Influence of Edaphic Properties in Determining Forest Community Patterns of the Zabarwan Mountain Range in the Kashmir Himalayas
The significance of edaphic factors in describing forest vegetation patterns is becoming more well acknowledged, with significant implications for the description of biogeographical regions and biome classification, as well as abundance and growth patterns at regional levels. The current study exami...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/8/1214 |
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| author | Shiekh Marifatul Haq Aqil Tariq Qingting Li Umer Yaqoob Muhammad Majeed Musheerul Hassan Sammer Fatima Manoj Kumar Rainer W. Bussmann Muhammad Farhan Ul Moazzam Muhammad Aslam |
| author_facet | Shiekh Marifatul Haq Aqil Tariq Qingting Li Umer Yaqoob Muhammad Majeed Musheerul Hassan Sammer Fatima Manoj Kumar Rainer W. Bussmann Muhammad Farhan Ul Moazzam Muhammad Aslam |
| author_sort | Shiekh Marifatul Haq |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The significance of edaphic factors in describing forest vegetation patterns is becoming more well acknowledged, with significant implications for the description of biogeographical regions and biome classification, as well as abundance and growth patterns at regional levels. The current study examines the vegetation association in the Zabarwan mountain range of the Western Himalayas and its association with edaphic factors. To collect data on forest types, we employed a systematic random sampling strategy in 60 plots (0.1 ha) across five forest types. We investigated data using ordination and cluster analysis approaches after calculating the important value index (henceforth IVI) for each plant species and edaphic data from forests. In total, 76 plant species from 39 different families were found in the area. The Rosaceae family was the most numerous, followed by Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Scrub forest types have lower diversity indices, while broad-leaved forest types have greater diversity indices. Two-way cluster analyses classified the forest vegetation of the Zabarwan mountain range into two plant communities on the basis of indicator plant species. The ordination analysis (canonical correspondence analysis) indicated that vegetation association tended to be influenced differently by distinct levels of soil parameters. The soil pH and calcium content were the main factors influencing the species distribution in the different forest types. The phytosociological features (basal area) were higher in coniferous forest type (74.49 m<sup>2</sup>ha<sup>−1</sup>) compared to broad-leaved (58.63 m<sup>2</sup>ha<sup>−1</sup>) and scrub forest type (15.4 m<sup>2</sup>ha<sup>−1</sup>). Overall, the goal of this research is to gain a better understanding of the impact of soil elements on forest composition and associations in order to develop scientifically based management options for forest ecosystem protection in the Himalayan region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:57:05Z |
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| id | doaj.art-2d1a1181d4bd470094bfe2756b4b5df6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:57:05Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-2d1a1181d4bd470094bfe2756b4b5df62023-12-01T23:41:30ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072022-08-01138121410.3390/f13081214Influence of Edaphic Properties in Determining Forest Community Patterns of the Zabarwan Mountain Range in the Kashmir HimalayasShiekh Marifatul Haq0Aqil Tariq1Qingting Li2Umer Yaqoob3Muhammad Majeed4Musheerul Hassan5Sammer Fatima6Manoj Kumar7Rainer W. Bussmann8Muhammad Farhan Ul Moazzam9Muhammad Aslam10Clybay Research Private Limited-560114, Bangalore, IndiaState Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaAirborne Remote Sensing Center, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, ChinaZonal Educational office, Vehil, Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir 192303, IndiaDepartment of Botany, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat 50700, PakistanClybay Research Private Limited-560114, Bangalore, IndiaDepartment of Botany, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat 50700, PakistanGIS Centre, Forest Research Institute, PO New Forest, Dehradun 248006, IndiaDepartment of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany, Ilia State University, 0105 Tbilisi, GeorgiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, College of Ocean Science, Jeju National University, 102 Jejudaehakro, Jeju 63243, KoreaSchool of Computing Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of West of Scotland, Paisley G72 0LH, UKThe significance of edaphic factors in describing forest vegetation patterns is becoming more well acknowledged, with significant implications for the description of biogeographical regions and biome classification, as well as abundance and growth patterns at regional levels. The current study examines the vegetation association in the Zabarwan mountain range of the Western Himalayas and its association with edaphic factors. To collect data on forest types, we employed a systematic random sampling strategy in 60 plots (0.1 ha) across five forest types. We investigated data using ordination and cluster analysis approaches after calculating the important value index (henceforth IVI) for each plant species and edaphic data from forests. In total, 76 plant species from 39 different families were found in the area. The Rosaceae family was the most numerous, followed by Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Scrub forest types have lower diversity indices, while broad-leaved forest types have greater diversity indices. Two-way cluster analyses classified the forest vegetation of the Zabarwan mountain range into two plant communities on the basis of indicator plant species. The ordination analysis (canonical correspondence analysis) indicated that vegetation association tended to be influenced differently by distinct levels of soil parameters. The soil pH and calcium content were the main factors influencing the species distribution in the different forest types. The phytosociological features (basal area) were higher in coniferous forest type (74.49 m<sup>2</sup>ha<sup>−1</sup>) compared to broad-leaved (58.63 m<sup>2</sup>ha<sup>−1</sup>) and scrub forest type (15.4 m<sup>2</sup>ha<sup>−1</sup>). Overall, the goal of this research is to gain a better understanding of the impact of soil elements on forest composition and associations in order to develop scientifically based management options for forest ecosystem protection in the Himalayan region.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/8/1214soilforestbiodiversityprotected areaKashmir Himalayas |
| spellingShingle | Shiekh Marifatul Haq Aqil Tariq Qingting Li Umer Yaqoob Muhammad Majeed Musheerul Hassan Sammer Fatima Manoj Kumar Rainer W. Bussmann Muhammad Farhan Ul Moazzam Muhammad Aslam Influence of Edaphic Properties in Determining Forest Community Patterns of the Zabarwan Mountain Range in the Kashmir Himalayas Forests soil forest biodiversity protected area Kashmir Himalayas |
| title | Influence of Edaphic Properties in Determining Forest Community Patterns of the Zabarwan Mountain Range in the Kashmir Himalayas |
| title_full | Influence of Edaphic Properties in Determining Forest Community Patterns of the Zabarwan Mountain Range in the Kashmir Himalayas |
| title_fullStr | Influence of Edaphic Properties in Determining Forest Community Patterns of the Zabarwan Mountain Range in the Kashmir Himalayas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence of Edaphic Properties in Determining Forest Community Patterns of the Zabarwan Mountain Range in the Kashmir Himalayas |
| title_short | Influence of Edaphic Properties in Determining Forest Community Patterns of the Zabarwan Mountain Range in the Kashmir Himalayas |
| title_sort | influence of edaphic properties in determining forest community patterns of the zabarwan mountain range in the kashmir himalayas |
| topic | soil forest biodiversity protected area Kashmir Himalayas |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/8/1214 |
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