IMPACT OF SALINITY ON SPECIES ASSOCIATION AND PHYTOSOCIOLOGY OF HALOPHYTIC PLANT COMMUNITIES IN THE CHOLISTAN DESERT, PAKISTAN

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1 Pk. J. Bot., 42(4): , 21. IMPACT OF SALINITY ON SPECIES ASSOCIATION AND PHYTOSOCIOLOGY OF HALOPHYTIC PLANT COMMUNITIES IN THE CHOLISTAN DESERT, PAKISTAN NARGIS NAZ 1, MANSOOR HAMEED 1*, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF 13, MUHAMMAD ARSHAD 2 AND M. SAJID AQEEL AHMAD 1 1 Deprtment of Botny, University of Agriulture, Fisl-384, Pkistn 2 Cholistn Institute of Desert Stuies (CIDS), Bhwlpur, Pkistn 3 Deprtment of Botny n Miroiology, College of Sienes, King Su University, Riyh 11451, Sui Ari Astrt Five istint hitts in the Cholistn esert were explore for phytoeologil ttriutes n speies ssoition. Community struture n istriutionl pttern of the speies ws minly epenent on the slinity grient. Reltively more slt tolernt speies viz., Sporoolus iolos with Aeluropus lgopoies, Hloxylon reurvum n Sue frutios were the ominnt omponents of highly sline sites, wheres, moertely sline hitts supporte less tolernt speies Fgoni ini, Cymopogon jwrnus n Ohthohlo ompress. The istriutionl pttern of iniviul speies ws ffete y the slinity level of the hitts. The ssoition of the speies ws epenent on the egree of slinity tolerne of iniviul speies. Reltively high slt tolernt speies like A. lgopoies, S. iolos, S. frutios, n H. reurvum, showe ro rnge of ssoition s ompre to the moertely slt tolernt speies. Introution In Pkistn, Cholistn represents vst esert spreing over out 26, km 2 in the South Punj, Pkistn, whih is n inepenent ioregion of its own nture. The flor is typilly xeri onfronte with multiple stresses. Besies trmpling n overgrzing the life is expose to hrsh onitions of high temperture, rought, slinity n soiity (Arsh et l., 28). Despite verse environmentl onitions, Cholistn hs iverse vegettion inluing grsses, hers, shrus n trees (Ro & Ber, 199; Hmee et l., 22; Nz et l., 21). Geogrphilly, Cholistn is ivie into lesser n greter regions. These regions re ivie into four hitt types viz., sn unes, sny plins, ompt soils with grvels n sline res (Hmee et l., 22). Eh site epits typil plnt ommunity with xeri n hlophyti morphogeneti pttions (Akr et l., 1996, Arsh et l., 28). The ominnt vegettion omponent of hlophyti ommunities in the sline re of the Cholistn omprises iot speies of the gener like Tmrix, Hloxylon, Sue, n Slsol, wheres monoots like Aeluropus, Sporoolus, Ohthohlo n Cymopogon (Nz et l., 29). The soils re rk gry rown to lkish in olor, severely sline in nture n very poor in fertility with ph rnging from (Arsh & Akr, 22). *Corresponing uthor e-mil: hmeemnsoor@yhoo.om

