Soil Examination and Measurement in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, Pakistan I InformativeBD

Musharaf Khan, Farrukh Hussain , Shahana Musharaf , Abid Salim Haider, and  Imdadullah, from the different institute of the Pakistan. wrote a research article about, Soil Examination and Measurement in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, Pakistan. entitled, Soil examination and Measurement of Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, Pakistan. This research paper published by the International Journal of Biosciences (IJB). an open access scholarly research journal on Biosciences . under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences | INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher. 

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess the physical and chemical condition of soil in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati District Karak, Pakistan. The result shows that the high extent of sand 72 %, clay 52 % and silt 33 % was found high in southern area of Bogara Shahidan Banda and Jarassi respectively. The sandy clay loamy soil was found in phase 1 and 2 where phases 3 and 4 were composed of sandy clay soil. Communally the area was found sandy clay soil. The low (23.63 g. Kg-1) and high quantity (28 g. Kg-1) of soil organic matter was there in phase 4 and 3 respectively. Lime content value was high 248 g.Kg-1 in Siraj Khel while low value 58 g. Kg-1 in Chokara. The lowest value of electrical conductivity 0.14 dS m-1 was found in site Jahangeri Banda and high value 0.34 dS m-1 in Warana. The result shows that the high PH 8.13 was also found in the WM and low pH (6.06) in Jarassi. The amount of Phosphorus 3.86 mg. Kg-1 and Potassium 147.76 mg. Kg-1 was high rate in Ambiri Kala and Siraj Khel while it’s low 3.13 mg. Kg-1 in SJ and 98.89 mg. Kg-1 in Zarki Nasrati respectively. It is necessary for the people of the area to analyze the soil for their use in each year and seasons as the soil of area changes by wind and water erosion. The area is semi arid so during rainy season the chemical component of the area may be change due the dissolving of chemical material in universal solvent and the activity of microbial community structure.

Read more : Temporal and Structural Relations in Hevea brasiliensis: Indicators of Bark and Latex Vessel Maturity |InformativeBD

Introduction

The soil is a compound structure consisting of different raw material, gases, organic and inorganic molecules in different structure with different properties and characteristics. Water is present in the pore of soil particles which dissolve the organic and inorganic molecules for use of plants. Soil present key role in environmental, economic and community functions as a basic natural origin. It is nonrenewable in human time scales. High quality soils not only help establish natural ecosystems and enhance air and water quality but also produce better food and fiber. (Griffiths et al., 2010). It is reported that the main factors influencing soil fertility at field scale are differences in fertilization, cropping system and farming practices (Liu et al., 2010). Informative spatial changeability of soil fertility and its influencing factors are important to improve sustainable land use strategies (Qi et al., 2009). Quality of soil fertility is influenced by both land use and soil management practices and varies spatially from field to larger region scale (Sun et al., 2003). Soil quality has been defined as the capability of the soil to function within ecosystem and land use boundaries to, maintain biological productivity, environmental quality and promote plant, animal and human health (Doran et al., 1996). Important indicators of soil quality are nutrient balances and soil fertility changes (Jansen et al., 1995). Maximum plant growth requires the natural capacity of a soil to provide plant nutrients in sufficient amount, forms, and in suitable proportions is soil fertility (Von Uexkuell, 1988). Some studies were also taken concerning soil quality at regional scale in world through Fida et al., (2011), Jin et al., (2011), Darilek et al., (2009), Wang et al., (2009), Zhang et al., (2007), Liu et al., (2006), Amare et al., (2005) and Samaké et al., (2005).

Reference

Amare H, Joerg P, Edzo V, Demil T, Jan PL. 2005. Assessment of soil nutrient depletion and its spatial variability on smallholders’ mixed farming systems in Ethiopia using partial versus full nutrient balances. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ 108 (1), 1-16.

Bach EM, Baer SG, Meyer C K, Six J. 2010. Soil texture affects soil microbial and structural recovery during grassland restoration, Soil Biology and Biochemistry 42 (12), 2182-2191.

