Fire-Induced Vegetation Dynamics: An In-Depth Discourse on Revealing Ecological Transformations of the Mahaban and Surrounding Forests

Author:

Israr Azra1,Khan Shujaul Mulk12ORCID,Abdullah Abdullah1ORCID,Ejaz Ujala1ORCID,Jehangir Sadia1,Ahmad Zeeshan3ORCID,Hashem Abeer4,Avila-Quezada Graciela Dolores5ORCID,Abd_Allah Elsayed Fathi6ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan

2. Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Islamabad 44010, Pakistan

3. CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China

4. Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box. 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

5. Facultad de Ciencias Agrotechnológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31350, Mexico

6. Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box. 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Since the Palaeozoic era, fire as a potent driver of environmental changes, has dramatically shaped the terrestrial ecosystems. Fire affects soil structure and composition, which in turn affects the floral diversity of an area. This research work aims to examine the impact of fire on vegetation and the physicochemical nature of the soil in fire-affected and fire-free sites across the Mahaban and the surrounding forests, Swabi District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Quadrat quantitative ecological techniques were used for vegetation sampling in fire-free and fire-affected sites. In total, 219 plant species belonging to 173 genera and 70 families were recorded. Among the 219 plant species, 173 species were recorded from fire-free sites and the remaining 122 species were from fire-affected sites. The incidence of fire results in elevated organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and lower calcium carbonate concentrations in the soil. The greatest species richness and evenness were observed across the fire-free sites. Our study concludes that the influence of edaphic and topographic factors on species richness varies between fire-affected and fire-free sites. Fire has significantly altered the nutrient availability in the studied region, and this is confirmed by soil analysis and vegetation research. It is suggested that further research in the field of fire ecology can produce valuable insights.

Funder

King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous),Safety Research,Environmental Science (miscellaneous),Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality,Building and Construction,Forestry

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