Present status of moist temperate vegetation of Thandiani forests district AbbottabadPakistan

80 Khan et al. Int. J. Biosci. 2012 RESEARCH PAPER OPEN ACCESS Present status of moist temperate vegetation of Thandiani forests district Abbottabad Pakistan Waqas Khan1, Habib Ahmad2, Faizul Haq1*, Mazharul Islam1, Fozia Bibi1 1Department of Botany, Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan 2Department of Genetics, Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan Received: 24 September 2012 Revised: 16 October 2012 Accepted: 17 October 2012 Key words: Abbottabad, altitudinal zones, ethnobotanical. Abstract The moist temperate vegetation of Thandiani forests District Abbottabad were studied for phytosociological analysis. Fifteen plant communities were recorded in the study area. Sum of 90 plant species including 44 herbs and 23 each shrub and trees along with their ethnobotanical uses were studied. The soil of the study area was loamy clay with pH ranging from 6.5 to 8.75. Variation in altitude and soil composition had played significant role in the establishment of plant communities. The lower altitudinal zone shows heavy deforestation, soil erosion, human disturbance, livestock herding, overgrazing, trampling and uprooting of medicinal plants disturb the plant communities. The higher altitudinal zones are reserve and protected by the government. *Corresponding Author: Faizul Haq  [email protected] International Journal of Biosciences (IJB) ISSN: 2220-6655 (Print) 2222-5234 (Online) Vol. 2, No. 10(2), p. 80-88, 2012 http://www.innspub.net Introduction Thandiani is one of the best moist temperate forests in Pakistan with a diversity of valuable plant and animal species (Champion et al., 1965). It is situated at 35 km in the Northeast of Abbottabad District between 34o-17 to 34o-10 North latitude and 73o-23 to 73 º-17 East longitudes with an altitude varying between 1191-2626 meters. Thandiani Forest is bounded on the east by Muzaffarabad, on the west by Siren Forest, on the north by River Kunhar and Garhi Habibullah and on the South by Abbottabad Sub Forest Division. The climate of the area is moist temperate with an annual rainfall of 1424.1 mm. The area receives maximum rainfall during August (305.5mm) while minimum rainfall (33.3mm) occurs in September. The hottest months are May, June, July and August (30.5-33.5oC). The mean minimum temperature of these months varied between 10.4-16.6oC. The highest relative humidity was recorded during August (83%) whereas lowest relative humidity was recorded during May and June (50-52%). The research area falls within the moist temperate vegetation type (Khan et al., 2010). Pakistan has various types of forests and vegetational zones on the basis of temperature and altitude range (Champion et al., 1965). The phytosociological studies were presented by different authors from time to time, i.e. (Hussain and Illahi, 1991; Hussain , 1984; Chaudhri , 1960; Qadir et al., 1966; Hussain and Qadir, 1970; Shaukat and Hussain, 1970; Ahmed, 1988; Malik and Hussain, 1987; Durrani and Hussain, 2005; Khan and Shaukat, 2005). Beside these individual and localized works from a few areas of Pakistan, there are certain areas which needs comprehensive quantitative investigations to describe various types of forest communities and population structure in different climatic areas of Pakistan. One of such area is Thandiani forest. Bearing these points in mind present paper is presented to describe population structure and quantitative description of Thandiani forests District Abbottabad Pakistan. Material and methods The area was divided into fifteen stands on the basis of physiognomic contrast during 2009. Fifteen quadrates were laid systematically in each of the community. Herbs, shrubs and trees were respectively sampled in 0.5 x 0.5 meters, 2 x 5 meters and 2 x 10 meters quadrate. The trees were counted and the circumference of each