The Effect of Medium-term Protection on the Abundance and Diversity of Natural Flora in District Kohat, Pakistan

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of human disturbances on plant abundance and diversity and to suggest conservation measures in District Kohat, Pakistan. A total of 25 plots were randomly selected for each type of land-use to assess the ecological status, plant abundance, and plant diversity. Overall, 67 plant species were reported, including 39, 18, and 10 herbs, shrubs, and trees, respectively. In trees, Sideroxylon mascatense (A. DC.) T.D. Penn., Olea europaea L., Dalbergia sissoo DC., and Acacia modestaWall., had significantly higher basal area, diameter at breast height and diversity indices. As for shrub species, Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal, Gymnosporia royleana Wall. ex M.A. Lawson, and Rhazya stricta Decne., had the highest species density. Data regarding herb species showed that Euphorbia serrata L., Sonchus arvensis L., Peganum harmala L., and Amaranthus viridis L., have attained maximum diversity and coverage. As per the IUCN red list, W. coagulans(critically endangered) and G. royleana (nearly threatened) along with other species of international, national, and local importance were disappearing from the unprotected area. In conclusion, the protected area exhibits a higher abundance and diversity of plants compared to unprotected area, highlighting the positive impact of conservation efforts on ecological richness.

The Growth of Anglonema Dus Anjamani Plants Due to the Composition of the Growing Medium and Different Water Intervals

“…One of the compositions of planting media commonly used for Aglaonema plants is a mixture of fern, humus, poor sand, and cocopeat with a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1 (Wiryanta, 2007). The use of ferns as a planting medium should not be used because it is included in the list of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), which is a planting medium derived from plants that are almost extinct and highly protected (Shang et al, 2019;Zainab, 2019;Zamin et al, 2023). One way to overcome this problem is to find a replacement planting media composition so that Aglaonema plants can grow better or at least the same as using a mixture of fern planting media.…”