Pakistan: Biodiversity in Pakistan: Biological Diversity in Pakistan

Pakistan

Geographically, Pakistan lies between 24o and 37o N latitude and 61o and 75o E longitude. It is bordered by China in the north, Arabian Sea in the south, Iran in the west, Afghanistan in the north-west and India in the east. It is a federation of four provinces: Khyberpakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan with its capital at Islamabad. The land area of Pakistan is about 796,095 sq. km and an estimated population of 210 million (2017).

                Pakistan has a diversified relief and a great variety of landscapes that may be divided into four major geographic areas: the northern highlands; the Indus River plain, the mountain ranges along the western border with Afghanistan, and the Deserts south of the Sutlej River along the eastern border with India. The northern highlands include parts of the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram Range, and the Himalayas. This area includes such famous peaks as K2 (Mount Godwin Austen, at 8,611 meters the second highest peak in the world), and Nanga Parbat (8,126 meters), the twelfth highest.

                South of the northern highlands and west of the Indus River plain are the Safed Koh Range along the Afghanistan border and the Suleiman Range and Kirthar Range, which define the western extent of the Sindh province and reach almost to the southern coast. The lower reaches are far more arid than those in the north, and they branch into ranges that run generally to the southwest across the Baluchistan province.

                Less than a one-fifth of Pakistan's land area has the potential for intensive agricultural use. Nearly all of the arable land is actively cultivated. Cultivation in the northern mountains, the southern deserts, and the western plateaus is sparse, but the Indus River basin in Punjab and northern Sindh has fertile soil where irrigated agriculture is practiced. Of the 79.6 million hectares land area, only about 22 million hectares (23%) are available for cultivation: 16 million ha irrigated and 3 million ha rain-fed. Forests, both natural and man-made, cover about 5.014% of the country’s land area.

Biomes of Pakistan:

A wide array of ecosystems occur in Pakistan, however, the natural ecological zones of Pakistan have been so drastically modified by human activity that very few truly natural habitats remain. To date, no systematic attempt has been made to define the ecological zones of Pakistan. Roberts (1991) provided an initial classification of natural terrestrial ecosystems. The extent of area in each zone together with corresponding CBD thematic area is given in table 1 A land cover map (map 1) of Pakistan using NOAA satellite imagery was developed in the year 2000. The map shows 20 land use and land cover classes of Pakistan. This is by far the most detailed map of Pakistan that shows distribution of various ecosystems and habitats and provides a sound basis for future work on ecosystems and habitat classification.

Status of Biodiversity:

The species richness and endemism reported in Biodiversity Action Plan (2000) and the 3rd national report of Pakistan to CBD remain the best estimate so far (Table 1). No serious work has been done to evaluate taxonomic and functional diversity, and the amount of genetic variability within species. The species database is not available in a format to lend itself to be readily sorted into the thematic areas of CBD. Therefore an overview of the available information on biodiversity in the country is presented here as an indicator of the biological diversity of the country.

Fauna:

 Species belonging to the Palaearctic realm occur largely in the Himalayan and Baluchistan uplands; those belonging to the Indo-Malayan realm occur primarily in the Indus plains including the Thar Desert and the Himalayan foothills. In addition, species with affinities to the Ethiopian region occur in the dry southwest, along the Makran coast and in the Thar Desert (Roberts 1997). Pakistan has relatively low rates of endemism for some species – about 7% for flowering plants and reptiles, and 3% for mammals – but higher for freshwater fish, 15%. Malayan affinities, and the remaining Palaearctic. Of the latter, about one-third are more specifically Sino-Himalayan in distribution (Roberts 1991). The Suleiman Range, the Hindu Kush, and the Himalayas in the NWFP and Azad Kashmir comprise part of the Western Himalayan Endemic Bird Area; this is a global centre of bird endemism with 10 restricted range species in Pakistan. The Indus Valley wetlands constitute a secondary area of endemism, with one restricted range species.