tree was determined at breast height and converted to basal area (Cox, 1967; Malik and Hussain, 1987). Density, frequency and canopy cover/basal area measured were changed to their relative values. These 3 parameters viz (relative density, relative frequency and relative canopy cover were added together which gave importance value (I.V.) for each of the recorded species. The leading dominants were used for naming the community (Curtis and McIntosh, 1950). Soil was sampled in duplicate up to the depth of 15cm and mixed to get a composite sample for each stand. Soil samples were analyzed for their physical and chemical characteristics (Richards, 1954; Jackson, 1962). Results The results have been summarized in the form of importance value (I.V). Following fifteen plant communities were established at Thandiani Forests during 2009. The I.V.I values are presented in table 1 and the soil data are presented in Table 2. Pinus – Punica – Dodonaea community: This community was recorded at an elevation of 1191 meters. The aspect was north. The GPS data for this community was N 34 08 29.7; E 73 16 23.5. This community contains 4 trees, 3 shrubs and 10 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Punica granatum (35.6), Dodonaea viscosa (32.5) and Pinus roxburghii (29.4) respectively. The co-dominant species were Themeda anathera, Berberis lycium and Ficus carica with 29.3, 23.8 and 16.7 IVI respectively. The Cannabis sativa, Cnicus argyracanthus, Medicago denticulate and Rumex nepalansis were associated species. Soil in this community was clay loam with basic pH. Table 1. Importance value of 15 plant communities recorded from Thandiani forests. S. N o Name of species Family Importance Value (I.V) Max Min Ave Constanc y Class Tree layer 1 Abies pindrow Royle. Pinaceae 23.9 10.2 16.2 50 III 2 Acacia nilotica (Linn.) Mimosoideae 13.2 13.2 0.87 60 III 3 Aesculus indica (Comb) Hook. Hippocastanaceae 25.8 10.1 4.99 70 IV 4 Cedrus deodara Rox ex Lamb. Pinaceae 33.2 6.3 8.97 70 IV 5 Celtis australis L. Celastraceae 10.9 10.9 0.73 40 II 6 Cornus macrophylla Wall. Cornaceae 13 6.2 1.28 30 II 7 Diospyros lotus L. Ebenaceae 9.1 9.1 0.61 40 II 8 Ficus carica L. Moraceae 16.7 4 2.37 40 II 9 Juglans regia (Sh) L. Juglandaceae 8.9 8.5 1.16 40 II 10 Melia azedarach L. Meliaceae 11.2 11.2 0.75 30 II 11 Morus alba L. Moraceae 11.1 10.5 1.44 50 III 12 Olea ferruginea Royle. Olacaceae 14.3 14.3 0.95 30 II 13 Pinus roxburghii Sargent. Pinaceae 46.7 24.3 11.4 70 IV 14 Pinus wallichiana A.B.Jackson Pinaceae 48.6 11.3 19.9 70 IV 15 Pistacia integerrima J.L. Pinaceae 17.2 6.8 2.36 50 III 16 Platanus orientalis L. Platanaceae 7.8 7.8 0.52 20 I 17 Prunus armenica L. Rosaceae 16.2 9.6 1.72 50 III 18 Prunus domestica L. Rosaceae 8.5 8.5 0.57 30 II 19 Prunus padus (Hk)f. Rosaceae 4.11 4.11 0.27 20 I 20 Pyrus pashia D.Don. Rosaceae 13.5 4.2 2.3 30 II 21 Quercus incana Roxb. Fagaceae 7.3 7.3 0.49 40 II 22 Salix angustifolia Willd. Salicaceae 2.7 2.7 0.18 20 I 23 Zizyphus vulgaris Lam. Zingiberaceae 12.6 12.6 0.84 60 III Shrubs layer 24 Andrachne cardifolia (Don)Muell Anacardiaceae 11.8 11.8 0.79 60 III 25 Berberis lycium Royle. Berberidaceae 27.1 6.3 15.6 80 IV 26 Cotoneaster minuta Klotz. Rosaceae 2.84 2.84 0.19 10 I 27 Dodonaea viscose L. Sapindaceae 34.5 13.5 9.49 70 IV 28 Indigofera gerardiana Wall. Papilionaceae 23 9.5 7.74 60 III 29 Plectranthus rugosus Wall. Lamiaceae 14.8 8.96 1.58 30 II 30 Punica granatum L. Punicaceae 42.6 16.4 12.5 90 V 31 Rhus punjabensis Stewart Rhizophoraceae 8.65 2.84 0.76 30 II 32 Rosa moschata non J. Herrum Rosaceae 13.8 8.96 2.35 50 III 33 Rubus fruticosus (Hk)f. Rosaceae 16.7 3.9 4.17 50 III 34 Sarcococca saligna (Don) Muell Buxaceae 17.8 10.2 3.69 70 IV 83 Khan et al. Int. J. Biosci. 