Margalla Research Articles

ISOLATION STUDIES FROM STEM EXTRACT OF PISTACIA INTEGERRIMA STEW. EX BRAND

Plants have been source of fantastic natural compounds that range in complexity. Chemical studies on traditional medicinal plants have led to discovery of potent bioactive components. Pistacia integerrima belonging to family Anacardiaceae has been traditionally effective for rheumatic pain, analgesic and antipyretic effects and used in treatment of coughs, phthisis, asthma and dysentery. Natural products have served as basis for compounds to be utilized in drug discovery. Stem extract of Pistacia integerrima was investigated with the aim to find some novel components that can later be used as drugs or active pharmaceutical intermediates. Plant material was collected from Margalla Hills Islamabad, shade dried and subjected to cold maceration technique for extraction. Crude extract was partitioned into different fractions on polarity basis. Repeated normal and reverse phase column chromatography of ethyl acetate fraction supported by Thin Layer Chromatography have led to the isolation of pure single compound. Isolated compound was further analyzed towards structural elucidation using LC-MS, IR and NMR spectroscopy. Present finding will be a useful and novel addition in already known chemical components from Pistacia integerrima.

A New Broad-Spectrum Peptide Antibiotic Produced by Bacillus brevis Strain MH9 Isolated from Margalla Hills of Islamabad, Pakistan

The antimicrobial peptide from a bacterial strain is isolated from soil sample of Margalla Hills of Islamabad, Pakistan. The peptide is found to significantly inhibit the growth of both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and Micrococcus luteus ATCC 10240) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Salmonella typhi ATCC 14028) bacteria as compared to gramicidin as standard. The bacterium is identified as Bacillus brevis strain MH9 based on phenotype and phylogenetic analysis. The antibacterial polypeptide was produced optimally at 35 °C after 48 h of growth, precipitated by 50 % ammonium sulphate, and further purified using HPLC. The sequential steps of purification decrease the peptide contents with prominent antibacterial activity. The peptide composed of 11 amino acid was further characterized by FT-IR and NMR. Results suggested that the peptide molecule is a novel antibacterial agent that is effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This study may have important implications for new peptide antibiotic that could be a new addition to treat infections.

Monitoring Forest Cover Change of Margalla Hills Over a Period of Two Decades (1992-2011): A Spatiotemporal Perspective

Forests play a critical role in the provision of the ecological interconnectedness, and essential ecosystem services. Deforestation is a serious environmental problem throughout the world including Pakistan where a striking depletion of forest reserves has been an ecological concern for quite some time. Remote sensing techniques have been used to monitor land use and forest cover changes. The present study aims at visualizing the potential impacts of climate change and declining forest reserves on Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP). ERDAS Imagine 9.1 and ArcGIS 10.2 softwares were employed for the spatial and temporal analysis and visualization of over the past two decades. Our analysis revealed a great increase in the built-up area, barren soil and agricultural land, whereas diminishing trend is shown by the classes such as water body, lower vegetation, scrub and conifer forest. The conditions of the region are unsatisfactory and require conservation practices to be carried out in order to avoid susceptibility against ecological and socio-economic disturbances.

REVITALIZING HISTORIC AREAS; LESSONS FROM THE RENOVATION OF SAIDPUR VILLAGE, ISLAMABAD

Over the past decades, traditional cities and their historic districts have been deteriorating steadily. The combination of modernity, congestion, old infrastructure and financial pressures have led to migration of people from old neighborhoods and their eventual decline and decay. In league with this loss of traditional cities, in Islamabad, the Central Development Authority (CDA) decided to revitalize the historic village of Saidpur. The project undertook to restore historical architecture, encourage tourism and reverse the cycle of decay by economic and social revival of the area. Saidpur is a small historic village, possibly 500 years old, located at the base of the Margalla Hills. The center of the village has old heritage buildings in the form of two mandirs (temple) and a dharamshala (sanctuary). These were neglected and undergoing rapid deterioration. The infrastructure of the area was underdeveloped, with open drains, unpaved pathways and no solid waste management system. This paper studies the process and results of this revitalization project analysing the impact of the project on the cultural, social and economic conditions of the village. The methodology of this study was based on qualitative interviews with the residents of the village, CDA officials and direct observation of the spaces (before and after renovation). The paper concludes that the local community must be the engine of any sustainable revitalization of cultural heritage. In the case of Saidpur Village, gentrification without community participation has threatened the social and historic cohesion of the area, leading to brutal transformation and marginalization of local residents. Keywords: Saidpur, renovation, sustainable revitalization, heritage, community.

Biodiversity Assessment and its Effect on the Environment of Shakarparian Forest

Shakarparian is known for its scenic beauty and wilderness and has a significant recreational value. It is a part of Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP), Islamabad and can be a good recourse to conduct various environmental studies. This study was aimed to explore the overall biodiversity of Shakarparian forest in terms of flora and its associated fauna. Phytosociological survey was carried out in order to identify the existing plant communities. The plant associations were then correlated to the existing fauna of the area. The results will provide the baseline data to support further studies on biodiversity analysis of ecologically rich natural recourse base of our country. A total of 155 Animal species have been observed in the study area. Out of these species 23 species of Mammals, 104 of Birds, 22 of Reptiles and 6 species of Amphibians have been recorded. The dominating plant species of the zone are Cassia fistula, Carrisa apeca, and Lantana camara.