2 236 NARGIS NAZ ET AL., Sline hitts, espeilly in the eserts re hrterize y speifi plnt ommunities (Khn, 199). Distriutionl ptterns of the flor in slt ffete hitts often revel strong ssoitions of speifi tx with ertin types of soil solutes. Solute omposition, long with slinity n hitt stility, my provie templte shping the istriution of mny plnts inhiting sline hitts. Stuies on hitt ssoitions, speifi solute tolerne, n ioni n osmoti pttions of prtiulr speies provie eviene out the fielity to prtiulr onitions (Herst, 21). Sine sline esert onitions re rre in nture, this kin of typil hitt is very unique. Plnts inhiting suh onitions re very ifferent n, therefore, phytoeologil stuies of sline hitts in esert onitions re useful for unerstning of ptive mehnisms. The vegettion in hostile n typil esert onitions of Cholistn survives y possessing pttions, whih my e speifi to eh speies. Mny ephi ftors inluing soil moisture, slinity, ph, et. etermine the vegettion pttern in sline hitts. Therefore, very speifi flor is foun to e ssoite with these sline hitts epening upon extent of slt tolerne n speifi pttion. Thus it is neessry to etermine the ssoition of suh flor with extent of soil slinity of these hitts. The phytosoiologil ssoitions of the Cholistn esert flor with its soil hrteristis hve not een reporte. This stuy reports the soil-plnt intertion, istriution, n speies ssoition of ifferent istint sline hitts types in the Cholistn esert vrying in soil slinity. Mterils n Methos Five vegettion stuy sites lote on the inter-unl sline flts in the Cholistn esert were selete for evlution of phytosoiology n speies ssoition (Fig. 1). The seletion riterion ws se on extent of soil slinity n some other soil physiohemil hrteristis. Derwr Fort (DF) ws the lest sline mong the stuy sites n the verge soil physio-hemil hrteristis were ph: 8.39; ECe: S m 1 ; N +, mg L 1 ; Cl, mg L 1. Trwywl To (TT) ws the moertely sline site n the verge soil physio-hemil hrteristis were: ph, 8.33; ECe, 24.8 S m 1 ; N +, 42.9 mg L 1 ; Cl, mg L 1. Blihwl Dhr (BD) ws lso the moertely sline site n the verge soil physio-hemil hrteristis were: ph, 8.35; ECe, 26.9 S m 1 ; N +, mg L 1 ; Cl, mg L 1. Lm Sir (LS) ws the highly sline site n the verge soil physio-hemil hrteristis were: ph, 8.28; ECe, 46.3 S m 1 ; N +, mg L 1 ; Cl, 253 mg L 1. Pti Sir (PS) ws the highest sline site n the verge soil physio-hemil hrteristis were: ph, 8.26; ECe, 46.3 S m 1 ; N +, mg L 1 ; Cl, mg L 1. For vegettion smpling, 2 regulr qurts (eh of 1 m 2 ) were li t eh hitt long stright trnset line, eh seprte y istne of 2 m t eh site. The t for frequeny n ensity were reore for eh speies n reltive frequeny n ensity vlues, importne vlue, Simpson s iversity inex, n speies ssoition were lulte following the metho of Luwig & Reynols (1988). The t were sujete to sttistil nlysis following Steel et l., (1997) for the lultion of LSD n SE.

3 IMPACT OF SALINITY ON HALOPHYTIC PLANT COMMUNITIES IN CHOLISTAN 2361 PS LS TWT TT DF Vegettion stuy sites BLD BD Fig. 1. Mp of Cholistn esert showing vegettion stuy sites. Derwr Fort (DF, 29º N, 71º E), Trwywl To (TT, 29º N, 71º E), Bilhwl Dhr (BD, 29º N, 7º E), Lm Sir (LS, 3º N, 72º E) n Pti Sir (PS, 3º N, 72º E). Moifie fter Akhtr & Arsh, 26). Results Phytosoiologil stuies: Sporoolus iolos ws the most ominnt grss speies, euse it ws foun in ll the stuy sites. However, its istriution n ominne inrese, prtiulrly t the moertely sline sites, ut erese t high sline sites (Figs. 2&3). Two grsses, Cymopogon jwrnus n Ohthohlo ompress h higher frequeny thn tht of the other grsses, prtiulrly t moerte n highly sline sites. The istriution of Aeluropus lgopoies ws not ffete y inresing slinity levels of the hitts. The frequeny n ensity of L. sinius inrese with inrese in slinity level of the hitt. Among iots, Hloxylon reurvum ws the most ominnt speies n it ws losely followe y H. sliornium. Moerte slinities resulte in n inrese in the ensity n frequeny of these two speies, ut higher slinities signifintly reue their numer. Reltive ensity n frequeny of Cress reti n Figoni ini, inrese t moerte slinities s ompre to those from the lest sline hitt, ut the vlue of oth these prmeters onsierly erese t highly sline hitts (Figs. 2&3). Speies ssoition: At the lowest sline site (DF), highly signifint ssoition of A. lgopoies ws foun with C. jwrnus, S. iolos n Sue frutios (Fig. 4). There ws signifint ssoition of C. jwrnus with S. iolos n S. frutios, while highly signifint ssoition of L. sinius with Fgoni ini, n of S.

