Evaluation of Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts on Phytosociological Aspects and Conservation Status of Native Flora in One of Protected and Unprotected Habitats of Cholistan Desert, Pakistan.

Ahmed, Maqbool; Naz, Nargis; Abdullah, Muhammad; Ahmed, Muhammad Mahmood; Maqsood, Muhammad Faisal; Zulfiqar, Usman; Ahmad, Kamran; Alwahibi, Mona S.; Elshikh, Mohamed S.

This study aimed to assess the long term effects of anthropogenic, climatic, edaphic, and seasonal variations on present floristic and ecological status of two distinct sites i.e., protected (Biodiversity Park) and unprotected (nearby areas) in the Derawar region of Lesser Cholistan Desert. The study was conducted for four years over a seasonal period of spring 2019 (February-March) to fall 2022 (September to October). For the exploration of maximum diversity at both sites, quadrats of 10 × 10 m were placed randomly. Ten soil, twelve anthropogenic, seven environmental and eight seasonal variables were used to assess their relationship with vegetation of both sites during four years of study. For statistical analysis, data was processed in the SPSS for LSD test and R Studio for Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and heat map preparation. A total of 84 plant species, belonging to 62 genera and 26 families, were identified in the Derawar region. Herbaceous plants comprised the majority, with 42 species, followed by grasses (22 species), shrubs (12 species), trees (7 species), and one sedge species. The protected site exhibited higher species diversity, with 76 species from 23 families, compared to the unprotected site, which had 49 species from 15 families. Species richness, Simpson index, and Shannon index showed significant declines in diversity from the protected to the unprotected site. While comparing the seasons, an overall significant increase in diversity was observed from spring to fall in the protected site, while the unprotected site exhibited the opposite trend. Precipitation averaged from 0 to 32 mm during the spring and 9 to 197 mm during the fall seasons. The study examined fluctuations in temperature, wind speed, evaporation, and humidity, with higher levels during the fall season. Soil analysis revealed an alkaline composition, with the protected site being predominantly sandy and the unprotected site mainly clayey saline. Anthropogenic activities, including agriculture, deforestation, military activities, over-collection, overgrazing, overhunting, solid waste, and tourism, were found to be more prevalent and impactful in the unprotected site, with the highest level of impact ranging from 3-4. The CCA analysis underlines the significance of global importance of protected areas towards bending the curve of floristic diversity loss, as compared to unprotected sites, despite both experiencing the similar climatic conditions, with human impact being the only distinguishing factor. Greater plant diversity positively impacts soil nutrients of protected sites by leading to these outcomes. To achieve long-term climate goals and protection of the arid ecosystem, it is recommended to designate more protected areas at identified hotspots as an effective conservation practice in this region.

CHOLISTAN Desert (Pakistan); PAKISTAN; ANTHROPOGENIC effects on nature; CLIMATE change mitigation; AUTUMN; BOTANY; PLANT diversity; SPRING; HERBACEOUS plants; CHILDREN of military personnel

Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 2024, Vol 33, Issue 4, p3567

1230-1485

Academic Journal

10.15244/pjoes/178451