154 JAVAID AHSAN AND M.I.R. KHAN 



Blue pine forests of Sulaiman range are in this zone. Zone II is situated 

 in the Himalayan rain shadow; it receives very little rain, never more 

 than 20 inches. Thus climatically this zone is similar to Zone I, but 

 geographically the two are well separated. Blue pine forests of Gilgit 

 and Skardu fall in this zone. Zone III, the zone of early summer and 

 spring precipitation, receives an annual rainfall from 20 to 40 inches. 

 Parachinar, Dir, and northwestern part of Swat (Ushu and Atror) , fall in 

 this zone. Zone IV includes the areas with annual rainfall of 40 to 

 60 inches received mainly during the monsoons. Blue pine forests of 

 Murree, Hazara, southern part of Azad Kashmir, and eastern and south- 

 eastern part of Swat fall in this zone. 



Considering the various ecological factors governing the distribu- 

 tion of blue pine in West Pakistan, we can distinguish three habitats. 



HIGHLY XERIC HABITAT 



This habitat contains areas included under climatic zones I and II. 

 the blue pine of Sulaiman range, Gilgit, and Skardu (Fig. 2). Blue 

 pine of Sulaiman range is associated with Pinus gerardiana Wall, only, 

 whereas that of Gilgit and Skardu is mostly associated with Pioea 

 smithiana Boiss., Juniperus macvopoda Boiss., and Pinus gerardiana. 

 Wall. Regarding the ground vegetation the main species in the Sulaiman 

 range are Cotoneaster vacemiflora (Desf.) K.Koch, Spiraea brahuioa Boiss., 

 Lonicera hypoleuca (Decne.) Jacq. , Caragana ambigua Stock, Ephedra spp. , 

 Thymus serpyllum L., Pleatranthus rugosus Wall., Dichanthium annulatum 

 (Forsk.) Stapf . , Viburnum cotonifolium D.Don, Wulfenia amharstiana Wall., 

 Valeriana wallichii Decne., Jasminum pubigerum D.Don, Geranium walliohianum 

 (D.Don) Mt . I lam, Buddleia panioulata Wall., Rubia oordifolia L.s.l., 

 etc. The geological formation generally consists of an intermixture of 

 limestone, sandstone, shale, and conglomerate. Soils in this habitat 

 are always alkaline (pH 7 to pH 8). Texturally, they are coarse (Gilgit 

 and Skardu) to intermediate (Sulaiman range) in character. 



XERIC HABITAT 



Areas of climatic zone III--Parachinar, Dir, Chitral and northwestern 

 part of Swat (Fig. 3) --comprise the xeric habitat. The main forest tree 

 associates of blue pine in this habitat are Pioea smithiana Boiss. 

 Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) G.Don, Juniperus maoropoda Boiss., Quercus dilatata 

 Lindl., and Quercus ilex L. Pinus gerardiana Wall, occurs in drier parts 

 and Abies pindrow (Royle) Spach in moister parts. Undergrowth consists 

 of Berberis spp., Viburnum spp., Parrotiopsis j ' acquemontiana (Decne.) 

 Rehd. , Daphne oleoides Schreb., Sarcocooaa saligna (Don) Muell., Skimmia 

 laureola Sieb. £ Zucc. , Paeonia emodi Wall., Buxus sempervirens L., etc. 

 Parent rock generally consists of granite, gneiss, schist, slate, 

 conglomerate, and dolomite formations. Forest soils in this habitat are 

 variable, fine intermediate as well as coarse in texture, alkaline, 

 neutral, and acidic in reaction (pH 5.4 to 7.9). 



