BiBi Aliya, Syed Inamullah, and Gull Makai, from the
institute of Pakistan. wrote a Research Article about, Biodiversity at
Risk: Exploring Flora, Fauna, and Threats in Shella Mountains, Balochistan. Entitled,
Floral and faunal biodiversity and determination of negative incentives in
Shella (Maslakh) Mountains, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. This research paper
published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES. an
open access scholarly research journal on Biodiversity. under the
affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an
open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.
Abstract
The objective of this
study research was to investigate exact floral and faunal biodiversity in
association with habitat status Shella Maslakh Mountains of Balochistan. This
study work was carried out in 6 field trips from June 2020 to April 2021.
During this research a total of 26 mammalian species were documented belonging
to 6 orders and 13 families in the area. Order rodentia with 13, carnivora 4,
artiodactyla 3, insectivora 3, lagomorpha 2, and chiroptera 1 species which few
species were common while some were rare. Among the reptiles a total 21 species
were recorded belonging to 2 orders including squamata 20 and testudines 1
species with 8 families. In amphibians 6 different species were recorded
belonged to order anura with 2 families. In bird fauna 3 orders otidiformes,
pterocliformes, galliformes with one representative species for each family and
order were recorded. In flora a total of 223 specimes with 21 different species
were collected with 9 genera’s including Artemisia 4, Haloxylon 2, chryosopogen
2, Chmbopogon 2, Astraguluse 3, Caarghana 1, Stocksia 1, Stocksii 5 and
Peteropryrium 1 species representatives with a total of 8 families in which
most common species are pterocaulas, microcarp, hermonis, Qaradaghens,
brevicayllis, Griffithi, stocksii and maritima, vulgaris, propiedades,
dracunnculus were found rare.Finding of this research work suggests that
Maslakh Mountain rang has a great potential to run a healthy wildlife.
Therefore, it is needed that intensive conservation of wildlife has to be
preserved by government agencies for a viable and resources rich ecosystem.
Read more :
Introduction
Balochistan is the
fourth province of Pakistan. It is the wide-ranging province concerning land
area, which is found in the southwestern region of the country but is the
minimum populated. Quetta is the capital of this province which counts as the
largest city of Balochistan. Balochistan shares borders with Khyber
Pakhtoonkhwa and Punjab to the northeast, Sindh to the southeast and east, Iran
to the west, and the Arabian Sea to the south, Afghanistan to the north and
northwest (Gare., 2013). Quetta is the provincial capital of the Province of
Baluchistan in Pakistan. It is also the largest city in Baluchistan. Which
including in the 10th largest city of Pakistan. Located in northern Baluchistan
and sharing a border with Afghanistan near and the road across to Kandahar,
Quetta is basically a communication center and trade between two countries
(Bibi et al., 2015). The Bolan Pass route is near this city which is the major
gateways from Central Asia to the south. According to (Ahmad, 1951) that Quetta’s
total geographical area is 26531km. Quetta has an area of 26531km (1,024 sq.
mi).the longitude of Quetta is 66.996452 and the latitude of Quetta (Malkani.,
2017). Baluchistan is 30.183270.location of Pakistan is coming at in the Cities
place category with the GPS coordinates of 66°59' 47.2272'' and 30
10’59.7720’’N. But according (Anon,19980) that provincial city of Baluchistan
is lying between 67-18 E and 67-44 E at an altitude 1700 meters and 30-3 and
3-27 and 66-44 N. Quetta, Pakistan attributes a continental arid climate with
large dissimilarities between winter and summer temperatures. But according to
(Razzaq et al., 2014).
The climate of Quetta
is totally arid and frigid (15 to - 7C) and winter is too mild as (32 to 35C)
in summer. But according to (Köppen-Geiger) Quetta climate is classified as
cold and semi-arid climate zone it has low humidity and dry climate, frigid in
winter in this city snowfall is receives in December, January, and February.
Evolution of animals began 600 million over years ago in the ocean (Anderson.,
1975).a high percentage of migratory birds over 30% (Roberts.,1991) Pakistan is
arid and semi-arid regions and 80% land area in case here 174 mammal species
reported in Pakistan in which endemic and nonendemic subspecies (Robert., 1997)
only 22 species of amphibians are recorded in which 9 is non-endemic and a
number of marine species 29 fish species nine are snow trout (Hassan., 1997)
Two breeds of buffalo, one of yalk, eight of cattle, 25 of goat, 28 of sheep
reported in Pakistan (Usmani & Jasra 1993). Maslakh (shella) is located in
the west of Quetta, but its eaten faces Quetta city. While Maslakh is a rural
area of Quetta but north wise it is nearest to district Pishin and south wise
it extends towards panjpai. It is almost 20km away from a Quetta city.in
Maslakh we have shella which is protected area for conservation farming and
rearing of karakul sheep and goats. This is protected by boundary walls no one
is allowed to cut herbs and shrubs, and trees in the shella. More than less 3
to 4km square protected area for livestock as well this area is range protected
area state forest area and wildlife sanctuary in which different type fauna and
flora present. But sheep and goats endemic species of this area.
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