17 Mustajab Ahmed Zafar Iqbal Ghulam Mujtaba Shah Bakhti Alam Saeed Ahmad Asad Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences JAPS 20262026 36 6 1018-7081 https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.6.0132 <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Himalaya^&nbsp;is^&nbsp;one^&nbsp;of^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;global^&nbsp;biodiversity^&nbsp;hotspots^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;hosts^&nbsp;a^&nbsp;complex^&nbsp;mountain^&nbsp;ecosystem^&nbsp;due^&nbsp;to^&nbsp;high^&nbsp;topographic^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;climatic^&nbsp;heterogeneity,^&nbsp;yet^&nbsp;its^&nbsp;forests^&nbsp;are^&nbsp;under^&nbsp;constant^&nbsp;pressure^&nbsp;from^&nbsp;climate^&nbsp;change^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;human-driven^&nbsp;disturbances.^&nbsp;In^&nbsp;this^&nbsp;study,^&nbsp;we^&nbsp;examined^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;distribution,^&nbsp;community^&nbsp;structure,^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;ecological^&nbsp;factors^&nbsp;affecting^&nbsp;<em>Quercus</em>-dominating^&nbsp;forests^&nbsp;in^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;Hazara^&nbsp;Division,^&nbsp;Pakistan.^&nbsp;A^&nbsp;total^&nbsp;of^&nbsp;98^&nbsp;sites^&nbsp;were^&nbsp;sampled^&nbsp;using^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;quadrat^&nbsp;method^&nbsp;to^&nbsp;assess^&nbsp;plant^&nbsp;associations^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;species^&nbsp;composition.^&nbsp;Quadrat^&nbsp;sizes^&nbsp;were^&nbsp;10^&nbsp;&times;^&nbsp;10^&nbsp;m^2&nbsp;for^&nbsp;trees,^&nbsp;5^&nbsp;&times;^&nbsp;5^&nbsp;m^2&nbsp;for^&nbsp;shrubs,^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;1^&nbsp;&times;^&nbsp;1^&nbsp;m^2&nbsp;for^&nbsp;herbs.^&nbsp;A^&nbsp;total^&nbsp;of^&nbsp;180^&nbsp;plant^&nbsp;species^&nbsp;belonging^&nbsp;to^&nbsp;142^&nbsp;genera^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;65^&nbsp;families^&nbsp;were^&nbsp;recorded.^&nbsp;<em>Quercus^&nbsp;</em>species^&nbsp;showed^&nbsp;clear^&nbsp;elevational^&nbsp;stratification^&nbsp;with^&nbsp;<em>Q.^&nbsp;glauca^&nbsp;</em>dominant^&nbsp;at^&nbsp;low^&nbsp;elevation^&nbsp;of^&nbsp;942^&nbsp;meters^&nbsp;above^&nbsp;sea^&nbsp;level^&nbsp;(MASL),<em>^&nbsp;Q.^&nbsp;baloot^&nbsp;</em>and<em>^&nbsp;Q.^&nbsp;dilatata^&nbsp;</em>at^&nbsp;mid^&nbsp;elevation^&nbsp;(1123-2423^&nbsp;MASL),^&nbsp;while^&nbsp;<em>Q.^&nbsp;semecarpifolia</em>^&nbsp;at^&nbsp;high^&nbsp;altitude^&nbsp;(2687-3306^&nbsp;MASL).^&nbsp;Cluster^&nbsp;analysis^&nbsp;revealed^&nbsp;6^&nbsp;assemblages^&nbsp;of^&nbsp;communities:^&nbsp;<em>Quercus^&nbsp;incana-Asparagus^&nbsp;officinalis-Avena^&nbsp;fatua^&nbsp;</em>community^&nbsp;(QAA),<em>^&nbsp;Quercus^&nbsp;incana-Aesculus^&nbsp;indica-Phragmites^&nbsp;communis^&nbsp;</em>community^&nbsp;(QAP),<em>^&nbsp;Quercus^&nbsp;semecarpifolia-Bergenia^&nbsp;stracheyi-^&nbsp;Indigofera^&nbsp;heterantha^&nbsp;</em>community^&nbsp;(QBI),<em>^&nbsp;Quercus^&nbsp;dilatata-Cannabis^&nbsp;sativa-Quercus^&nbsp;glauca^&nbsp;</em>community^&nbsp;(QCQ)<em>,^&nbsp;Quercus^&nbsp;incana-Prunus^&nbsp;vulgaris-Quercus^&nbsp;dilatata^&nbsp;</em>community^&nbsp;(QPQ)<em>,^&nbsp;</em>and^&nbsp;<em>Quercus^&nbsp;baloot-Quercus^&nbsp;dilatata-Cynodon^&nbsp;dactylon^&nbsp;</em>community^&nbsp;(QQC)<em>.</em>^&nbsp;Highest^&nbsp;diversity^&nbsp;(richness=22.3)^&nbsp;was^&nbsp;recorded^&nbsp;in^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;QQC^&nbsp;community^&nbsp;at^&nbsp;mid^&nbsp;elevation^&nbsp;with^&nbsp;Shannon^&nbsp;index^&nbsp;(2,78),^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;lowest^&nbsp;diversity^&nbsp;(13.8)^&nbsp;was^&nbsp;found^&nbsp;in^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;QBI^&nbsp;community^&nbsp;at^&nbsp;high^&nbsp;elevation^&nbsp;(H=2.37).^&nbsp;Multivariate^&nbsp;analyses^&nbsp;showed^&nbsp;that^&nbsp;temperature^&nbsp;(r²=0.25),^&nbsp;relative^&nbsp;humidity^&nbsp;(r²=0.14),^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;altitude^&nbsp;(r²=0.5)^&nbsp;were^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;most^&nbsp;important^&nbsp;climatic^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;geographic^&nbsp;factors^&nbsp;determining^&nbsp;species^&nbsp;distribution.^&nbsp;<em>Q.^&nbsp;semecarpifolia^&nbsp;</em>and^&nbsp;<em>Q.^&nbsp;glauca^&nbsp;</em>showed^&nbsp;a^&nbsp;poison^&nbsp;model^&nbsp;with^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;environmental^&nbsp;variable,^&nbsp;while^&nbsp;other^&nbsp;species^&nbsp;exhibited^&nbsp;a^&nbsp;negative^&nbsp;binomial^&nbsp;model^&nbsp;in^&nbsp;response^&nbsp;to^&nbsp;environmental^&nbsp;gradients.^&nbsp;This^&nbsp;study^&nbsp;provides^&nbsp;baseline^&nbsp;strategies^&nbsp;for^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;preservation^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;conservation^&nbsp;of^&nbsp;<em>Quercus</em>^&nbsp;species^&nbsp;under^&nbsp;climatic^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;anthropogenic^&nbsp;pressures^&nbsp;and^&nbsp;supports^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;development^&nbsp;of^&nbsp;effective^&nbsp;management^&nbsp;strategies^&nbsp;in^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;western^&nbsp;Himalayan^&nbsp;forests^&nbsp;in^&nbsp;the^&nbsp;Hazara^&nbsp;division^&nbsp;of^&nbsp;Pakistan.</p> Quercus, Distribution, Community structure, Multivariate analyses, Species richness, Environmental variables Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum https://thejaps.org.pk/AbstractView.aspx?mid=2026-JAPS-27