2012 35 Skimmia laureola D.C. Rutaceae 7.9 2.34 0.97 20 I 36 Sorbaria tomentosa (Lindl.) Sonneratiaceae 7.2 7.2 0.48 40 II 37 Viburnum cotinifolium D.Don. Caprifoliaceae 29.5 29.5 1.97 100 V 38 Viburnum grandiflorum Wallich Caprifoliaceae 32.3 10.7 9.27 70 IV 39 Zanthoxylum alatum Roxb. Rutaceae 12.4 12.4 0.83 50 III 40 Zizyphus jujuba Lam. Zingiberaceae 35.9 10.6 5.17 80 IV Herbs layer 41 Achillea millefolium L. Compositeae 8.1 7.3 1.02 30 II 42 Ajuga bracteosa Wall. Labiateae 15.8 9.9 0.66 60 III 43 Androsace rotendifolia Hardw. Primulaceae 10.9 10.9 0.73 50 III 44 Aquilegia pubiflora Wall.ex.R. Ranunculaceae 17.3 15 3.17 40 II 45 Arisaema flavum Forrsk. Araceae 18.1 4.42 1.50 30 II 46 Arisaema jacquemontii Blume. Araceae 7.4 7.3 0.98 20 I 47 Artemisia absinthium L. Compositeae 15 10.7 1.71 40 II 48 Arundo donax L. Poaceae 17 17 1.13 30 II 49 Bergenia ciliata (Haw) Sternb. Saxifragaceae 34 15 3.27 50 III 50 Bistorta amplexicaule (D.Don) Polygonaceae 20.6 11.5 3.14 60 III 51 Cannabis sativa L. Cannabiaceae 16.2 12.1 2.83 60 III 52 Chenopodium album Chenopodiaceae 12.4 11.5 1.59 40 II 53 Chrysanthimum cenarifolium Trey Chenopodiaceae 12.4 5.1 1.16 30 II 54 Clematis amplexicaulis Edgew. Ranunculaceae 6.3 3.3 0.64 10 I 55 Cnicus argyracanthus (DC) Hk.f Asteraceae 30.9 3.5 10.3 40 II 56 Cynodon dactylon L. Poaceae 47.3 21.1 6.58 90 V 57 Cyperus rotundus L. Cyperaceae 8.7 8.7 0.58 30 II 58 Daphne mucronata Royle. Passifloraceae 12.6 12.6 0.84 50 III 59 Duchesnea indica (Andr.) Fock. Rosaceae 16.5 13.2 1.98 60 III 60 Euphorbia helioscopia L. Euphorbiaceae 12.5 8.1 2.16 40 II 61 Euphorbia wallichii Hk. F. Euphorbiaceae 22 7.9 2.57 30 II 62 Frageria nubicola L. Rosaceae 36.3 9.2 8.6 70 IV 63 Galium aparine L. Rubiaceae 14.3 7.4 2.17 40 II 64 Malva neglecta Wallr. Malvaceae 5.1 5.1 0.34 20 I 65 Medicago denticulate Willd. Paplionaceae 22.6 8.7 8.39 60 III 66 Micromeria biflora Benth. Lamiaceae 12.3 12.3 0.83 50 III 67 Nepeta erecta Bh Bth. Lamiaceae 14.7 9.36 3.27 60 III 68 Oenethra rosea L. Rosaceae 11.8 11.8 0.79 50 III 69 Oxalis corniculatus L. Onagraceae 13.3 6.9 4.27 40 II 70 Plantago major L. Plantaginaceae 15.2 9.97 1.68 30 II 71 Poa annua L. Poaceae 15.3 15.3 1.02 60 III 72 Podophylum amodi Wall.ex Ro. Berberidaceae 14.7 6.25 2.08 30 II 84 Khan et al. Int. J. Biosci. 2012 73 Poeneia amodi Wall. Paeoniaceae 5.2 5.2 0.35 20 I 74 Polygonum amplexicaule D. Don Polygonaceae 40.1 24.5 6.25 80 IV 75 Potentilla fruticosa Hk. f. Rosaceae 11.3 11.3 0.75 50 III 76 Prunela vulgaris L. Labiateae 6.7 6.7 0.45 20 I 77 Ranunculus muricatus L. Ranunculaceae 17 8.92 6.35 50 III 78 Rumex hastatus L. Polygonaceae 25.8 12.7 5.39 80 IV 79 Rumex nepalansis Spreng. Polygonaceae 31.1 13.6 12.8 70 IV 80 Scrophularia robusta Penn. Scheuchzeriaceae 3.5 3.5 0.23 10 I 81 Senecio Chrysanthemoides DC Asteraceae 15.1 3.7 4.43 40 II 82 Solanum nigrum L. Solanaceae 15.8 15.8 1.05 50 III 83 Strobilanthes alatus Nees. Sterculiaceae 13.4 11.3 1.65 50 III 84 Tagetes minuta L. Tamaricaceae 15.9 5.69 2.33 40 II 85 Taraxacum officinale Weber. Plantaginaceae 13.2 8.5 5.35 50 III 86 Themeda anathera (Nes.) Hack Poaceae 34.4 29.3 4.25 100 V 87 Trifolium repens L. Papilionaceae 15.9 4.04 2.17 30 II 88 Valeriana officinalis Hk.f. Valerianaceae 16.1 10.2 1.75 40 II 89 Verbascum thapsus L. Schrophlariaceae 12.4 11.1 1.57 40 II 90 Viola conescens Wall ex Roxb. Violaceae 16.8 10.5 8.4 50 III Table 2. Soil analysis of 15 plant communities recorded from Thandiani forests during 2009. S.No Communities Height In Meters Soil texture Soil Ph 1 Pinus - Dodonaea – Punica 1191 Clay loam 8.10 2 Themeda - ZizyphusDodonaea 1313 Loamy 8.13 3 Punica – DodonaeaPinus 1412 Sandy silt 8.26 4 Pinus - Punica – Dodonaea 1510 Clay loam 8.20 5 Pinus - Zizyphus – Cynodon 1606 Sandy loam 8.23 6 Pinus - Punica – Rumex 1710 Clay loam 8.27 7 Pinus - Rumex – Cedrus 1830 Clay loam 8.29 8 Pinus - Cedrus – Rumex 1919 Clay loam 8.32 9 Pinus – Cedrus – Medicago 2017 Clayey 8.25 10 Rumex - Aesculus – Viburnum 2109 Clay loam 8.42 11 Cedrus - Cnicus – Frageria 2205 Sandy loam 8.30 12 Cynodon - Aesculus – Viburnum 1315 Clayey 8.35 13 Viburnum - Abies – Euphorbia 1407 Clayey 8.40 14 Pinus - Polygonum – Frageria 2539 Clayey 8.52 15 Polygonum - Bergenia – Viburnum 2626 Sandy silt 8.60 Themeda - Zizyphus - Dodonaea community: The elevation of this community was 1313 meters. The aspect was east. The GPS data for this community was N 34 11 09.5; E 73 16 21.2. This community contains 3 trees, 3 shrubs and 11 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Themeda anathera 34.4, Zizyphus jujuba 31.1 and Dodonaea viscosa 30 respectively. The co-dominant species were Pinus 85 Khan et al. Int. J. Biosci. 