 The reptiles of Pakistan include five marine turtles, two tortoise, eight fresh water turtles, one crocodile, one gavial, 98 lizards and 77 species of snakes. Of these, 13 species are believed to be endemic. As with other groups, these are a blend of Palaearctic, Indo-Malayan and Ethiopian forms. One genus, the mono specific Teratolepsis, is endemic, while another, Eristicophis, is near-endemic. The Chagai Desert is of particular interest for reptiles, with six species endemic to Pakistan and a further six species found only here and in bordering parts of Iran. Two important species of marine turtles nest on Pakistan’s southern beaches. As Pakistan is a predominantly arid and semi-arid country, it is not surprising that only 22 species of amphibians have been recorded, of which 9 are endemic.

Invertebrates So far, more than 5,000 species of invertebrates have been identified in Pakistan including insects (1,000 species of true bugs, 400 species of butterflies and moths, 110 species of flies and 49 species of termites). Other invertebrates include 109 species of marine worms, over 800 species of mollusks (700 marine mollusks, 100 land snails), and 355 species of nematodes. The total number of butterfly species probably exceeds 400, with high rates of endemism in the Satyrids, Lycaenids and Pierids families (PMNH, pers. comm). Butterflies of high altitudes are largely either endemic or are derived from boreal fauna from the west. In the northern mountains alone, 80 species have been recorded, many of which are endemics (Hasan, 1997).

Flora about 5,700 species of flowering plants have been reported, including both native and introduced species (Nasir and Ali, 1970). The flora includes elements of six phytogeographic regions - in order of importance, the Mediterranean, Saharo-Sindian, Euro-Siberian, Irano- Turanian, Sino-Japanese and Indian Ali and Qaiser (1986). The families with the largest numbers of species are the Compositae (649 species), Poaceae (597), Papilionaceae (439), Brassicaceae (250), and Cyperaceae (202). Among the lower plants, there are at least 189 pteridophytes (ferns and their allies), of which 153 are Sino- Japanese elements and 36 Euro - Siberian. Four monotypic genera of flowering plants (Douepia, Suleimania, Spiroseris, and Wendelboa) and around 400 species (7.8%) are endemic to Pakistan (R. Akhtar, pers. com.). Most endemics are Irano-Turanian and Sino-Japanese. Almost 80% of Pakistan’s endemic flowering plants are confined to the northern and western mountains (Ali and Qaiser 1986). Here, two phytogeographic provinces can be distinguished: the Baluchistan Province and the Western Himalayan Province. The Kashmir Himalayas in particular are identified as a global centre of plant diversity and endemism. Families with more than 20 recorded endemics are Papilionaceae (57 species), Compositae (49), Umbelliferae (34), Poaceae (32) and Brassicaceae (20); 31 of the endemics belong to the genus Astragalus, the largest genus in Pakistan with about 134 species (R. Akhtar, pers. com.).

Agricultural Biodiversity:

The agro-ecological diversity of the region that evolved based on the knowledge systems of native farming communities has generally eroded under the influence of modern agriculture. Pakistan’s commercially productive agriculture is practised in the arid lands of Indus basin and depends on canal irrigation. In addition, subsistence agriculture based on natural rainfall, rain water harvesting, stream flow, diversion, and by pumping subsoil water is practiced throughout the country.

Pakistan is rich in indigenous crop diversity with an estimated 3,000 taxa of cultivated plants (in BAP 2000). There are around 500 wild relatives of cultivated crops, most of which are found in the Northern Areas of Pakistan (in BAP 2000). As a matter of fact, northern and western Pakistan comprises one of the world centers on the origin and diversity of cultivated plants.

The civilizations of Taxila, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro domesticated species such as wheat, eggplant, pigeon pea and cucumber, whereas the Gilgit-Baltistan Area became the centre of diversity for several nut fruits. Many wild and local cultivars survived in Pakistan up to the era of the Green Revolution. However, with the introduction of high-yield varieties of food and cash crop, expansion of land for cultivation, deforestation and dam construction, severe threats to wild landraces of cultivated crops have been posed. The principal crops in Pakistan are wheat, rice, maize, barley, pulses, oil seeds, cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, vegetables and fruits (both tropical and temperate).

