Floristic inventory and biological spectra of Balakot, District Mansehra, Pakistan

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the floristic composition, biological spectra and phenology of Tehsil Balakot. Frequent visits were made in different seasons during 2012–13. Field notebook was used to record the data within field. Biological spectrum and leaf sizes classes were determined. The floristic diversity revealed 228 plant species belonged to 184 genera and 72 families. Asteraceae family contributed maximum number of species (27) followed by Rosaceae (18), Apiaceae and Lamiaceae (12) species each, Papilionaceae (11) species while remaining 67 families contributed less than 10 species. Herbaceous growth form was the most leading one (71%), followed by shrub (15%) and tree (14%), respectively. Biological spectrum revealed that hemicryptophytes (32.45%) were the most prevalent, followed by therophytes (31.57%), nanophanerophytes (15.35%), megaphanerophytes (13.59%) and chamaephytes (4.38%). Leaf spectra showed that microphyll (28.94%) were dominant, followed by nanophyll (27.19%), leptophyll (22.80%), mesophyll (14.03%) and megaphyll (7.01%). The flora was influenced by two flowering seasons i.e. March to August and September to February. In the first spell, 193 species were recorded, of these 15.54% trees, 15.02% shrubs, 63.21% herbs, 3.62% grasses and 2.59% ferns; while in the second spell, there were 35 species having 2.85% trees, 17.14% shrubs, 74.28% herbs, and 5.71% grasses. The flowering data shows that June and July were the utmost flowering months with 28.50% in 65 and 20.17% in 46 plant species.