4 2362 NARGIS NAZ ET AL., iolos with S. frutios ws lso foun t this site. At moertely sline (TT), A. lgopoies showe highly signifint ssoition with C. jwrnus, S. ryosm n S. frutios, ut signifint with S. iolos (Fig. 3). A signifint ssoition ws reore for C. jwrnus with S. ryosm n S. frutios, n tht for L. sinius with F. ini. Ohthohlo ompress showe signifint ssoition with Cress reti n H. reurvum, while S. iolos with S. ryosm t this site. At the seon moertely sline site (BD), A. lgopoies showe highly signifint ssoition with C. jwrnus, H. reurvum n S. frutios, while signifint with S. iolos n S. ryosm (Fig. 4). Highly signifint ssoition of C. jwrnus ws oserve with O. ompress, H. reurvum n S. frutios n signifint with S. iolos. Lsiurus sinius ws signifintly ssoite with H. reurvum, n S. iolos with S. frutios t this site. At highly sline site (LS), highly signifint ssoition of A. lgopoies with C. jwrnus n S. frutios, n signifint with O. ompress, S. iolos n H. reurvum ws oserve t this site (Fig. 4). Similrly, highly signifint ssoition of C. jwrnus ws oserve with O. ompress n S. frutios, n of S. iolos with S. frutios. At the other highest sline site (PS), A. lgopoies showe highly signifint ssoition with S. iolos n S. frutios, while C. jwrnus with S. frutios. Similrly, highly signifint ssoition ws shown y L. sinius with F. ini n H. reurvum, n signifint with H. sliornium. However, signifint ssoition ws oserve etween S. iolos n S. frutios t this site. Disussion Speies ssoition in reltion to ifferent grsses n iots vries signifintly s the slinity level of the hitt inrese. These ssoitions mong the speies re minly epenent on their egree of slt tolerne n the slinity level of the hitt. In this stuy, Cress reti showe no ssoition with other speies reore in the present stuy, exept Ohthohlo ompress t moertely sline TT. In ition, the ensity of this speies inrese up to moerte slinities n therefter erese with n inrese in soil slinity. This speies hs een reporte s ominnt omponent of hlophyti ommunities (Asri & Ghornli 1997, Milović & Mrković, 23), ut it showe optiml growth on moerte slinities (Dgr 1998). This my e the reson tht it h strong ssoition with reltive y less tolernt speies like Ohthohlo ompress t moerte slinities. Fgoni ini showe strong ssoition with Lsiurus sinius, n oth these speies proly were more pte to xeri environments, n therefore, onsiere s moertely tolernt to slinity. This hs een strongly supporte y the finigs of Iql et l., (22) who reporte F. ini s n inhitnt of less sline soils. At moertely sline site (TT), H. reurvum ws ssoite with O. ompress, ut it inite shift towrs L. sinius, C. jwrnus n A. lgopoies t the moertely sline site (BLD). However, t higher slinities (LS), H. reurvum ws foun to e ssoite only with A. lgopoies n H. sliornium. Aeluropus lgopoies hs een rte s highly slt tolernt speies y ifferent reserhers (Gulzr et l., 23; Nz et l., 29), therefore, the strong ssoition of oth H. reurvum n H. sliornium, prtiulrly t high slinities n e justifile. Khn et l., (2) rte oth these speies s highly slt tolernt.

5 IMPACT OF SALINITY ON HALOPHYTIC PLANT COMMUNITIES IN CHOLISTAN DF TWT BLD LS PS e Reltive frequeny 2 Reltive ensity e 5 Importne vlue Shnnon's iversity inex Cress reti Fgoni ini Hloxylon reurvum Hloxylon sliornium Slsol ryosm Sue frutios Fig. 2. Phytosoiologil stuies (iot speies) of some slt ffete sites of the Cholistn esert (DF = Derwr Fort, TT = Trwywl To, BD = Bilhwl Dhr, LS = Lm Sir, PS = Pti Sir).

6 2364 NARGIS NAZ ET AL., 4 Reltive frequeny e Reltive ensity Im portne vlue ` 5 Shnnon's iversity inex Aeluropus legopoies Cymopogon jwrenus Lsiurus sinius Ohthohlo ompress Sporoolus iolos Fig. 3. Phytosoiologil stuies (grss speies) of some slt ffete sites of the Cholistn esert (DF = Derwr Fort, TT = Trwywl To, BD = Bilhwl Dhr, LS = Lm Sir, PS = Pti Sir).