Recognizing the importance of preserving crop genetic diversity, the country started collecting indigenous plant germplasm in the early 1970s. Today, there are over 15,600 germplasm accessions from more than 40 different crops at the Plant Genetic Resources Institute, National Agricultural Research Center. Over 50% of the germplasm has been evaluated and presented in respective crop catalogues (in BAP 2000). There is no in-situ conservation and promotion of cultivation of the wild relatives of these crops.

Livestock Biodiversity:

                The Indian subcontinent was one of the first places to domesticate cattle, buffalo and chicken. Pakistan now has two breeds of buffalo, eight of cattle, one of yak, 25 of goat, 28 of sheep, one of horse, four of camel, and three of indigenous poultry. The buffalo breeds Nili-Ravi and Kundi are dairy breeds. Among the cattle, there are two dairy breeds (Sahiwal, Red Sindhi), five draught breeds (Bhagnari, Dhanni, Dajal, Lohani, and Rojhan) and one dual-purpose breed (Tharparkar or Thari). However, pure-bred animals are believed to constitute only 20-25% of the cattle population. Of the sheep breeds, 14 are thin-tailed and 14 fat-tailed. Almost 75-80% of Pakistan’s domestic livestock breeds are derivatives of established breeds and the proportion of ‘non-descript’ livestock to pure stock is on the increase (I. Hussain, pers. com.). Kail breed of sheep is endemic to AJK and is significant race for its wool and adaptation to the local environmental and climatic conditions.

Dry and Sub humid Lands Biodiversity:

                More than 90 percent of the land of Pakistan falls in dry and sub-humid biomes. Pakistan has some 27.45 million hectares of rangeland which are in advanced stages of land degradation. The degradation has adversely impacted the diversity of flora and changed the vegetative composition. Increased competition for grazing affects wild herbivore populations (rodents, lagomorphs and ungulates) and the reduced prey base then only support smaller populations of predators. Main issues related to desertification in Pakistan include: water erosion, wind erosion, depletion of soil fertility, deforestation, and livestock grazing pressure, loss of biodiversity, water-logging and salinity, drought and flooding. About 11 million hectares are affected by water erosion and 3-5 million hectares by wind erosion. The amount of soil removed by wind is about 28% of total soil loss. Due to deforestation, forest cover is shrinking by 3.1% and woody biomass by 5% annually (7000-9000 ha taken away annually). Free grazing of livestock, aridity and prolonged drought in arid lands have affected the biodiversity in various regions.

Ecologically, there are nine broad vegetation types in Pakistan (Champion et al. 1965). A similar number of biomes, or dominant plant types, were simulated by the BIOME3 model to provide an indication of potential vegetation instead of actual vegetation in the country. The four of the nine vegetation types are represented in the dry and sub-humid lands. In addition, riparian habitats and arid land mangrove forests are two other forest types that are found in the dry lands. Following is a brief description of the vegetation in these zones:

Xerophytic wood/Scrub.

These are low forests of branchy, thorny, evergreen trees, and shrubs. Their major climatic descriptor is a long dry season tempered in more northerly parts by winter and spring precipitation and to the south by a summer monsoon of variable incidence. The dominant species are Olea ferugiea, Acacia modesta, and Dedonaea viscosa.

Grassland/Arid woodland.

This biome consists of tropical plains and has Prosopis cineraria, Salvadora oleoides, Acacia senegal, Calligonum polygonoides, Zizyphus mauritiana, and Tamarix troupi along with a number of grasses, such as Eulaliopsis binata, Themedia anathera, Cenchrus celliaris, and so forth.

Steppe/Arid shrubland.

This biome is somewhat similar to the xerophytic wood/scrub biome (see Section 4.6 above). Olea ferugniea, Pistacia spp., Fraxinus zanthoxyloides, Dephne mucronata, Astragalus stockii, Helliotropium sp., and Artemisia spp. are found in it.

Desert.

