Impact of browsing upon height, density, canopy cover and nutrient (Fe+) acquisition by Seriphidium quettense in high rangelands of district Quetta, Balochistan
Impact of browsing upon height, density, canopy cover and nutrient (Fe+) acquisition by Seriphidium quettense in high rangelands of district Quetta, Balochistan
Ashar Farooq1; Farid Shah2; Saifullah Zahri2 and Samiullah Jaffar2
ABSTRACT
Seriphidium is the dominated species of arid and semi-arid rangelands of Balochistan. Six (06) species of Seriphidium are found in this region. The dwellers of the area are dependent on livestock to earn their keeps and livestock is dependent on these rangelands. Being a high palatable species, Seriphidium is the main target of large mammals. The experimental work has been carried out in the Maslakh protected area by comparing the cover, height, density and Fe+ concentration in the samples taken from both un-protected (browsed) and protected (un-browsed) areas. The sampling followed the line transect method. Leaves of intercepted plants were removed at a distance of 5 meters. The cover and height of the same plants was also measured. Quadrat method was used to measure the number of individuals per unit area of Seriphidium at both sites. For measuring the concentration of Fe+, the plant samples were dried, digested and analyzed on AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrometer). It has been concluded that there was non-significant impact of browsing upon the nutrient concentration but there was a significant difference in plant cover, height and density at un-protected and protected sites.
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June 2014
Vol. 64, Iss. 2