7 IMPACT OF SALINITY ON HALOPHYTIC PLANT COMMUNITIES IN CHOLISTAN 2365 Derwr Fort (DF) Aeluropus lgopoies Cymopogon jwrnus Lsiurus sinius Ohthohlo ompress Sporoolus iolos Cress reti Fgoni ini Hloxylon reurvum Hloxylon sliornium Slsol ryosm Sue frutios Bilhwl Dhr (BD) Aeluropus lgopoies Cymopogon jwrnus Lsiurus sinius Ohthohlo ompress Sporoolus iolos Cress reti Fgoni ini Hloxylon reurvum Hloxylon sliornium Slsol ryosm Sue frutios Trwywl To (TT) Aeluropus lgopoies Cymopogon jwrnus Lsiurus sinius Ohthohlo ompress Sporoolus iolos Cress reti Fgoni ini Hloxylon reurvum Hloxylon sliornium Slsol ryosm Sue frutios Lm Sir (LS) Aeluropus lgopoies Cymopogon jwrnus Lsiurus sinius Ohthohlo ompress Sporoolus iolos Cress reti Fgoni ini Hloxylon reurvum Hloxylon sliornium Slsol ryosm Sue frutios Pti Sir (PS) Aeluropus lgopoies Cymopogon jwrnus Lsiurus sinius Ohthohlo ompress Sporoolus iolos Cress reti Fgoni ini Hloxylon reurvum Hloxylon sliornium Slsol ryosm Sue frutios Signifint t.1 level of signifine Signifint t.5 level of signifine Fig. 4. Speies ssoition nlysis of plnt speies t sline ffete hitts in the Cholistn esert. Slsol ryosm h strong ssoitions with Sporoolus iolos, C. jwrnus n A. lgopoies, ut only t moerte slinities (TT n BD). Dgr (1995) rte this speies s highly slt tolernt, ut in the present stuy (t higher slinities) some other ftors my ontriute to the istriution of this speies (Arsh et l., 28). Sue frutios, on the other hn, h strong ssoition with other speies suh s S. iolos, C. jwrnus n A. lgopoies t ll hitts, while with H. reurvum t only moertely sline hitt (BD). High slt tolerne of this speies hs een reporte y Khn et l., (2), n therefore, the ssoition of this speies with highly slt tolernt speies n e esily expete. Aeluropus lgopoies h strong ssoition with C. jwrnus n S. frutios t eh hitt. However, in less slt ffete sites it ws minly ssoite with S. iolos, while t moertely sline sites, it ws ssoite with moertely tolernt

