Iftikhar Ahmad

The current investigation analyzed the population dynamics of vegetation in the severely dust-polluted environment of the stone crushing industry in the Kirana Hills of Sargodha. Data pertaining to dust levels, soil composition, and vegetation characteristics were systematically collected from all the study sites throughout the year to explore the seasonal fluctuations in the plant community structure and the underlying determinants of these variations. Heavy metal analysis revealed increased concentrations of all heavy metals at the most heavily dust-polluted sites, particularly during the winter season. Distinct soil compositions were observed across different sites and seasons, as indicated by the results of the soil analyses. Herbs were systematically collected from all the studied sites in every season to examine the seasonal variations in the morphoanatomical, biochemical, and physiological attributes of the vegetation, alongside heavy metal concentrations. The morphoanatomical features of all the plants in highly polluted areas presented significant alterations in the winter. Nonetheless, these plants displayed notable levels of sclerification in their leaves, roots, and stems, along with the presence of large aerenchyma cells in their roots, adaptations that facilitate their survival in harsh and polluted environments. Moreover, enzymatic, nonenzymatic, and osmoprotective antioxidant activities were notably elevated at heavily dust-laden sites, predominantly during the winter. These adaptations contribute to the resilience of local vegetation in severely dust-polluted environments. The heavy metal concentrations in all the studied ecotypes increased in highly dust-prone areas, especially during the winter, possibly because of phytoaccumulation.

The present research was carried out to determine the spatiotemporal variation in accumulation of different nutritional and medicinal components in Dicliptera bupleuroides from the Soone valley in the Salt Range of Punjab, Pakistan. Most of the biochemical attributes were higher in the spring season than those in the other seasons; this might have been due to high soil pH during spring. High amounts of minerals and high pH are necessary for the synthesis of alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, and fibers. Proteins, N, dry matter, fats and nitrogen free extract (NFE) were higher in summer, which might have been due to considerable availability of macro-nutrients during this season due to high moisture content because of high rainfall during the season. Spatial variation showed that phenols and flavonoids were associated with the population from Khabeki site (despite enough minerals and moisture availability) which might have been due to physical injuries caused by grazing and cutting. Minerals, proteins and N were also associated with the Khabeki population probably due to large amounts of minerals and moisture retention in the soil of the site and prevalent optimum environmental conditions therein. Alkaloids, fats, moisture and some minerals were associated with Anga and Knotti Garden sites which might have been due to high pH and prolonged salt stressed conditions at both sites.

Rhazya stricta is an important medicinal plant species distributed all over the Warcha salt mine in Pakistan. Analysis of proximate composition and metals is a commendable job to assess the suitability of the exploitation of medicinal plants on a large scale by ethnic communities. The proximate analyses (moisture, fiber, ash, crude fats, proteins and carbohydrates) of all the samples collected from five different sites (Table 1) were carried out. Moreover, different inorganic elements in the samples were also determined. The maximum and the minimum moisture content in Rhazya stricta was observed at Site 4 (31.21%) and Site 2 (29.14%), respectively. The maximum and the minimum ash concentrations were recorded in the populations collected from Site 2 (7.48%) and Site 5 (6.25%), respectively. The maximum fat content was found in the Site 3 (3.91%) population, whereas the minimum contents of crude fiber were observed in the population from Site 2 (12.2%). The maximum concentration of crude protein was observed in the plants from Site 5 (9.93%), whereas the minimum contents of carbohydrates were observed in the plants from Site 2 (48.4%). Essential and nonessential elements like potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) were analyzed in the roots, stem and leaves of Rhazya stricta. The maximum K content (6836.886 mg/kg) was found in the roots of plants collected from Site 5 and the minimum in the leaves (5528.795 mg/kg) collected from Site 3. The highest concentration of magnesium was found in the roots of plants from Site 3 (2414.46 mg/kg), whereas the lowest concentration of iron was recorded in the leaves of Site 4 (31.45 mg/kg) plants. The maximum and the minimum concentrations of cobalt were detected in the roots of plants from Site 1 (0.320 mg/kg) and in the leaves of plants from Site 4 (0.135 mg/kg), respectively. The minimum concentration of leaf cadmium was recorded in plant population from Site 4, whereas in the same population the maximum level of root nickel was recorded. The highest concentration of copper was observed in the stem of plant population from Site 2 (0.297 mg/kg). The concentrations of most of the elements appraised in the present study are well below the overall permissible limits of these elements in medicinal plants determined by WHO, so this plant from the Warcha mine can be utilized without harm by herbal practitioners and pharmaceutical industry.

Cyperus niveus Retz., also known as snow white sedge grows in dry mountainous regions of Himalayas. Eight populations of C. niveus were collected from different locations in the Salt Range (Punjab) and Kaghan Valley (Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa) to evaluate role of plasticity in adaptability potential through modification in anatomical traits. This species developed xeric anatomical modifications in roots at higher elevations. These were thick endodermis, formation of sclerenchymatous cells outside endodermis, numerous metaxylem vessels, and increased area of central vessel in roots. Roots were more developed in the Kaghan (K) population, showing the largest root radius (774.7 µm), sclerenchymatous cell area (1429.1 µm²), cortical thickness (147.1 µm), and endodermal cell area (7701.4 µm). Stomatal density (21.7 per mm²) was also the highest in the K population. Formation of aerenchymatous cavities, numerous large vascular bundles with wide metaxylem vessels, and large phloem tissue in stems were the prominent features in the K population at the highest elevation (2078 m a.s.l.). All C. niveus populations showed sclerification around and outside of the vascular bundles, larger adaxial epidermal cell area as compared to abaxial epidermal cells, hypostomatal leaves, and increased storage parenchyma in leaves.

