTION OF TEMPERATE HIMALAYAN GRASSES

Abstract

The quantification of the comparative effect of environmental factors on species distribution can improve our knowledge of the processes that drive diversity patterns. Fifteen different habitats in Neelum valley (Kashmir), using quadrat method along altitudinal gradient were studied for the plant ecological attributes including; soil plant interaction, species composition and vegetation cover to test the hypothesis that soil factors are the major determinants of species distribution. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed a clear impact of soil characteristics on vegetation. Rostraria pumila, Pennisetum orientale, Sorghum nitidum and Arundinella sp. had a strong association with the Kail (KL) site influenced by soil Ec. Distribution of Lolium temulentum, Poa nemoralis, and Saccharum spontaneum, at Chilhana (CH) site seemed to be affected by the moisture content only. Species distribution at Nagdar (NG), Kundal shahi (KS), Kairan (KR) and Dawarian (DW) site was affected by Ca2+ and PO4 3- content respectively. Diversity pattern at Sharda, Dawarian (DW), and Lawat (LW) sites were driven by K+ and N+ content. Each grass showed a very specific relationship to environmental variables, which imitates the habitat status, ecological adaptation and degree of tolerance in species.