8 2366 NARGIS NAZ ET AL., speies suh s S. iolos, H. reurvum n S. ryosm. These results n e expline in the light of n erlier stuy of Pigntti (1982) who reporte the ssoition of A. lgopoies with C. reti in inln n ostl hlophyti ommunities. At the highest sline sites, Cymopogon jwrnus ws ssoite with H. reurvum n H. sliornium. However, t lesser sline hitt it showe greter ssoition with C. reti, H. reurvum, n A. lgopoies. The istriutionl pttern of this speies ws little errti, therefore, it is preite tht some other ephi ftors my hve een responsile for its istriution, eg., nnul temperture n preipittion (Skrpe, 199). Lsiurus sinius is moertely slt tolernt grss (Singh et l., 24). This speies h high ssoition with F. ini t ll hitts stuie, whih is lso less tolernt speies s ompre with the others speies. Sporoolus iolos h strong ssoition with A. lgopoies, C. jwrnus n S. frutios irrespetive of hitt type, ut t lesser slt ffete hitt it ws minly ssoite with S. ryosm. Gulzr et l., (25) rte this speies s highly slt tolernt, n hene, its strong ssoition with some other hlophyti speies n e expete s reporte y Nz et l., (21). In onlusion, istriutionl pttern of iniviul speies seeme to e minly ffete y the slinity level of the hitts, ut the highly slt tolernt speies were not muh ffete long the slinity grient. In ition, the ssoition of speies ppere to e epenent on the egree of slinity tolerne of iniviul speies. Reltively high slt tolernt speies like Aeluropus lgopoies, Sporoolus iolos, Sue frutios, n Hloxylon reurvum, showe ro rnge of ssoition t ll stuy sites irrespetive of slinity level of the hitt. In ontrst, in moertely slt tolernt speies, the ssoition seeme to e entirely epenent on the slinity level of the hitt type. Referenes Akr, G., T.N. Khn n M. Arsh Cholistn esert, Pkistn rngelns. Si. Vision, 5: Akhtr, R. n M. Arsh. 26. Ari rngelns in the Cholistn esert (Pkistn). Séheresse, 17: Arsh, M. n G. Akr. 22. Benhmrk of plnt ommunities of Cholistn Desert. Pk. J. Biol. Si., 5: Arsh, M., Anwr-ul-Hussn, M.Y. Ashrf, S. Noureen n M. Mozzm. 28. Ephi ftors n istriution of vegettion in the Cholistn esert, Pkistn. Pk. J. Bot., 4: Asri, Y. n M. Ghornli The hlophilous vegettion of the Orumieh Lke slt mrshes, NW. Irn. Plnt Eol., 132: Dgr, J.C Eology of hlophyti vegettion in Ini: review. Int. J. Eol. Env. Si., 21: Dgr, J.C Vegettion of slt ffete soils n its sope for groforestry interventions. Int. J. Eol. Env. Si., 24: Gulzr, S., M.A. Khn n I.A. Ungr. 23. Effets of slinity on growth, ioni ontent, n plntwter sttus of Aeluropus lgopoies. Commun. Soil. Si. Plnt Anl., 34: Gulzr, S., M.A. Khn, I.A. Ungr n X. Liu. 25. Influene of slinity on growth n osmoti reltions of Sporoolus iolos. Pk. J. Bot., 37: Hmee, M., A.A. Chuhry, M.A. Mn n A.H. Gill. 22. Diversity of plnt speies in Ll Suhnr Ntionl Prk, Bhwlpur. Pk. J. Biol. Si., 2: Herst, D.B. 21. Grients of slinity stress, environmentl stility n wter hemistry s templte for efining hitt types n physiologil strtegies in inln slt wters. Hyroiologi, 466:

9 IMPACT OF SALINITY ON HALOPHYTIC PLANT COMMUNITIES IN CHOLISTAN 2367 Iql, M.Z., N. Ysmin n M. Shfiq. 22. Slt tolerne vrition in some ommon trees. At Bot. Hung., 44: Khn, M.A The reltionship of see nk to vegettion in sline esert ommunity. In Mrvel of Sees. Pro Int See Symp, Johpur, Ini. (Es.): D.N. Sen, S. Mohmme. pp: Khn, M.A., I.A. Ungr n A.M. Showlter. 2. The effet of slinity on the growth, wter sttus, n ion ontent of lef suulent perennil hlophyte, Sue frutios (L.) Forssk. J. Ari Environ., 45: Luwig, J.A. n J.F. Reynols Sttistil eology: primer on methos n omputing. John Wiley, New York, pp: 337. Milović, M. n L. Mrković. 23. Cress reti L. (Convolvulee) in the flor of Croti. Ntur Croti, 12: Nz, N., M. Hmee, M. Ashrf, R. Ahm n M. Arsh. 29. Eo-morphi vrition for slt tolerne in some grsses from Cholistn Desert, Pkistn. Pk. J. Bot., 41: Nz, N., M. Hmee, M.S.A. Ahm, M. Ashrf n M. Arsh. 21. Is soil slinity one of the mjor eterminnts of ommunity struture uner ri environments? Commun. Eol., (in press). Pigntti, S Flor Itli 2. Egriole, Bologn. Ro, A.R. n S.D. Ber Conservtion n geneti erosion stuies of Chingi n Cholistn forests. Annul Reserh Report, Worl Willife Fun Projet. Univ. Agri., Fisl, Pkistn. Singh, N.P., M.L. Soni, R.K. Beniwl n N.D. Yv. 24. Response of Sewn (Lsiurus sinius) to sline wter irrigtion n fertilizer pplition for foer proution in ri Western Rjsthn. Curr. Agri., 28: Skrpe, C Shru lyer ynmis uner ifferent herivore intensities in n ri svnn, Botswn. J. Appl. Eol., 27: Steel, R.G.D., J.H. Torrie n D.A. Dikie Priniples n Proeures of Sttistis-A Biometri Approh. 3 r en. MGrw-Hill Pulishing Compny: Toronto. (Reeive for pulition 7 Jnury 21)