Bouyoucos GJ. 1962. Hydrometer method improved for making particle-size analysis of soils. Agron. J., 53, 464-465.

Darilek JL, Huang B, Wang ZG, Qi YB, Zhao YC, Sun WX, Gu ZQ, Shi XZ. 2009. Changes in soil fertility parameters and the environmental effects in a rapidly developing region of China. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ 129 (1-3), 286-292.

Doran JW, Sarrantonio M, Liebig MA. 1996. Soil health and sustainability. Adv. Agron. 56, 1-54.

Fida M, Khan S, Razzaq A, Nawaz I, Haq I. 2011. Fertility status of guava orchards in Kohat District of Pakistan. Journal of Soil Science and Environmental Management 3(9), 260-268.

Gee GW, Bauder JW. 1986. “Particle-size Analysis.” Method of Soil Analysis, p. 20-22.

Griffiths BS, Ball BC, Daniell TJ, Hallett PD, Neilson R,Wheatley RE, Osler G, Bohanec M. 2010. Integrating soil quality changes to arable agricultural systems following organic matter addition, or adoption of a ley-arable rotation. Appl. Soil Ecol. 46(1), 43-53.

Hu KL, Li H, Li BG, Huang YF. 2007. Spatial and temporal patterns of soil organic matter in the urban-rural transition zone of Beijing. Geoderma 141, 302-310.

Huang B, Sun WX, Zhao YC, Zhu J, Yang RQ, Zou Z, Ding F, Su JP. 2007. Temporal and spatial variability of soil organic matter and total nitrogen in an agricultural ecosystem as affected by farming practices. Geoderma 139(3-4), 336-345.

Hussain F. 1989. Field and Laboratory Manual of Plant Ecology. University Grants Commission, Islamabad.

Jackson MA. 1992. Soil Chemical Analysis. Constable and Co, Ltd., London.

Jin J, Xu Y, Ye H, Shen C, Huang Y. 2011. Effect of land use and soil management practices on soil fertility quality in North China cities’ urban fringe. African Journal of Agricultural Research 6(9), 2059-2065.

Liu E, Yan CY, Mei XR, He WQ, Bing SH, Ding LP, Liu Q, Liu S, Fan TL. 2010. Long-term effect of chemical fertilizer, straw, and manure on soil chemical and biological properties in northwest China. Geoderma 158, 173-180.

Liu N, Li XJ, Zhao GX, Yu KQ, Ma XY. 2006. Evaluation of soil quality in the Yellow River Delta based on GIS (in Chinese with English Abstract).Chinese J. Soil Sci. 37(6), 1053-1057.

Qi YB, Darilek JL, Huang B, Zhao YC, Sun WX, Gu ZQ. 2009. Evaluating soil quality indices in an agricultural region of Jiangsu Province, China. Geodema, 149(3-4), 325-334.

Samake O, Smaling EMA, Kropff MJ, Stomph TJ, Kodio A. 2005. Effect of cultivation practices on spatial variation of soil fertility and millet yields in the Sahel of Mali. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ 109 (3-4), 335-345.

Soltanpour PN. 1985. Use of ammonium bicarbonate-DTPA soil test to evaluate elemental availability and toxicity. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal 16, 322-328.

Sun B, Zhou SL, Zhao QG. 2003. Evaluation of spatial and temporal changes of soil quality based on geostatistical analysis in the hill region of subtropical China. Geoderma 115, 85-99.

Von Uexkuell HR. 1988. Nutrient cycling in soil management and smallholder development in the Pacific Islands.In: IBSRAM (InternationalBoard for Soil Research and Management) Proceedings. Bangkok, p. 21.

Wang YQ, Zhang XC, Huang CQ. 2009. Spatial variability of soil total nitrogen and soil total phosphorus under different land uses in a small watershed on the Loess Plateau, China.Geoderma 150(1-2), 141- 149.