 This is the largest type and covers most of the Indus plain, including the major deserts of Thar, Thal, and Cholistan; in total, over 11 million ha in Pakistan. The whole of Sindh, most of Balochistan, the major part of the Punjab and central parts of Gilgi-Baltistan receive less than 250 mm of rainfall in a year. Northern Sindh, southern Punjab, north-western Balochistan and the central parts of Gilgit-Baltistan receive less than 125 mm of rainfall. These deserts have been converted into agricultural land and 103 000 ha tree plantations wherever irrigation water is available.

Riverine forests grow:

 In narrow belts along the banks of Indus and its tributaries. They are more commonly found in Sindh and to some extent in the Punjab. Babul (Acacia nilotica), Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) and Tamarax dioica are the most common species. Prosopis cineraria, Tamarax spp. and Populus euphratica are some other species found in these Forests.

Mangrove Forests

Mangrove Forests are located in the Indus delta. However, lack of fresh water has resulted in their stunted growth. Avecennia marina is the main species. Ceriops and Rhizophoras are the other tree species but are gradually disappearing due to increasing salinity and biotic pressures.

Forest Biodiversity:

                The forests, scrub and trees on farmlands cover 4.73 million hectares or 5.014% of the country (GoP, 2004). The total area of natural and modified coniferous, scrub, riverine and mangrove forests is less than 3.5 million hectares or 4% of the country. If scrub forests are excluded, the total area of ‘tall tree’ forest falls to just 2.4 million hectares (2.7%), of which four-fifths (2 million) have ‘sparse’ cover (patchy forests with less than 50% cover). More specifically, more than half of Pakistan’s remaining mangrove forests, more than two-thirds of remaining riverine forests, and more than nine-tenths of remaining coniferous forests have less than 50% canopy cover. Good quality (greater than 50% cover) ‘tall tree’ forest in Pakistan covers less than 400,000 hectares. The remaining forests, fragmented and degraded as they are, are rapidly disappearing.

Regional case studies present growing body of evidence of an impending national disaster. In the upland coniferous forests, for example, a systematic study of the Siran area in Hazara Division, NWFP has indicated a 52% decline in forest resources between 1967 and 1992. Similar trends have been observed in some other forest areas of the country. The mangrove forests of the Indus Delta show a similarly dramatic decline. In the last 20 years, mangrove cover has been halved from 2,600 square kilometers in the late 1970s (Pernetta 1993) to 1,300 square kilometers in the mid-1990s. The mangrove ecosystem is largest arid zone mangrove forests of the world; this national heritage is now quickly disappearing (Saifullah, 1997).

                It is feared that Pakistan is experiencing the world’s second highest rate of deforestation. This destruction is leading to the wholesale disappearance of trees, shrubs and ground flora, together with the vertebrate and invertebrate fauna they normally support. The loss of forest habitat has had a severe impact on Pakistan’s biodiversity, and has serious implications for the nation’s natural and agro - ecosystems. Unfortunately, the moratorium on timber harvesting in Pakistan following the 1992 floods has not been very effective.

Alpine tundra:

                This biome is predicted in humid areas that have abundant precipitation (meeting more than 65% of moisture demand) but an insufficient number (<350>) of growing degree days (GDDs) to support tree growth. It covers fairly flat ground at an altitude of more than 3660 m, which is covered by snow for 5 to 6 month in a year. Naturally occurring grasses in these alpine pastures or meadows are Festuca, Poa, Lolium, Eragrostis, Danthonia, and Phleum, as well as many forbs, such as Primula, Aremons, Fritillaria, and Gentiana sp. The grasses and forbs are highly nutritious and are extensively and heavily grazed during summer months by herds of goats, sheep, and horses and are thus being degraded at a fast rate. Wooded tundra also has subalpine mixed forests of Salix, Lonicera, Berberis, Conoteaster, Juniperus, Rhododendron, and Ephedra.

