Natural Vegetation of Pakistan

Natural Vegetation of Pakistan

Vegetation is the plant cover present on the surface of Earth. It includes, trees,
shrubs, grasses, lianas (vines which climb up trees) and mosses. Of these trees
are most important, because they supply timber, firewood, leaves, bark, resins
and other things.
 Advantages of vegetation:
There are many advantages of vegetation:

• Release oxygen and consume carbon dioxide

• For fire and furniture as well as in the manufacturing of paper and rubber.
• Regulating the climate conditions
• For food, shelter, and medicines
• Wildlife habitat and the energy source
• Prevent water tables from rising by balancing recharge
 Vegetation area in Pakistan:
• Economically, if a country wants to excel in the field of wood, its forest area should
be 25%. In Pakistan, this area is 4-5% of total area. In 1947, this area was 1.4%
• This forest area is divided into:
o Punjab - 17%
o Sindh - 18%
o KPK - 32%
o Balochistan - 8%
o Northern Area - 25%
 Reasons of less percentage of forest area:

• Diversity of Land Forms in Pakistan

o Deserts, Plains, Mountains, Rivers

• Favorable Climate is not available

o Arid type of climate (rainfall less than 250mm e.g. deserts)
o Semi Arid type of climate (rainfall less than 750mm)

• Deforestation:
Ruthless cutting of tress for heat, shelter and other purposes
 1. Alpine Forests
Found in Northern Areas and the districts of Chitral, Dir,
Swat, Shangla and Kohistan, districts of KPK.

Height: At an altitude of 4000m up to snow line

Dwarfed and stunted

Mountains become are very steep and craggy so they find

space to grow.

Used as fuel wood only

 2. Coniferous Forests
Areas:
Northern areas, the districts of Swat, Chitral, Shangla, Dir,
Malakand, Kohistan, Mansehra and Abbottabad of KPK,
Rawalpindi and districts of Punjab.
Ever green coniferous trees
Oak, Maple, Birch, Poplar, Walnut and Juniper also found.
Survive in low temperature
At altitude of 1000 to 4000 meters
Uses:
Source of timber for making furniture and boxes
 3. Subtropical dry ever green forests

In the southern districts of the KPK and the north-western

districts of Punjab, in area of Balochistan and some patches
in Suleiman Mountains

Height of 1000 meters

Characteristics:

Chestnut, juniper, walnut and oak are notable

Some are used as timber

Phula and Kao are the dominant coniferous trees with chir
 4. Steppe forests
Areas:

A very large area of Balochistan, Chaghi Hills. the Ras

Koh Ranges, the Central Makran Ranges, part of the
Sulaiman Kirthar Mountains

Characteristics:

 For many years these forests have been cut for fuel and
other domestic uses

This is a region of low rainfall, therefore if a tree is cut

it is not easily replaced.
 5. Tropical Thorn or Rakh
These trees can survive on small amounts of water.
They are found in Sindh and in southern and western
Balochistan

Tropical thorn forests are open (not dense) and thorny

hardwood trees because of deep roots

In Punjab, they are characterized by scrubs called

Rakh

Used for firewood and Scrubs are 6 to 10 meters in

height.
 6. Desert Vegetation

Three large deserts in Pakistan.

1. Thar-Cholistan

2. Thal

3. Kharan

The greatest part of these forests is covered with sand

clumps of low bushes and shrubs are present.

Trees are found where there is depression

 7. Riverine or Bela Forests
Areas:

Narrow belts along the Indus and its large

tributaries are occupied by these forests called
Bela

They are mostly found along the Indus in Sindh

Characteristics:

Babul and shisham are found here.

Shisham is important for furniture making and

Babul for agricultural implementations
 8. Mangroves

Areas:

Mangrove forests occupy the Indus Delta, the Hub Delta

and along Arabian sea coastal areas.

Characteristics:

The most common tree is timar.

Natural habitat to a large number of insects,

microorganisms, birds, different mammals as well as
snakes.
 9. Irrigated plantations

• The development of irrigated man-made forests is

unique to Pakistan. The first irrigated forest was
developed at Changa Manga.
• Linear plantations along rivers, canals, roads and
railways.
• Shisham, babul and jhund
• Source of timber and firewood