Floristic composition and ecological characteristics of the forest vegetation in the sub-mountainous hills of Punjab, India

Abstract

Baseline data is crucial for assessing forest vegetation in a specific region. We found 297 species across 229 genera and 72 families, revealing an uneven distribution among them. Poaceae led with 29 genera and 40 species and followed closely by Fabaceae with 28 genera and 37 species. Herbaceous plants and trees accounted for the greatest number of plant species (81) and made up 27.27% of all species. The majority of the species, about 21.21%, were nanophanerophytes, which were followed by 59 species of hemicryptophytes and mesophanerophytes (19.87%). Microphyll accounted for 88 species (29.63%) of the total leaf spectrum, while nanophyll had 80 species (26.94%). The study area had 198 native species (66.66%) and 99 foreign species (33.33%) according to the phytogeographical analysis. A significant 77.10% of species are still unclassified, highlighting the necessity of thorough IUCN status assessments. Among all the plant species encountered, 32.66% flourished in natural forest, 15.82% in shrubberies, 12.12% in areas with water and dry slopes, 6.06% in areas with shade and 17.51% in plantations or cultivated areas. The data could aid in crafting management strategies for more effective and sustainable use of the forest landscapes in this sub-mountainous region.