ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Evaluation of Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts
on Phytosociological Aspects and Conservation
Status of Native Flora in One of Protected and
Unprotected Habitats of Cholistan Desert, Pakistan
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1
Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Punjab, Pakistan
2
Cholistan Institute of Desert Studies, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Punjab, Pakistan
3
Department of Bio-Informatics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
4
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur,
Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
5
Department of Botany, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
6
Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Submission date: 2023-11-06
Final revision date: 2023-12-14
Acceptance date: 2024-01-08
Online publication date: 2024-04-04
Publication date: 2024-04-18
Corresponding author
Muhammad Faisal Maqsood
Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Punjab, Pakistan
Usman Zulfiqar
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur,
Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2024;33(4):3567-3586
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ABSTRACT
This study aimed to assess the long term effects of anthropogenic, climatic, edaphic, and seasonal
variations on present floristic and ecological status of two distinct sites i.e., protected (Biodiversity
Park) and unprotected (nearby areas) in the Derawar region of Lesser Cholistan Desert. The study was
conducted for four years over a seasonal period of spring 2019 (February-March) to fall 2022 (September
to October). For the exploration of maximum diversity at both sites, quadrats of 10 × 10 m were placed
randomly. Ten soil, twelve anthropogenic, seven environmental and eight seasonal variables were
used to assess their relationship with vegetation of both sites during four years of study. For statistical
analysis, data was processed in the SPSS for LSD test and R Studio for Canonical Correspondence
Analysis (CCA) and heat map preparation. A total of 84 plant species, belonging to 62 genera
and 26 families, were identified in the Derawar region. Herbaceous plants comprised the majority, with
42 species, followed by grasses (22 species), shrubs (12 species), trees (7 species), and one sedge species.
The protected site exhibited higher species diversity, with 76 species from 23 families, compared
to the unprotected site, which had 49 species from 15 families. Species richness, Simpson index,
and Shannon index showed significant declines in diversity from the protected to the unprotected site. While comparing the seasons, an overall significant increase in diversity was observed from spring to
fall in the protected site, while the unprotected site exhibited the opposite trend. Precipitation averaged
from 0 to 32 mm during the spring and 9 to 197 mm during the fall seasons. The study examined
fluctuations in temperature, wind speed, evaporation, and humidity, with higher levels during the fall
season. Soil analysis revealed an alkaline composition, with the protected site being predominantly
sandy and the unprotected site mainly clayey saline. Anthropogenic activities, including agriculture,
deforestation, military activities, over-collection, overgrazing, overhunting, solid waste, and tourism,
were found to be more prevalent and impactful in the unprotected site, with the highest level of impact
ranging from 3-4. The CCA analysis underlines the significance of global importance of protected areas
towards bending the curve of floristic diversity loss, as compared to unprotected sites, despite both
experiencing the similar climatic conditions, with human impact being the only distinguishing factor.
Greater plant diversity positively impacts soil nutrients of protected sites by leading to these outcomes.
To achieve long-term climate goals and protection of the arid ecosystem, it is recommended to designate
more protected areas at identified hotspots as an effective conservation practice in this region.