Spatial Pattern and Key Environmental Determinants of Vegetation in Sand Mining and Non-Mining Sites along the Panjkora River Basin

<p dir="ltr">A specific set of environmental conditions characterizes plant species patterns and distribution on Earth. Similarly, riparian vegetation can be impacted by anthropogenic activities like mining practices involving the removal of vegetation cover, which destroys the struc...

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Main Author: Kishwar Ali (14581226) (author)
Other Authors: Nasrullah Khan (13778350) (author), Rafi Ullah (8146836) (author), Muzammil Shah (17541975) (author), Muhammad Ezaz Hasan Khan (17541807) (author), David Aaron Jones (17541492) (author), Maha Dewidar (17541978) (author)
Published: 2022
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author Kishwar Ali (14581226)
author2 Nasrullah Khan (13778350)
Rafi Ullah (8146836)
Muzammil Shah (17541975)
Muhammad Ezaz Hasan Khan (17541807)
David Aaron Jones (17541492)
Maha Dewidar (17541978)
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author_facet Kishwar Ali (14581226)
Nasrullah Khan (13778350)
Rafi Ullah (8146836)
Muzammil Shah (17541975)
Muhammad Ezaz Hasan Khan (17541807)
David Aaron Jones (17541492)
Maha Dewidar (17541978)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Kishwar Ali (14581226)
Nasrullah Khan (13778350)
Rafi Ullah (8146836)
Muzammil Shah (17541975)
Muhammad Ezaz Hasan Khan (17541807)
David Aaron Jones (17541492)
Maha Dewidar (17541978)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2022-10-14T03:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.3390/land11101801
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Spatial_Pattern_and_Key_Environmental_Determinants_of_Vegetation_in_Sand_Mining_and_Non-Mining_Sites_along_the_Panjkora_River_Basin/24717486
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Biological sciences
Ecology
Environmental sciences
Environmental management
Pollution and contamination
Information and computing sciences
Applied computing
Panjkora River basin
Canonical Correspondence Analysis
mining activities
socioeconomic aspects
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Spatial Pattern and Key Environmental Determinants of Vegetation in Sand Mining and Non-Mining Sites along the Panjkora River Basin
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">A specific set of environmental conditions characterizes plant species patterns and distribution on Earth. Similarly, riparian vegetation can be impacted by anthropogenic activities like mining practices involving the removal of vegetation cover, which destroys the structure and diversity of the habitat, adversely affecting the ecosystem services. In this study, we explored the role of environmental variables and biotic intervention in deriving spatial patterns and distribution of riparian vegetation at mining and non-mining sites along the most depleted Panjkora River basin in NW Pakistan. Vegetation data and its determining factors at 28 mining and non-mining sites (14 each) were sampled using 10 m × 10 m (100 m2) systematic plots at 50 m intervals along transects in a downstream direction from the upper catchments to the bottom junction with the Swat River. We recorded 186 species in both mining and non-mining sites, belonging to 70 families comprising 174 angiosperms, 3 gymnosperms, and 9 Pteridophytes. Results show that annual or perennial therophytic life forms predominated in the Panjkora River system, indicating anthropogenic disturbances. At the same time, the aggressively invasive species, such as Xanthium strumarium and Cannabis sativa, further heightened plant community disturbances. Generally, the species diversity was higher in non-mining sites and may be attributed to habitat fragmentation. Likewise, the Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA-ordination) revealed that geographic coordinate (i.e., latitude r = 0.80; longitude r = 0.75) and elevation (r = 0.95) were more meaningful predictors than soil texture (i.e., silt%, r = −0.30), nutrients (i.e., potassium, r = −0.35; phosphorus, r = 0.38) and soil pH (r = −0.50) in shaping the spatial pattern and vegetation structure. Our result implies that the present vegetation composition and spatial assemblages are due to heavy anthropogenic interventions, especially mining activities. Therefore, the heavily degraded fragile riparian system of the Panjkora River and its tributaries needed to be conserved and restored by predicting the composition of communities in response to changing climatic conditions.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Land<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land11101801" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land11101801</a></p><p dir="ltr">Disclaimer: The University of Doha for Science and Technology replaced the now-former College of the North Atlantic-Qatar after an Amiri decision in 2022. UDST has become and first national applied University in Qatar; it is also second national University in the country.</p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
id Manara2_ec96fe76b205fc3c35509a11071d4d90
identifier_str_mv 10.3390/land11101801
network_acronym_str Manara2
network_name_str Manara2
oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/24717486
