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Impact of Urbanization on Vegetation:
a Survey of Peshawar, Pakistan
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1
Institute of Ecology and Geobotany, School of Ecology and Environmental Science Yunnan University,
NO.2 North Cuihu road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650091, PR. China
2
Department of Botany, Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan
3
School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, NO.2 North Cuihu road,
Kunming, Yunnan, 650091, PR. China
4
Department of Botany, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Pakistan
5
Department of Biochemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
6
Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah-21589, Saudi Arabia
7
State key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology,
Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China
8
Department of Microbiology, University of Swabi Pakistan
9
College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xian China
10
Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
11
Department of Chemistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
Submission date: 2017-08-08
Final revision date: 2018-03-28
Acceptance date: 2018-03-28
Online publication date: 2019-01-29
Publication date: 2019-03-01
Corresponding author
Munawar Iqbal
NIBGE, Pak, Department of Chemistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore 5400, Pakistan, 5400 Lahore, Pakistan
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2019;28(4):2523-2530
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ABSTRACT
This paper analyzes a phytosociological study and urbanization in Regi Model Township (RMT)
in Peshawar, Pakistan. The study was conducted during spring 2015 and a total of 32 plant species
were identified belonging to 19 families. The Asteraceae family had the highest number of species
5 spp. while Fabaceae, Polygonaceae, and Brassicaceae had 3 spp. each. Poaceae and Solanaceae had
2 spp. each, while Plantiginaceae, Malvaceae, and Caryophyllaceae had 1 spp. each. In zone 1, a total
of 27 plant species were reported in which the Cynodon-Carthamus-Datura community was established
on the basis of the importance value index. The soil of this zone was silty clay loamy in texture with
a pH of 8.3, nitrogen 0.017%, phosphorus 7.4%, and organic matter (OM) was (0.34 ppm). In zone
2, a total of 23 plant species were reported, and the Xanthium-Parthenium-Cyperus community
was established. The soil in this zone was loamy sandy with pH of 8.1, nitrogen 0.020%,
phosphorus 3.1%, and OM 0.04. In zone 3 a total of 21 plants species were reported and the
Cynodon-Prosopis-Xanthium community was established. The soil in this community was silty clay
loamy having a pH of 8.1, nitrogen 0.034%, phosphorus 4.1%, and OM of (0.068 ppm)%. In zone 4,
a total of 13 plant species were recorded and the Xanthium-Lepidium-Amaranthus community was
established. The soil in this zone was silty clay loamy with a pH of 8.3, nitrogen 0.029%, phosphorus
6.2%, and OM 0.058%, and similarly in zone 5, a total of 11 plant species were recorded in the area
where the Cynodon-Parthenium-Cyperus community was established. The soil in this community was
loamy sand having a pH of 8.1, nitrogen 0.002%, phosphorus 3.1%, and OM (0.03 ppm). The construction
work at RMT was causing the extinction of vegetation and there would be no more wild vegetation
in the near future in that particular area.