MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF THE VEGETATION COMPOSITION AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF KOKARAI VALLEY, DISTRICT SWAT

The study was conducted in 2019-20 to investigate the vegetation structure of Kokarai valley, district Swat. Sum of 155 vascular plant species which belongs to 74 families was recorded. The dominant family was Asteraceae (16) followed by Rosaceae (13) and Lamiaceae (12). The life form was dominated by Therophytes with 61 species and leaf spectra by microphyll with 73 species. Two way indicator species analysis sorted out the vegetation of 15 stands in five plant communities i.e. (1) Viburnum, Fragaria, Galium community (2) Quercus, Quercus, Nepeta community (3) Indigofera, Fragaria, Pinus community (4) Olea, Quercus, Melia community (5) Bromus, Dedonaea, Micromeria community. The canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the total variation in the species data was 4.12 with 87.1% explanatory variables. CCA ordination indicates that some of the species were more sensitive to environmental variables. This study would be helpful and provide baseline knowledge about the ecological and conservation status of the threatened species in their respective stands and stands having similar habitats in the adjacent areas.