Vegetation Dynamics and Diversity Status in Mughal Garden Wah, Pakistan

Classification and ordination of vegetation of Mughal Garden, Wah, Pakistan was done along with assessment of diversity status. A total of 45 species were recorded in vegetation survey belonging to 24 families with Asteraceae and Poaceae being the largest families. Herbs dominated the flora of Wah Garden by 44.4%, shrubs 15.5%, trees 13.3%, grasses 11.1%, creeping herbs 11.1%, ferns 2.2% and aquatic herbs 2.2%. About 35.5% species were annuals, 28.8% perennials, 13.3% annuals or perennials, 8.8% annuals or biennials, 8.8% deciduous, 2.2% coniferous and evergreen species. In case of life form of species, Therophytes and Megaphanerophytes were the most prevalent among species indirect ordination techniques TWINSPAN and DCA were employed that produced two major groups which were further divided into five communities and three major groups, respectively. Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Simpson Index of diversity and Hill’s N1 and N2 diversity numbers were calculated and verified by data attribute plot through DCA suggesting reduced species diversity as Shannon-Wiener diversity index ranged between 0 and 1.67 due to increased anthropogenic activity. The outcome of this research will be useful in providing information on identification of species that are present, their distribution patterns, and classification which would help in management and conservation of native vegetation in future.

Environmental drivers of plant assemblages: are there differences between palustrine and lacustrine wetlands? A case study from the northern Apennines (Italy)

Mountain wetlands are among the most vulnerable habitats in the Mediterranean basin. Their conservation requires knowledge of plant species assemblages and their environmental drivers. In this study, we investigated what the main environmental factors driving species composition in mountain wetlands are. Differences in environmental control and floristic composition between palustrine and lacustrine wetlands were explored. We used a dataset of 168 vegetation plots (relevés), sampled at 45 mountain wetlands in the northern Apennines (central Italy). Direct ordination showed that water depth, geology type and altitude were the main factors responsible for species distribution. The most important gradient was linked to soil moisture, with hygrophilous species increasing with moisture levels. Indicator Species Analysis underlined a clear distinction in the distribution of aquatic plants between wetland subsystems. Geology and rainfall affected species assemblages in lacustrine and palustrine subsystems. Indirect ordination and Generalized Additive Models revealed that plant species and their attributes significantly changed in the wetland subsystems with an increase in hydrophytes with increasing rainfall in palustrine wetlands and a decrease in thermophilous species along an altitudinal gradient in lacustrine wetlands. Management and conservation guidelines for northern Apennines wetlands are suggested.

Distribution, production, and diversity of C3- and C4-dominated communities in a mixed prairie

The vegetation composition and standing crop of 44 stands, representing a diversity of topographic sites, were examined in a Northern Great Plains mixed prairie to determine the distribution, diversity, and relative production of different C3 and C4 dominated plant communities. Cluster analysis identified seven species groups at the 40% similarity level; these have been identified as seven community types: high prairie, midprairie, low prairie, meadow, depression, mud flats, and marsh. Environmental variables which showed the highest significant correlation with the three axes of a modified Bray and Curtis indirect ordination were soil moisture regime, soil potassium, and soil nitrate. Analysis of δ13C biomass values indicate that the greatest abundance (nearly 50%) of C4 biomass occurs in low prairie with roughly one-third of meadow and high prairie biomass contributed by C4 species. C4 biomass contribution appears greatest on soils relatively low to moderate in nitrate, potassium, phosphorous, and moisture, yet C4 species cooccur with C3 species where these resources are low. Both productivity and species diversity are related to topographic features but productivity does not appear to be functionally determined by the relative proportion or contribution of C4 taxa. The greatest number of C4 species occupy upland slopes and ridges and within these habitats C3 and C4 grasses may be distributed differently depending on slope exposure.