Cold conifer/Mixed woodland:

                This biome contains both the boreal conifer forest/woodland and the boreal deciduous forest/woodland biomes of Prentice et al. (1992) that are dominated by cool temperate conifers Abies spectablis, Pinus wallichiana, and Juniperus recurva, and evergreen broad-leaved trees Betula utilis, Salix, Vibernum, and Rhododendron anthopogen as sporadic single trees, in groups, or in irregular dense stands. They have a humid maritime climate with winter temperature of –2 to –15°C or even colder (>–60°C) with too little precipitation (<75% of demand) and 350 to 1200 GDDs.

Temperate conifer/Mixed forest:

 These are extensive coniferous forests that are similar to north temperate forests in Europe and North America, having commonly more or less pure crops of 2 species and the mixtures of blue pine Pinus wallichiana and Deodar Cedrus deodara. Winter temperatures are > – 4°C with 1200 GDDs within an altitudinal range of 1800 to 3660 m on moderate to steep slopes. Other species are fir Abies spectabilis, spruce Picea smithiana, Pinus geradiana, Juniperus excelsa, Quercus dilatata, Q. semicarpifolia, Populus ciliata, and Aesculus indica. The wood of all species is highly valued as timber. In addition, medicinal plants, mushrooms, and fodder are collected in the forests.

Warm conifer/Mixed forest:

 This biome is dominated mostly by warm temperature evergreen conifer trees of chir pine Pinus roxburghii in regions with mean coldest month temperatures of 5 to 15°C and with rainfall sufficient to meet more than 65% of the moisture requirement between 1000 and 1800 m elevation.

Inland Waters Biodiversity:

                The inland water resources of Pakistan are dominated by the Indus River System, comprising of the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej, all originating in Western Himalayas, flow from northeast to south and drain into Arabian Sea through the Indus Delta. Kabul River originating in Afghanistan drains into the Indus, near Attock. Other than the Indus River system, there are some small rivers in Baluchistan province such as the Hub River, Gudri River, and the Nal River, all of which drain into the Arabian Sea on the Makran coast. Pakistan has one of the world's largest man-made canal irrigation systems, which consists of a number of large dams, barrages, and a network of irrigation canals and waterways. The three largest dams are the Tarbela, Mangla and Hub.

                Pakistan has 198 freshwater fish species, including 15 introduced species. The fish fauna is predominantly south Asian, with some west Asian and high Asian elements. Among these are the nine species of snow trout (sub-family Schizothoracinae) that occur in the rivers of the northern mountains; they are representatives of an ecologically interesting group of fish endemic to snow fed rivers and lakes of the high Asian region. Species richness is highest in the Indus river system, in the Kirthar range and in the Himalayan foothills, while the river systems of north-east Baluchistan have the highest levels of endemism.

                A total of 32 fish species and sub-species are known to be endemic to Pakistan. These are not yet recognised as endangered at the national level. However, at least species are threatened due to their great commercial importance and may soon become endangered if steps are not taken to conserve them. One is Tor (Tor putiptora), which migrates from the flood plains to the Himalayan foothills for breeding, but the construction of the Mangla and Tarbela Dams has blocked its migration. The other species is Pala (Tenualosa ilisha), which requires a 200 km northward run for spawning from the coast in the Indus River. The migration of this fish has been blocked by the construction of barrages and the fish ladders provided for this purpose have proven to be ineffective for migration. Twenty four taxa, 20 species and four sub species, of amphibian fauna (frog and toad) have been recorded in the inland waters.

Marine and Coastal Biodiversity:

                Pakistan has a coastline that stretches to over 1050 km, (990 Km measured as a straight line) along the Arabian Sea. The coast of Pakistan consists of sandy beaches that are interrupted by rocky protruding points. The Indus delta located at the head of the Arabian Sea has been found changing its fluvial characteristics due to damming upstream, which has reduced river borne sediments. This has resulted in drying up of the estuaries and has induced sea encroachment further inland.