Zhang XY, Sui YY, Zhang YD, Meng K, Herbert SJ. 2007. Spatial variability of nutrient properties in Black soil of Northeast China. Pedosphere 17(1), 19-29.

Source : Soil examination and Measurement of Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, Pakistan   

Read More

Conservation Status of Tree Species in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, Karak, Pakistan | InformativeBD

Musharaf Khan,  Farrukh Hussain , and  Shahana Musharaf, from the different institute of the Pakistan. wrote a research article about, Conservation Status of Tree Species in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, Karak, Pakistan. entitled, Conservation Status of Tree species in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, Karak 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 | NNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract 

The present study documents the conservation status of 21 trees belonging to 14 families on small scale in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, Karak through field surveys, frequently conducted in spring, summer and winter 2009-2010. Among these 9 species were found to be rare, vulnerable (6 species), Infrequent (3 species), endangered (one specie) and dominant (2 species). The conservation status of plants is determined according to IUCN 2001, Red Data List Categories and Criteria. After two years extensive field studies on the basis of questioner including availability of plant, collection of plant, growth of plant, plant parts, population size, geographic range and habitat we have concluded that Salvadora oleoides is endangered (EN) specie.

Read more : Seed StorageImpact on Germination and Survival of Syzygium polycephaloides | InformativeBD

Introduction

The conservation status of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant or not and if yes, how likely the group is to become extant in the near future. Conservation status of a species depends upon many factors like grazing, fuel demand, agriculture land, deforestation, breeding success rates and known threats (Khan, et al., 2011). Based on the sample of species that have been evaluated through 2006, the percentage of endangered species as 40 percent of all organisms has calculated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Anon., 2008). Habitat loss and degradation, introduction of alien species, pollution and diseases, over-exploitation and climate change are some threats facing by plants which are an integral part of our ecosystem because native plants are key components of the global biological diversity (Sudhersan et al., 2003). It is estimated that some 270,000-425,000 vascular plant species are already known (Govaerts, 2001) with perhaps a further 10- 20% still to be discovered and described (Hawksworth & Kalin-Arroyo, 1995). Pakistan’s scenario is not different from the rest of the world. Plant biodiversity is also under tremendous pressure due to its population explosion, unplanned urbanization, deforestation and over-exploitation of natural resources. Unfortunately, very little work has been done on threatened plants of Pakistan and extremely limited information is available on this subject (Alam & Ali, 2009). According to Nasir (1991) 580-650 flowering plant species (i.e. 12%) are expected to be threatened. Chaudhri & Qureshi (1991) reported 709 taxa as threatened plants from Pakistan. However, both these studies are manly based on field observation and literature without any support of quantitative data. In contrast, the recent red list of IUCN (Anon., 2008) only 19 flowering plants species has been listed from Pakistan. Regarding Pakistan previous workers have classified the plant species as threatened or rare on the basis of literature or herbarium specimen. No work has been done according to IUCN red list categories or criteria (Anon., 2001) except Alam & Ali (2009), who classified Astragalus gilgitensis as a Critically Endangered (CR).

The Tehsil Takht-e- Nasrati is situated at o to 33.280 North and 70.300 to 71.300 East. The research area is bounded by Tehsil Karak on the North East, District Mianwali on the East, District Lakki Marwat on the South West and Tribal area Adjoining District Bannu on the West (Fig. 1). The total area of Tehsil is about 613.66 Sq. kilometers. Majority of the area consists of rigged dry hills and rough fields areas i.e. 323.97 Sq. kilometers and agriculture land is about 289.7 Sq. kilometers. The area is situated at 340 m above the sea level. The major problem of the area is shortage of drinking water and over grazing (Fig.2). The people bring drinking water from the remote area (Fig.3). In the year 2001 - 2010, 121.6mm of rainfall per 10 year recorded. The area is very hot in summer and very cold in winter. June and July are the hottest months, whereas December and January are the coldest months. In the year 2001 - 2010 the mean maximum temperature was 39.5o C, in the month of the June, where as the mean minimum temperature was as low as 4.26o C, in the month of January (Table.1). Write down the aim and necessity of your study here.

