Inventorying of coastal plant species and distribution of plant communities along Karachi Coast - I: Hawks Bay to Sandspit Beach
The flora and vegetation of about 4.5km coastal stretch from the SandspitBeach to Hawke’s Bay Beach was yearly studied from 2005 to 2009. A total of 71species was recorded belonging to 21 dicots and two monocots families. The vegetationwas mostly halophytic and xerophytic with the exception of some annual species. Theoverall dominant species was Avicennia marina; however the study area had differentmicrohabitats and each had its own dominant species. While the mangrove forest in theBackwaters lagoon appeared to be comparatively in good shape, the sea-front vegetationwas found much damaged. The important sand-binding species like Ipomoea pes-capraeand Halopyrum mucronatum appeared only sparingly, while the endemic speciesAsparagus dumosus totally disappeared from the area in recent years. The apparentreason for this damage is human activity like the construction of huts and visitation ofthese beaches by a large number of picnickers from the city. The destruction ofvegetation results in the collapse of ecosystem. The fauna dependant on vegetation alsodisappears and the ecological services of the ecosystem come to a halt.
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | article biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2011
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| Subjects: | Biology, Ecology, Coastal flora and vegetation, halophytes, coastal lagoon, microhabitats, mangroves, anthropogenic disturbance., |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/40763 |
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