VEGETATION ANALYSIS OF KABAL VALLEY, DISTRICT SWAT, PAKISTAN USING MULTIVARIATE APPROACH

Natural vegetation of Kabal valley district Swat, Pakistan was analyzed during 2009-2013. The stratified random sampling design was used to collect vegetation data of 314 releves and stored in the TURBOVEG database software. The same was analyzed through modified Two Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) using the host program JUICE and correlated with edaphic, topographic and environmental variables using Detrenched Correspondence Analysis (D.C.A). Based on the topographic and edaphic factors, nine different plant communities viz. 1) Nasturtium-Paspalum-Veronica Wetland, 2) Abies-Picea-Viburnum Coniferous Forest, 3) Pinus-Quercus-Berberis Mixed Forest, 4) Pinus-Indigofera Blue Pine Forest, 5) Celtis-Olea-Cynodon Sacred Groves Broad Leaved Forest, 6) Diosperos-Pinus-Quercus Mid Hill Degraded Forest, 7) Dodonaea-Isidon-Berberis in Xeromorphic Scrub, 8) Pinus-Quercus-Galium in Protected Chir Pine Forest and 9) Isodon-Berberis-Indigofera in Montane scrub were established. The conservation measure of this ecosystem is the need of hours through active participation of the local communities.