Reference

Alam J, Ali SL. 2009. Conservation status of Astraglus gilgitensis Ali (Fabaceae): a critically endangered species in Gilgit district, Pakistan. Phyton (Horn, Austria) 48(2), 211-223.

Anonymous. 2001. IUCN Red List Categories: Version 3.1. Species Survival Commission. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland & Cambridge, UK.

Anonymous. 2008. IUCN Red List of threatened species, www.iucnredlist.org cited on December 27th 2009.

Baggs JE, Maschinski J. 2000. Annual report on the long-term research on Purshia subintegra in the Verde Valley for 1999. Report to Arizona Department of Transportation, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Chaudri MN, Qureshi RA. 1991. Pakistan’s Endangered Flora –II. Pakistan Systematics 5 (1- 2), 1-84.

Davis SD, Heywood VH, Hamilton AC. 1995. Centres of Plant Diversity: a guide and strategy for their conservation, Vol. 2 (Asia, Australasia and the Pacific). Cambridge: IUCN.

El-Keblawy A, Al-Rawai A. 2007. Impacts of the invasive exotic Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) D.C. on the native flora and soils of the UAE. Plant Ecology 190 (1), 23-35.

Engler M. 2008. The Value of International Trade. Traffic Bulletin 22(1), 4-5.

Govaerts R 2001. How many species of seed plants are there? Taxon 50(4), 1085-1090.

Hawksworth DL, Kalin-Arroyo MT. 1995. Magnitude and distribution of biodiversity. In: Global Biodiversity Assessment. (Ed.): V.H. Heywood. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK; 107-192.

Hirway I, Goswami S. 2007. Valuation of Coastland Resources. The Case of Mangroves in Gujrat. Academic Foundation. India.

Huston MA. 1994. Biological Diversity: The Coexistence of Species on Changing Landscape. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Khan  M,  Shinwari  ZK,  Musharaf  S.  2011. Conservation and ecological characteristic of Trees in Tehsil Karak Pakistan, J. Bio. & Env. Sci. 1(6), 155-164.

Kruckeberg AR, Rabinowitz D. 1985. Biological aspects of endemism in higher plants. Annual Reviews of Ecological Systematics 16, 447-479.

Myers N. 1988. Threatened Biotas: “Hotspots” in tropical forests. Environmentalist 8, 1-20.

Nasir YJ. 1991. Threatened plants of Pakistan. In: Plant Life of South Asia. (Eds.): S.I. Ali & A. Ghaffar. Shamim Press, Karachi; 229-234.

Noor M, Salam U, Khan MA. 1995. Allelopathic effects of Prosopis juliflora Swartz. Journal of Arid Environments 31(1), 83-90.

Pallewatta N, Reaser JK, Gutierrez AT. 2003. Invasive alien species in South-Southeast Asia: National Reports & Directory of Resources. Global Invasive Species Programme, Cape Town, South Africa.

Pieper RD. 1994. Ecological implications of livestock grazing. In: Ecological Implications of Livestock Herbivory in the West. (Eds.): M. Vavra, W.A. Laycock and R.D. Pieper. Society for Range Management, Denver, CO. 177-211.

Primental D, Lach L, Zuniga R, Morrison D. 2000. Environmental and economic costs of non-indigenous species in the United States. Bioscience 50, 53-65.

Rabinowitz D. 1981. Seven forms of rarity. In: The Biological Aspects of Rare Plant Conservation. (Ed.): H. Synge. Wiley & Sons Ltd. 205-217.

Sudhersan C, Abo El-Nil M, Hussain J. 2003. Tissue culture technology for the conservation and propagation of certain native plants. Journal of Arid Environments 54, 133-147.

Source: Conservation Status of Tree species in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, Karak Pakistan

 

Read More