Impact of population dynamics on Margalla Hills Ecosystem: a community-level case study

Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP) is a declared natural reserve of Pakistan, and Saidpur village is located at its foothills. To sustain livelihood, Saidpur community relies on natural resources ...

On the herpetofauna in Loi Bher Wildlife Park, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

The amphibian and reptilian species are considered excellent indicators of the relative amounts of microhabitats in any ecosystem, and features such as lotic water, permanent & temporary lentic water, rock & litter/debris vegetation, live vegetation, dead vegetation, plant species, and soil are important determinants of herpetofaunal abundance. The study on habitat preferences enables to comprehend ecological role and to predict the effect of habitat change on a species. Such studies are also very crucial for not only sustaining the species in captivity but also for designing their conservation strategies in the natural environment. The available literature lacks any significant work on the abundance of herpetofauna and its association with habitats in various ecological zones of Pakistan. Khan (2006) has provided a general account of all known herpetofauna of Pakistan. Masroor (2011) has given an annotated checklist of herpetofauna of Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad. Tabassum et al. (2011) have estimated population of skittering and bull-frogs in Rawal Lake, Islamabad. Thus far little effort has been expended on establishing a standardized monitoring program for herpetofauna mainly because of paucity of data pertaining to habitat requirements and partitioning.

Evaluation of Dina Aggregates for Pavement Construction in Pakistan

This paper presents the evaluation of the potential aggregate source for pavement construction in Pakistan. The Dina quarries which produce quartzite aggregates have been in use for building construction for long time. For pavement construction the aggregate materials are mostly obtain from Margalla hills and Kirana hills. The crushed limestone from Margalla source has been in use for both building and road construction from decades. The Kirana hills aggregates have been also used in many road construction projects in Punjab. The purpose of this research is to see the performance of Dina quarries as potential aggregates for pavement construction. For this purpose the Dina aggregate properties are compared with the Margalla aggregates which are most extensively use in pavement construction. The aggregate properties like specific gravity, water absorption, los angles abrasion, soundness, shape, crushing and impact value conform to the required pavement standards. The asphalt mixture design make with the Dina aggregate by Marshall method also shows suitable performance. These laboratory testing indicates that Dina quarries are potential aggregates for pavement construction in the Punjab province.

A Contribution to the Herpetology of Northern Pakistan: The Amphibians and Reptiles of Margalla Hills National Park and Surrounding Regions - By Rafaqat Masroor

A Contribution to the Herpetology of Northern Pakistan: The Amphibians and Reptiles of Margalla Hills National Park and Surrounding Regions - By Rafaqat Masroor

Phytochemical analysis of selected medicinal plants of Margalla Hills and surroundings.

The present study investigate the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the major bioactive constituents of 13 medicinally important plants, namely Woodfordia fruiticosa, Adhatoda vasica, Chenopodium ambrosoides, Viburnum cotinifolium, Euphorbia hirta, Vitex negundo,Peganum harmala, Broussonetia papyrifera, Taraxacum officinale, Urtica dioica, Verbascum thapsus, Caryopteris grata and Mimosa rubicaulis collected from different localities of Margalla Hills, Islamabad Pakistan, for their authentication. Alkaloids, saponins, tannins, anthraquinones, flavonoids, flavons, flavonols and chalcones, terpenoids, phlobatanins, coumarins, steroids and cardiac glycosoides were analyzed qualitatively where as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols and saponins were analysed quantitatively too. In W. fruticosa andV. cotinifolium, all the constituents were detected except coumarins and steroids. All the constituents were detected in A. vasica, C. ambrosoides and P. harmala except anthraquinones, coumarins, steroids and terpenoids. V. negundo exhibited all the studied phytochemicals except coumarins, steroids and phlobatanins. Maximum alkaloid content (1.13%) was recorded in A. vasica followed by P. harmala (1.11%), W. fruticosa (1.036%) andV. cotinifolium (0.90%). Maximum (0.87%) phenolic content was observed in methanolic extract of W. fruticosa. Tannin content was recorded maximum (15.75%) in M. rubicaulisfollowed by W. fruticosa (14.16%), C. grata (13.4%), V. cotinifolium (12.33%), E. hirta (11.2%),B. papyrifera (10.56%) and P. harmala (10.2%). Maximum flavonoid content (10.95%) was observed in V. negundo. Maximum saponin content (5.06%) was recorded in methanolic extract of T. officinale. Key words: Medicinal plants, Margalla Hills, qualitative, quantitative analysis.