2012 roxburghii, Punica granatum and Rumex nepalansis with 29.77, 27.9 and 17.7 IVI respectively. The Cannabis sativa, Cnicus argyracanthus, Medicago denticulata and Euphorbia helioscopia were associated species. Soil in this community was loamy with basic pH. Punica - Dodonaea - Pinus community: There were 18 species in this community. The elevation of this community was 1412 meters. The aspect was east. The GPS data for this community was N 34 11 25.5; E 73 16 46.9. This community contains 4 trees, 4 shrubs and 10herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Punica granatum 42.6, Dodonaea viscosa 32.1 and Pinus roxburghii 24.3 respectively. The co-dominant species were Berberis lycium, Cynodon dactylon, Cannabis sativa and Ajuga bracteosa with 21.5, 21.1, 16.2 and 15.8 IVI respectively. The Melia azedarach, Rosa moschota, Rumex nepalansis and Euphorbia helioscopia were associated species. Soil in this community was sandy silt with basic pH. Pinus - Punica - Dodonaea community: This community was recorded at an elevation of 1510 meters. The aspect was west. The GPS data for this community was N 34 11 37.5; E 73 17 56.1. This community contains 4 trees, 4 shrubs and 9herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Pinus roxburghii 40.3, Punica granatum 35.2 and Dodonaea viscose 34.3 respectively. The co-dominant species were Berberis lycium, Rumex hastatus and Rumex nepalansis with 27.1, 179 and 16.8 IVI respectively. The Viola conescens, Rubus fruticosus, Taraxacum officinale and Gallium aparine were associated species. Soil in this community was clay loam with basic pH. Pinus - Zizyphus - Cynodon community: The elevation of this community was 1606 meters. The aspect was southern east. The GPS data for this community was N 34 11 30.5; E 73 17 55.3. This community contains trees, shrubs and herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Pinus roxburghii 46.7, Zizyphus jujube 35.2 and Cynodon dactylon 30.9 respectively. The co-dominant species were Indigofera gerardiana, Pistacia integerrima, and Rubus fruticosus with 21.4 17.2 and 16.7 IVI respectively. The Solanum nigrum, Artemisia absinthium Oxalis corniculatus and Viola conescens were associated species. Soil in this community was sandy loam with basic pH. Pinus - Punica - Rumex community: This community was comprised of 19 species; the elevation of this community was 1710 meters. The aspect was south. The GPS data for this community was N 34 11 47.2; E 73 18 33.0. This community contains 4 trees, 5 shrubs and 10 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Pinus wallichiana 41.6, Punica granatum 30 and Rumex hastatus 24.4 respectively. The co-dominant species were Indigofera gerardiana, Berberis lycium, Rumex nepalansis and Ajuga bracteosa with 23, 21.7, 16.6 and 13.1 IVI respectively. The Acacia nilotica, Daphne mucronata, Zizyphus vulgaris and Dodonaea viscosa were associated species. Soil in this community was clay loam with basic pH. Pinus - Rumex - Cedrus community: This community was recorded at an elevation of 1830 meters. The aspect was northern east. The GPS data for this community was N 34 12 42.6; E 73 17 56.0. This community contains 5 trees, 5 shrubs and 8 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Pinus wallichiana 36.6, Rumex hastatus 25.8 and Cedrus deodara 24.2 respectively. The co-dominant