Mansoor Hameed
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
A. Aleem Chaudhry
Punjab Wildlife Research Institute, Gatwala, Faisalabad, Pakistan
M. Anwar Maan
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Anwar H. Gill
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
ABSTRACT
For phytosociological studies of Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur five vegetation study sites viz., old irrigated plantation, new irrigated plantation, natural vegetation within old demarcated desert area, new demarcated desert area and Patisar Lake area were evaluated on the bases of varied ecological conditions. Old irrigated plantations consisted of mixed species plantations, mostly of Dalbergia sissoo, Acacia nilotica and Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Forest plantations had specific type of flora, consisted of Prosopis glandulosa, Saccharum bengalense and Imperata cylindrica. New irrigated plantation possessed mixed type plantations but monocultures of Dalbergia sissoo and sometimes Eucalyptus camaldulensis are practiced in few blocks. The ground flora comprised of agriculture weed like Conyza ambigua, Desmostachya bipinnata, Imperata cylindrica and tall grasses like Saccharum bengalense and Saccharum spontaneum with few native trees/large shrubs like Tamarix aphylla and Prosopis cineraria. Dense plantations almost totally eliminated the ground flora, perhaps due to poor light intensity and last-seasoned non-decomposed plant material of deciduous trees. Natural vegetation is of desertic nature consisted of Acacia jacquemontii, Haloxylon recurvum, Lasiurus scindicus, Ochthochloa compressa and Prosopis cineraria. Habitat diversity was the maximum in demarcated area, containing saline or sodic patches, low sand dunes and sandy clayey soils. Aeluropus lagopoides, Cymbopogon jwarancusa and Suaeda fruticosa generally confined to saline soils. Ochthochloa compressa, Tamarix dioica, Cymbopogon jwarancusa and Prosopis cineraria restricted to interdunal sandy clayey soils and Aristida adscensionis, Calligonum polygonoides, Lasiurus scindicus and Haloxylon recurvum were typified to sandy habitat. Non-demarcated area showed high grazing pressure, the vegetation was more or less shrubby, but clusters of grasses like Cenchrus pennisetiformis, Cymbopogon jwarancusa and Lasiurus scindicus can be seen. Dominant species among dicots were Calligonum polygonoides, Dipterygium glaucum, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Haloxylon recurvum and Salsola baryosma. Vegetation inside the Patisar Lake was dominated by Phragmites karka and Typha domingensis at shallow water whereas, Nelumbo nucifera and Vallisneria spiralis in the deeper waters. Cynodon dactylon with Phyla nodiflora dominated the bank but tussocks of Saccharum spontaneum and Saccharum bengalense were also recorded. The habitat has the ample potential to support a number of wildlife species including game species like waterfowl, grey and black francolins, houbara bustard and sand grouses.
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How to cite this article
Mansoor Hameed, A. Aleem Chaudhry, M. Anwar Maan and Anwar H. Gill, 2002. Diversity of Plant Species in Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Journal of Biological Sciences, 2: 267-274.
DOI: 10.3923/jbs.2002.267.274
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=jbs.2002.267.274
DOI: 10.3923/jbs.2002.267.274
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=jbs.2002.267.274