Micro and macro-morphological features contribute to plants’ tolerance to a variety of environmental pollutants. The contribution of such structural modifications in the phytoremediation potential of Diplachne fusca populations collected from five saline habitats were explored when treated with 100 to 400 mM NaCl for 75 days along with control. Structural modifications in the populations from the highest salinity included development of aerenchyma in stem instead of chlorenchyma, absence of excretory hairs in stem, and exceptionally large trichomes on the leaf surface to help excretion of excess salt. Large parenchyma cells provided more space for water and solute storage, while broad metaxylem vessels were linked to better conduction water and nutrients, which ultimately excreted via glandular hairs, microhairs, and vesicular hairs. Broad metaxylem vessels and exceptionally long hairs observed in the populations collected from 52 dS m⁻¹. In conclusion, large stem aerenchyma, exceptionally large trichomes on the leaf surface, and tightly packed outer cortical region in roots with intensive sclerification just inside the epidermis accompanied with salt excretion via glandular hairs, microhairs, and vesicular hairs were the main anatomical modifications involved in the phytoremediation potential of D. fusca in hyper-saline environments. Morpho-anatomical characteristics of the differently adapted populations of Diplachne fusca has never been reported. In particular, structural variation in their mechanism of adaptation for salinity tolerance was investigated for the first time in current study.

Man is using plants for curing different diseases for several hundred years. In Pakistan, rangelands and forests are the major sources of medicinal plants, and the residents of different areas including those of the Vanhar Valley depend upon local plants for the medication of several diseases. However, this study was planned to enlist the indigenous medicinally important flora, which will help in conservation of the vanishing knowledge about the indigenous plants of the area by proper documentation. In order to document the uses of indigenous plants, some surveys were conducted for the collection of all available species. For the documentation of uses of these indigenous plant species, 55 experts were interviewed and their knowledge was documented. A total of 41 species belonging to 25 families were recorded from the Vanhar Valley. High numbers of species of families Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae and Asteraceae were used for the cure of several diseases like sexual disorders, piles, asthma, sputum, stomach disorders, diabetes, etc. It was evident that the older people had most of the knowledge about the indigenous plants of the Valley, while the young lacked such knowledge due to the death of older people without documenting or transferring the knowledge to them. With conservation of the knowledge, these plants can be used as a low-cost and effective treatment of many common diseases.

Five selected species of genus Bambusa considered for comparative anatomical characterization, were collected from the different areas of Punjab, Pakistan. The magnitude of variation was immensely high in Bambusa spp. relating to their root, culm, and leaf anatomical characters. These species were specific as well as representative of specific environmental adaptations. In different environmental stresses, Bambusa vulgaris found to be the most tolerant. Distinctive anatomical adaptations in this species were dense sclerification in root and stem (on inner side of epidermis and in vascular region), stem and adaxial leaf surface with thick epidermis, dense hairy stem and abaxial leaf surface, and bulliform cells with a peculiar arrangement in adaxial leaf surface. Overall, a strong relation of understudy features with plant anatomy was recorded, and therefore, these traits can be employed as a tool for studying the taxonomy of genus Bambusa. Moreover, by using these structural modifications their tolerance level to environmental stresses can be easily assessed.

Forty-nine accessions were collected from arid and semi-arid areas of Pakistan to explore adaptive components in red-grained wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Single-line selections of these accessions were grown on an arid and a control site; that is, Uchkera Farm (UF) and Botanical Garden (BG), Faisalabad. The accessions grown at BG exhibited significantly better biomass and grain yield production than those grown at UF. Accession Ck5 from Chakwal produced the maximum grain yield (17.7 g plant⁻¹) at BG and Jm3 (8.1 g plant⁻¹) at UF. Among the eight accessions selected for further anatomical studies, Dg2 showed increased yield per plant at UF, which was related to root modifications like increased cortical region thickness, endodermal cell area, vascular region thickness, metaxylem area, and root hair length. Stem modifications included increased vascular bundle area, phloem area and stomatal density, while leaves showed increased cuticle thickness, bulliform cell thickness, trichome density, and length. Increased stomatal density and area were also found. Accession Jm3 showed a decrease in yield at UF. Root modifications in Jm3 included increased epidermal cell area, sclerenchymatous thickness, endodermal cell area, and root hair length. Stem modifications in this accession included increased stem cellular region thickness and sclerenchymatous cell area. Leaves had increased abaxial epidermal cell area, trichome number and length, and abaxial stomatal density. In conclusion, morpho-anatomical characteristics varied greatly in the red-grained wheat accessions at both experimental sites that have potential for incorporation into breeding efforts for drought tolerance in modern wheat cultivars.