publishDate 2022
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spelling Spatial Pattern and Key Environmental Determinants of Vegetation in Sand Mining and Non-Mining Sites along the Panjkora River BasinKishwar Ali (14581226)Nasrullah Khan (13778350)Rafi Ullah (8146836)Muzammil Shah (17541975)Muhammad Ezaz Hasan Khan (17541807)David Aaron Jones (17541492)Maha Dewidar (17541978)Biological sciencesEcologyEnvironmental sciencesEnvironmental managementPollution and contaminationInformation and computing sciencesApplied computingPanjkora River basinCanonical Correspondence Analysismining activitiessocioeconomic aspects<p dir="ltr">A specific set of environmental conditions characterizes plant species patterns and distribution on Earth. Similarly, riparian vegetation can be impacted by anthropogenic activities like mining practices involving the removal of vegetation cover, which destroys the structure and diversity of the habitat, adversely affecting the ecosystem services. In this study, we explored the role of environmental variables and biotic intervention in deriving spatial patterns and distribution of riparian vegetation at mining and non-mining sites along the most depleted Panjkora River basin in NW Pakistan. Vegetation data and its determining factors at 28 mining and non-mining sites (14 each) were sampled using 10 m × 10 m (100 m2) systematic plots at 50 m intervals along transects in a downstream direction from the upper catchments to the bottom junction with the Swat River. We recorded 186 species in both mining and non-mining sites, belonging to 70 families comprising 174 angiosperms, 3 gymnosperms, and 9 Pteridophytes. Results show that annual or perennial therophytic life forms predominated in the Panjkora River system, indicating anthropogenic disturbances. At the same time, the aggressively invasive species, such as Xanthium strumarium and Cannabis sativa, further heightened plant community disturbances. Generally, the species diversity was higher in non-mining sites and may be attributed to habitat fragmentation. Likewise, the Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA-ordination) revealed that geographic coordinate (i.e., latitude r = 0.80; longitude r = 0.75) and elevation (r = 0.95) were more meaningful predictors than soil texture (i.e., silt%, r = −0.30), nutrients (i.e., potassium, r = −0.35; phosphorus, r = 0.38) and soil pH (r = −0.50) in shaping the spatial pattern and vegetation structure. Our result implies that the present vegetation composition and spatial assemblages are due to heavy anthropogenic interventions, especially mining activities. Therefore, the heavily degraded fragile riparian system of the Panjkora River and its tributaries needed to be conserved and restored by predicting the composition of communities in response to changing climatic conditions.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Land<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land11101801" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land11101801</a></p><p dir="ltr">Disclaimer: The University of Doha for Science and Technology replaced the now-former College of the North Atlantic-Qatar after an Amiri decision in 2022. UDST has become and first national applied University in Qatar; it is also second national University in the country.</p>2022-10-14T03:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.3390/land11101801https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Spatial_Pattern_and_Key_Environmental_Determinants_of_Vegetation_in_Sand_Mining_and_Non-Mining_Sites_along_the_Panjkora_River_Basin/24717486CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/247174862022-10-14T03:00:00Z
spellingShingle Spatial Pattern and Key Environmental Determinants of Vegetation in Sand Mining and Non-Mining Sites along the Panjkora River Basin
Kishwar Ali (14581226)
Biological sciences
Ecology
Environmental sciences
Environmental management
Pollution and contamination
Information and computing sciences
Applied computing
Panjkora River basin
Canonical Correspondence Analysis
mining activities
socioeconomic aspects
status_str publishedVersion
title Spatial Pattern and Key Environmental Determinants of Vegetation in Sand Mining and Non-Mining Sites along the Panjkora River Basin
title_full Spatial Pattern and Key Environmental Determinants of Vegetation in Sand Mining and Non-Mining Sites along the Panjkora River Basin
title_fullStr Spatial Pattern and Key Environmental Determinants of Vegetation in Sand Mining and Non-Mining Sites along the Panjkora River Basin
title_full_unstemmed Spatial Pattern and Key Environmental Determinants of Vegetation in Sand Mining and Non-Mining Sites along the Panjkora River Basin
title_short Spatial Pattern and Key Environmental Determinants of Vegetation in Sand Mining and Non-Mining Sites along the Panjkora River Basin
title_sort Spatial Pattern and Key Environmental Determinants of Vegetation in Sand Mining and Non-Mining Sites along the Panjkora River Basin
topic Biological sciences
Ecology
Environmental sciences
Environmental management
Pollution and contamination
Information and computing sciences
Applied computing
Panjkora River basin
Canonical Correspondence Analysis
mining activities
socioeconomic aspects