                The information on taxonomic assessment of marine fauna and flora is not readily available. According to the reports available, gastropods dominate the rocky shore fauna followed by decapods crustaceans and polycheate worms. A list of the fauna of the beaches of Pakistan was compiled the Zoological Survey of Pakistan in1973. There are occurrences of approximately twenty-one intertidal seaweeds. Fifteen green seaweeds and six are brown red marine macro algae are found from sandy shores.

                Almost 800 species of marine fish have been recorded in Pakistan’s coastal waters; however, no analysis of their population status and distributional range is available. Large pelagics such as the tuna are common in the waters of Baluchistan. The blind Indus dolphin (Platanista minor) is a resident of the Indus River and estuary. Palla fish (Tenalosa ilisha), which is considered a delicacy, is an anadromous fish that swims up the Indus River to breed.

                Major fishing grounds along the coast of Pakistan extend from the Sindh coast stretching from Hub River to the Indian border and Baluchistan coast west of Karachi to the Iranian border. Pakistan is a net exporter of shrimps, lobsters, crabs, mollusks, fish and fishing products. The exports of fish and fishery product fetched US$ 156.254 million (2003-2004). The commercially important marine fisheries resources of Pakistan are composed of about 350 different species. Some 240 are demersal fish, 50 are small pelagics, 10 are medium sized pelagics and 18 are large pelagics fish in addition, there are 21 species of shrimp, 12 of squid/ cuttlefish/ octopus and five species of lobsters.

                In addition, biomass of mesopelagic fish in Pakistan offshore waters is estimated to be about 10 million metric tons, however, technology for its harvesting and utilization has not yet developed. The Pakistan fish and fishery related sector engages one percent of the Pakistan’s population. The fishery sector generates one percent of Pakistan GDP earning through export of fishery products overseas.

                The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) are both found in Pakistan. Until recently, they were indiscriminately killed on the Makran coast. Eight species of oysters occur in Pakistan. Squid are abundant, but surprisingly echinoderm populations are very small. Sandy stretches from Karachi (Sindh Coast) to Gadani and up to Jiwani (Baluchistan Coast) are favorite nesting habitats of the marine turtles. Both the green turtles and the Olive Ridley have been declared as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). The Sindh Wildlife Management and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have initiated a protection and research program to conserve the turtles, their eggs and hatchling. The international requirement for protection of turtles has been fulfilled by Pakistan as the shrimp trawlers are required by law to use turtle excluding devices (TED) on the shrimp trawl nets.

The mangrove ecosystems:

                The mangrove ecosystems are rich in biodiversity. Eight mangrove species are reported along the coast of Pakistan. Avicennia marina is the most dominant species, while Ceriops tagal and Rhizophora mucronata occurs in localized patches. Other species have been reported to have become extinct from the delta due to human activities coupled with adverse physical and environmental conditions. Over 48 species of macro fauna have been reported from mangrove forests along the coast of Pakistan. The fauna consist of several species of crabs, polychaetes, molluscs etc.

Approximately 56 Species of birds have been reported from the Sindh coastal waters. The most common are Gullbilled Tern, Oystercatcher, Sand Plover, Golden Plover, Kentish Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Marsh Sandpiper, Curlew, Whimbrel etc. Amongst the invertebrates, crustaceans dominate; they include crabs, isopods, carides, juveniles of penaeid shrimps, squilla, amphipods, sergestids, barnacles, etc. Many other animals live on trunk and roots of mangrove which serves as a substrate. Information on and meiofauna of the region is sparse. Certain species of macro fauna are good indicators of environmental health. Baseline information on species and numbers has yet to be established.

Corals:

                Corals have recently been discovered along the coast of Baluchistan (Jewani, and Astola Island). Coral communities although not widespread, appear in patches at Astola Island and Gwadar, where a vast fossilized coral reef is present. Soft coral such as seafan (Gorgonia sp), and brain coral are also present south of Astola Island. A variety of coelenterates and bryozoans colonies are also found in most parts of the Baluchistan coast.

tags: Biodiversity of pakistan, Biodiversity in Pakistan,

pakistan 

pakistan crickethistory,

pakistan news,

ministry of pakistan,

pakistan map,

pakistan flag,,

pakistan economy,