3. Investigating the floristic diversity indices of plant species in district Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

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Sulaiman Shah, Yaseen Khan, Shariat Ullah, Tabassum Yaseen, Shakir Ullah, Mian Fazli Basit

Abstract

The floristic study carried out during 2017-2019 revealed that, district Charsadda comprised total of 146 plant species belonging to 58 families and 127 genera. The leading families were Asteraceae with 14 species (9.58%), Poaceae 12 species (8.21%), Solanaceae 8 species (5.47%) and Cucurbitaceae 7 species (4.79%). Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, Lamiaceae, Moraceae, Papilionaceae contribute by 5 species each (3.42%), Chenopodiaceae, Rosaceae having 4 species each (2.73%), Amaranthaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Polygonaceae, Pteridaceae contributed by 3 species each (2.05%), Alliaceae, Arecaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Cyperaceae, Ebinaceae, Equisetaceae, Fabaceae, Genetaceae, Geraniaceae, Mimosaceae, Myrtaceae, Oleaceae, Pinaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rutaceae contributed by 2 species each (1.36%). The rest of the 27 families contributed by 1 species each (0.68%). The most dominant life form was therophytes having 66 species (45.20%), Microphanerophytes 22 species (15.06%), and Chaemophytes 18 species (12.32%). Hemicryptophyte 14 species (9.58%) Nanophanerophyes 10 species (6.84%), Geophytes 9 species (6.16%), Megaphanerophytes 4 species (2.75%) followed by Mesophanerophytes having 2 species (1.36%). Leaf size spectra of the flora showed that the most dominant leaf size class were microphyll having 54 species (36.98%), nanophyll 32 species (21.91%), mesophyll 29 species (19.86%), leptophylls 17 species (11.64%), megaphyll contributed by 8 species (5.47%) followed by macrophyll which represent 5 species (3.04%) and the one species is aphyllus. The dominant therophytic life form showed that the flora of the area is under severe anthropogenic activity. This study not only gives information about the flora of Charsadda but can provide a baseline for future studies and plantation of this area.


Keywords: Floristic diversity; Life forms; Leaf spectrum; District Charsadda



http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2021.100059

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