species were Rumex nepalansis, Berberis lycium, Medicago denticulata, Ranunculus muricatus and Punica granatum with 22.5, 19.8, 17.8, 17 and 16.4 IVI respectively. The Pyrus pashia, Indigofera gerardiana, and Tagetes minuta were associated species. Soil in this community was clay loam with basic pH. Pinus - Cedrus - Rumex community: The elevation of this community was 1919 meters. The aspect was north. The GPS data for this community was N 34 13 14.9; E 73 17 36.9. This community contains 5 trees, 5 shrubs and 9 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Pinus wallichiana 48.1, Cedrus 86 Khan et al. Int. J. Biosci. 2012 deodara 33.2 and Rumex nepalansis 24.3. The codominant species were Berberis lycium, Rananculus muricatus and Medicago denticulata with 18.2, 15.9 and 15.8 IVI respectively. The Aesculus indica, Cnicus argyracanthus, Viburnum grandiflorum and Indigofera gerardiana were associated species. Soil in this community was clay loam with basic pH. Pinus - Cedrus - Medicago community: This community was recorded at an elevation of 2017 meters. The aspect was northern west. The GPS data for this community was N 34 13 44.1; E73 20 16.6. This community contains 5 trees, 6 shrubs and 9 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Pinus wallichiana 48.6 Cedrus deodara 33.1 and Medicago denticulata 22.6 respectively. The codominant species were Aesculus indica, Cnicus argyracanthus, Rananculus muricatus and Sarcococca saligna with 18.1, 14.9, 14 and 13.6 IVI respectively. The Indigofera gerardiana, Strobilanthes alatus, Oenethra rosea and Viburnum grandiflorum were associated species. Soil in this community was clayey with basic pH. Rumex - Aesculus - Viburnum community: This community consists of 19 species; the elevation of this community was 2109 meters. The aspect was southern west. The GPS data for this community was N34 13 53.4 E73 18 01.7. This community contains 5 trees, 5 shrubs and 9 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Rumex nepalansis 31.1 Aesculus indica 20.99 and Viburnum grandiflorum 20.7 respectively. The co-dominant species were Bistorta amplexicaule, Berberis lycium and Sarcococca saligna with 20.6, 19.5 and 17.8 IVI respectively. The Pinus wallichiana, Abies pindrow, Viola conescens, Aquilegia pubiflora and Duchesnea indica were associated species. Soil in this community was clay loam with basic pH. Frageria - Cnicus - Cedrus community: This community was recorded at an elevation of 2205 meters. The aspect was southern east. The GPS data for this community was N 34 15 05.1; E 73 20 25.2. This community contains 4 trees, 5 shrubs and 9 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Frageria nubicola 36.3, Cnicus argyracanthus 30.9 and Cedrus deodara 30.7 respectively. The co-dominant species were Polygonum amplexicaule, Viburnum grandiflorum and Valeriana officinalis with 24.5, 24.2 and 16.1 IVI respectively. The Pinus wallichiana, Abies pindrow, Berberis lycium and Sarcococca saligna were associated species. Soil in this community was sandy loam with basic pH. Cynodon - Aesculus - Viburnum community: The elevation of this community was 2315 meters. The aspect was northern east. The GPS data for this community was N 34 14 39.7; E 73 20 13.8. This community contains 4 trees, 5 shrubs and 12 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Cynodon dactylon 247.34, Aesculus indica 25.8 and Viburnum grandiflorum 23.5 respectively. The codominant species were Berberis lycium, Rumex nepalansis and Pinus wallichiana with 22.12, 19.15 and 17.05 IVI respectively. The Trifolium repens, Duchesnea indica, Nepeta erecta and Medicago denticulata were associated species. Soil in this community was clayey with basic pH. Viburnum - Abies - Euphorbia community: This community was recorded at an elevation of 2407 meters. The aspect was southern east. The GPS data for this community was N 34 14 56.1; E 73 20 21.5. This community