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Journal of Biological Sciences

Year: 2003 | Volume: 3 | Issue: 7 | Page No.: 627-634
DOI: 10.3923/jbs.2003.627.634
An Ecological Study of Roadside Vegetation and Soils in Sahiwal District
K. F. Akbar, Z. Ahmad , M.A. Shad and T.M. Ansari

Abstract: The present study was carried out to investigate the floristic composition of roadside vegetation and levels of some heavy metals in roadside soils in Sahiwal district, Pakistan. Among sixty recorded species, the main grass species include Cynodon dactylon, Desmostachya bipinnata, Panicum turgidum, Cyperus rotundus and Cenchrus biflorus. The dominant species exhibited little variation between different zones of verges. Other species however, showed preferences for certain zones of the verges indicating differences in microhabitat conditions in the verges. The roadside soils were analysed for lead, copper, manganese and zinc levels. The amount of total lead, zinc, copper and manganese varied from 0.5 to 48.4, 37.7 to 109.9, 3.8 to 44.3 and 170 to 258.5 μ g g-1, respectively with a mean values of 9.4, 63.0, 31.4 and 218 μ g g-1. The levels of heavy metals in the roadside soils indicated that these soils were non-contaminated.

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How to cite this article
K. F. Akbar, Z. Ahmad , M.A. Shad and T.M. Ansari , 2003. An Ecological Study of Roadside Vegetation and Soils in Sahiwal District. Journal of Biological Sciences, 3: 627-634.

Keywords: Roadside verges, vegetation, soil and heavy metals

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