FLORISTIC DIVERSITY, ECOLOGICAL, CHARACTERISTICS AND ETHNOBOTONICAL PROFILE OF PLANTS OF AGHBERG RANGELANDS, BALOCHISTAN, PAKISTAN.

Durrani, Mufakhirah Jan; Razaq, Abdul; Muhammad, Syed Ghulam; Hussain, Farrukh

The floristic composition and its ecological characteristics were evaluated in Aghberg rangelands of Quetta Pakistan during 2005 to 2007. The study showed that the protected sites supported 123 plant species belonging to 36 families, while unprotected sites had only 28 species. Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae, Brassicaceae, Lamiaceae and Boraginaceae were important families in the protected area. Seriphedium qutensis (Pedleh) Ling, Sophora mollis (Royle) Baker, Hertia intrmedia Boiss, Nepeta juncea Benth, Astragalus Spp. and Convolvulus leiocalycinus Boiss were most common shrubs. Pennisetum orientale Rich, Bromus tectorum Linn, Bromus sericeus Drabov, Schismus arabicus Nees, Poa pratensis Linn, Cymbopogon jwarancusa (Jones) Schult, Lolium temulentum Linn, Eremopyrum benouepartes (Spreng) Noveski, Tanantherum crinatum (Schrab) Noveski and Saccharum bengalense Retz were most common grasses. Biological spectrum showed that therophytic, chamaephytic and hemicryptophytic life forms and among nanophylls leaf sizes leptophylls and mesophylls dominant in the area. Flora was rich in economic plants of various uses that included as fodder (101 Spp.), medicinal (13 Spp.), vegetable/fruits (3 Spp.), fuel wood (25 Spp.), roof thatching (6 Spp.), herbal tea (3 Spp.) species. Protection has increased the floristic diversity. It is suggested that for achieving the goal of sustainable production, the Government should beep up efforts for ecological management with the participation of local communities.

PAKISTAN; ECOLOGY; RANGELANDS; PLANT species; LIVESTOCK

Pakistan Journal of Plant Sciences, 2010, Vol 16, Issue 1, p26

1023-831X

Academic Journal