contains 3 trees, 4 shrubs and 13 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Viburnum cotonifolium 29.5, Abies pindrow 23.95 and Euphorbia wallichii 22 respectively. The codominant species were Frageria nubicola, Cnicus argyracanthus, Arisaema flavum and Ranunculus muricatus with 21.9, 18.7, 18.1 and 16.7 IVI respectively. The Pinus wallichiana, Indigofera gerardiana, Viola conescens and Rumex nepalansis were associated species. Soil in this community was clayey with basic pH. Pinus - Polygonum - Frageria community: The elevation of this community was 2539 meters. The aspect was north. The GPS data for this community 87 Khan et al. Int. J. Biosci. 2012 was N 34 15 47.2; E 73 20 56.3. This community contains 4 trees, 4 shrubs and 14 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Pinus wallichiana 43.1, Polygonum amplexicaule 36.6 and Frageria nubicola 32.95 respectively. The co-dominant species were Berberis lycium, Abies pindrow and Bergenia ciliata with 20.5, 18.66 and 15 IVI respectively. The Cedrus deodara, Rananculus muricatus, Plectranthus rugosus and Viola conescens were associated species. Soil in this community was clayey with basic pH. Polygonum - Bergenia - Viburnum community: This community was recorded at an elevation of 2626 meters. The aspect was east. The GPS data for this community was N 34 14 54.7; E 73 20 37.8. This community contains 3 trees, 5 shrubs and 15 herbs. The IVI of dominant species were Polygonum amplexicaule 40.1, Bergenia ciliata 34 and Viburnum grandiflorum 32.3 respectively. The co-dominant species were Frageria nubicola, Pinus wallichiana and Aquilegia pubiflora with 28.6, 26.36 and 15.3 IVI respectively. The Abies pindrow, Senecio Chrysanthemoides and Cornus macrophylla were associated species. Soil in this community was sandy silt with basic pH. Discussion Phytosociology is the study of the characteristics, classification, relationships and distribution of plant communities (Dastagir, 1999). Vegetation may be defined as a unit which posses characteristics in physiogamy and structure sufficiently large enough to permit their differentiation from other such units (Khan et al., 2010). In Thandiani forests 15 plant communities were made on the bases of vegetation, altitudinal range, climate and soil factor. Each plant communities have different dominance values. Pinus roxburghii was dominant between an elevation of 1191 to 1606m along with Dodonaea, Zizyphus, Punica, Themeda and Cynodon species. Dodonaea normally prefer driest condition (Saleem and Shahid, 1973). Pinus roxburghii the base was dominant; it was replaced by the Themeda and Punica. The local inhabitant use Pinus for fuel, shelters purpose and as timber. That is why it becomes rare in the investigated communities. At the lower ridges, the grazing pressure was high which have replaced almost palatable species. Themeda and Cynodon are palatable species which increases under grazing. Themeda is a fine fodder grass while Cynodon is an allelopathy grass, which suppresses the growth of other species. The soil was clay loam and sandy silt with basic pH from 8.10 to 8.23. With the increase in altitude Pinus wallichiana become as dominant plant with Rumex, Cedrus, Aesculus, Viburnum, Abies, Frageria and Bergenia etc. Pinus wallichiana, Viburnum, Abies and Aesculus are the true characters of temperate zone from 1710meter to 2626meter with the soil Clayey, Clay loam and Sandy silt. Deforestation and overgrazing are swear in the investigated sides, which have removed Pinus wallichiana up to the top 2626meter. Viburnum is palatable; it increases under grazing which is clear in community Rumex - Aesculus - Viburnum community, Cynodon - Aesculus - Viburnum community and Polygonum - Bergenia - Viburnum community. With the decrease in Pinus wallichiana, Polygonum Bergenia, Euphorbia, Cnicus and Medicago become dominant. 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