Assessment of radiological hazard of NORM in Margalla Hills limestone, Pakistan

Studies on naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in the limestone from the Margalla Hills have been carried out by measuring gamma activity and to access its radiological implications if any. For data acquisition, a High-Purity Germanium detector was employed. The activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th, and (40)K were found to be 14.32 ± 0.24, 2.05 ± 0.04, and 13.80 ± 0.20 Bq kg(-1), respectively. These values are relatively lower as compared to that in the limestone of other countries and much lower than the values reported for the natural building stones. The average specific activities due to (226)Ra were found to be higher when compared with (40)K and (232)Th. Indices of radium equivalent activity (Ra(eq)), internal hazard (H(in)), indoor absorbed gamma dose rate (D(R,)), and corresponding annual effective dose (E(eff)) were also determined for the limestone-made rooms. All of these indices were found to be in the lower ranges. The Margalla Hills limestone does not pose any excessive radiological health hazard as a building material and in industrial uses for a common man.

Additions to the knowledge of the Mutillidae (Hymenoptera) of Pakistan

Four species in four genera are newly recorded from Pakistan. Three of these species are new and are described: Smicromyrmilla margalla Lelej and Ullah, sp. nov. (Pakistan), Andreimyrme pakistanensis Lelej and Ullah, sp. nov. (Pakistan), and Ephutomma himalayana Lelej and Ullah, sp. nov. (Pakistan, Nepal). A new combination is proposed for Storozhenkotilla semiviolacea (André). Four genera are recorded for the first time from Pakistan: Smicromyrmilla Suárez, Storozhenkotilla Lelej, Andreimyrme Lelej, and Ephutomma Ashmead. The latter is recorded for the first time from Nepal. Storozhenkotilla semiviolacea (André) is recorded for the first time from Pakistan.

Willingness to Pay for Margalla Hills National Park: Evidence from the Travel Cost Method

This study, which is among the first in Pakistan to value recreational benefits, estimates the benefits of the Margalla Hills National Park near Islamabad. The study examines how much park visitors are willing to pay to visit the park. Annual benefits from the park are considerable—the total annual consumer surplus or economic benefit obtained from recreation in the park is approximately Rs. 23 million (US $ 0.4 million). Various factors influence the value visitors obtain from the park — these include travel cost, household income, and the quality of the park. Improvements in the quality of the park are estimated to increase recreational benefits by 39%. The study recommends that a park entrance fee of Rs. 20 per person be introduced, which could be utilized for park management. This would generate nearly Rs. 11 million in revenues annually, a sizable amount of money that represents about 4% of the annual budget allocated to the environment sector in Pakistan.

Vegetation Comparison of Sacred, Reserved and Unreserved Sites of Rumli Village at Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad

Vegetation Comparison of Sacred, Reserved and Unreserved Sites of Rumli Village at Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad

Folk use of medicinal herbs of Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad

This paper is based on the results of an ethnobotanical research project conducted in Margalla Hills National Park. The inhabitants of the park have always used medicinal herbs for various ailments and have for a long time been dependent on surrounding plant resources for their food, shelter, fodder, health care, and other cultural purposes. However, encroaching industrialisation and the accompanying changes in their life styles are responsible for the decrease of practice in the local use of herbs for medicine. It is, therefore, felt worthwhile to record the native uses of these herbs before the information is lost. About 100 informants were interviewed in this regard. In total 50 species of herbs belonging to 27 families were recorded as used medicinally by inhabitants of the park, among which ten species are being sold in the local market. Asparagus adescendens Roxb., and Viola canesence Wall. ex Roxb. are found vulnerable to harvesting.

Effect of forest fire on number, viability and post-fire re-establishment of arbuscular mycorrhizae

Forest fire can affect arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi by changing the soil conditions and by directly altering AM proliferation. We studied the effects of a severe forest fire at Margalla Hills near Islamabad on the number and viability of AM fungal propagules in the burnt soil and their role in the re-establishment of post-fire infection in colonized plants. Compared with a nearby control area, the burnt site had a similar number of total spores but a lower number of viable AM fungal propagules. The roots of the two most frequent species at the burnt site, Dodonaea viscosa and Aristida adscensionis, showed a gradual increase in percentage root length colonized by AM fungi in general and hyphal infection in particular. Our results indicate resumption of mycorrhizal activity following the fire, probably from AM hyphae in the roots of these dominant shrubs.

Ecology and conservation of the cheer pheasant Catreus wallichii: Studies in the wild and the progress of a reintroduction project

The cheer pheasant Catreus wallichii is an endangered species frequenting open habitats in the Himalayan foothills of Pakistan, India and Nepal. Part of this paper describes how early successional habitats used by cheer at one intensively studied site are maintained by a traditional form of scrub clearance and single-season crop growing on a long rotation, together with seasonal grazing. A review of the habitat characteristics and land-use patterns at a series of other present-day cheer sites reveals that, with the exception of a few small refuges, all component habitats are heavily disturbed. The history of a continuing reintroduction attempt for cheer in the Margalla Hills National Park in Pakistan is then reviewed in the light of these findings. We conclude that habitat management involving the rotational burning of a dense successional scrub is necessary if the released population is to have any prospects of becoming self-sustaining. A similar type of management needs to be maintained at sites still holding wild cheer in India and Nepal.