Diversity of Plant Species in Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Abstract

For phytosociological studies of Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur five vegetationstudy sites viz., old irrigated plantation, new irrigated plantation, natural vegetation withinold demarcated desert area, new demarcated desert area and Patisar Lake area wereevaluated on the bases of varied ecological conditions. Old irrigated plantations consistedof mixed species plantations, mostly of Dalbergia sissoo, Acacia nilotica and Eucalyptuscamaldulensis. Forest plantations had specific type of flora, consisted of Prosopisglandulosa, Saccharum bengalense and Imperata cylindrica. New irrigated plantationpossessed mixed type plantations but monocultures of Dalbergia sissoo and sometimesEucalyptus camaldulensis are practiced in few blocks. The ground flora comprised ofagriculture weed like Conyza ambigua, Desmostachya bipinnata, Imperata cylindrica andtall grasses like Saccharum bengalense and Saccharum spontaneum with few nativetrees/large shrubs like Tamarix aphylla and Prosopis cineraria. Dense plantations almosttotally eliminated the ground flora, perhaps due to poor light intensity and last-seasonednon-decomposed plant material of deciduous trees. Natural vegetation is of desertic natureconsisted of Acacia jacquemontii, Haloxylon recurvum, Lasiurus scindicus, Ochthochloacompressa and Prosopis cineraria. Habitat diversity was the maximum in demarcated area,containing saline or sodic patches, low sand dunes and sandy clayey soils. Aeluropuslagopoides, Cymbopogon jwarancusa and Suaeda fruticosa generally confined to salinesoils. Ochthochloa compressa, Tamarix dioica, Cymbopogon jwarancusa and Prosopiscineraria restricted to interdunal sandy clayey soils and Aristida adscensionis, Calligonumpolygonoides, Lasiurus scindicus and Haloxylon recurvum were typified to sandy habitat.Non-demarcated area showed high grazing pressure, the vegetation was more or lessshrubby, but clusters of grasses like Cenchrus pennisetiformis, Cymbopogon jwarancusaand Lasiurus scindicus can be seen. Dominant species among dicots were Calligonumpolygonoides, Dipterygium glaucum, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Haloxylon recurvum andSalsola baryosma. Vegetation inside the Patisar Lake was dominated by Phragmites karkaand Typha domingensis at shallow water whereas, Nelumbo nucifera and Vallisneria spiralisin the deeper waters. Cynodon dactylon with Phyla nodiflora dominated the bank buttussocks of Saccharum spontaneum and Saccharum bengalense were also recorded. Thehabitat has the ample potential to support a number of wildlife species including gamespecies like waterfowl, grey and black francolins, houbara bustard and sand grouses.